The Manfrotto 502HD Pro Video Head with Flat Base (3/8"-16 Connection) is an affordable yet remarkably full-featured professional head that represents an advance over the popular 501HDV, with sturdier construction and featuring Manfrotto's patented bridging technology (inherited from the 509HD and 504HD heads). This head is designed for executing cinematic moves with compact camcorders and DSLR video cameras. The 502HD comes in two versions -- the "AH" flat-base version, which this one is, and the "A" ball-base version, which is separately available.
Weight capacity is 12.2 lb and counterbalance supports 8.8 lb. It can support 13 lb as a static weight. The balance plate's 3.27" range allows you to correct for uneven payloads that might be due to matte boxes or exotic DSLR rig configurations.
The bridging technology ensures that the pan friction control is intuitive and easy to set, but also protected against knocks. There are of course independent locks for pan and tilt, and drag for both is selectable in a continuous range from zero to the max level. This allows you to operate the head in a confident, smooth manner using the included pan bar.
