Recommendations for tripod head for Manfrotto 200PL plates

[Rob_5419]

My cheap pan and tilt head uses these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230117339406&ih=013&category=3325&ssPageName=FavMerch_SO:SI:IT

Does anyone else use these? Which tripod head would you recommend?

Not looking for anything heavy - geared or pan/tilt is fine, but not ball head. I don't know if any other manufacturer other than Manfrotto makes heads to take these plates.

[squiress]

This is an RC2 Manfrotto plate. You could take a look at B&H or Adorama and specifically search on RC2 mounts and get an idea what is available. This is as close as Manfrotto comes to the Arca Swiss standard used by Kirk, Wimberley, Markins and RSS but still a long way away.

Stew

[gari beet]

Hi Rob, I have a Manfrotto 460 Mg and a calumet head that takes those plates.
I use the calumet with 5x7 as its quite heavy but the 460 is quite light if you can find one used as I think they are discontinued.
Link below for the Calumet head

Gari

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/CK7061/

[seepaert]

This is one of the most popular plates for a Manfrotto head. There is even a monopod using it. But at the same time it's one of the lightest.

If ther are no other reasons for your choice, I would defenitely advise you towards the much heavier hexagonal plate. It comes in a range of varieties, including an L-plate.

The 460 may or may not be discontinued, but is sold in a lot of places, including new. But as the plate, I think it's too lite for a viewcamera or even a mediumformat. It does not have a handle to control the forward backward movement.

[Rob_5419]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I think Manfrotto/Bogen market the same tripods under different names. Good to hear the plate is standard.

Believe it or not, that tiny magnesium plate can hold a phenomenal weight!

Gari - I have a 460Mg. This is my second. The magnesium wore off (believe it or not) and the rectangular plates never stayed in again. But it lasts a good few years.

The only thing I don't like about the 460Mg is its lack of precision. Maybe I'm looked for a geared head option?

Seepaert - I've seen those magnesium hexagon plates. They seem to be intermediate in size, before the square plates I use for studio gear. Isn't it fiddly getting the hexagon on the right angle to lodge in, since the lens direction points in 1 of the 6 angled edges?

[seepaert]

Manfrotto is owned by Bogen and Bogen sells Manfrotto gear under their own name and (unfortunately) their own numbers in the US.

I had been looking for the 460MG when I found out that there was no control for the tilt movement of the head. I then decided in favour of the 804RC which is in most respects the smaller brother of the well known 029 and 229 3D head. It worked very well on my digital camera, but I considered it too light for my Pentax 67. It won't break or bend, but it just doesn't feel right. The 804 is only a little bit heavier than the 460.

But for work (work?) closer at home I prefer the 029 head. It's much easier to control the rig. The plate has a much wider base. The handles are larger.

I'm not sure what is your problem with the hexagonal plates. It works fine. There are light non-Manfrotto plates for sale at eBay, but I don't like them as much as the original, which are steel with cork.