SLR Geek

This is a personal review of the Bogen – Manfrotto 701HDV video head. Like I’ve said before I enjoy using Manfrotto products and this one is simply awesome. The 701HDV head is primarily meant for video use as it can not rotate from landscape to portrait orientation. But, if you are shooting stills in landscape mode or your lens has a rotatable tripod ring it can also be used as an extremely good standard tripod head for still photography. Primarily purchased for my Canon 5D Mark II for video use I’m finding it has several features that really endure it to all around use like the sliding head mount which I will talk about later. Internal fluid cartridges make for a very smooth pan and tilt function which is a must have when shooting videos. I had tried using several other regular head designs I already owned such as the Manfrotto 322RC2 Horizontal Grip Action Ball Head and Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head and all resulted in a very jerky movement during video filming and playback when any movement is required. The smoothness while not needed for still photography is very critical when filming video especially in High Definition mode with a longer lens where it can be almost non-useable if the panning and titling are not absolutely smooth. The other surprising thing about this head I never thought about is the sliding head mount. This allows you to find the perfect center of gravity (CG) for any lens. By simply sliding your lens and camera to the perfect CG the camera does not start tilting upwards or downwards with the lock screws loosened. Although I have found the Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L lens to be my best all around video camera lens with the 5D Mark II, sometimes I need a longer reach. The sliding head mount is especially useful with a larger lens such as the Canon 100-400 IS L Zoom is attached (see photo below). With a perfect CG you can leave the lock screws loosened and respond instantly to any movements of your video subject. Double locking mechanisms also give a peace of mind that your very expensive camera system will not accidentally fall to the ground. Another thing I never thought about is the adjustable tilt / pan handle that allows you to adjust the relationship between the camera and handle, every handy!

Manfrotto 701 HDV Video Head with Canon 100-400 IS L lens and Canon 40D:

Specifications:

Made in Italy the Bogen – Manfrotto 701HDV video head is made of quality aluminum and feels like a very professional piece. A maximum weight loading allowance of 8.82 pounds allows you to use a large lens and camera combo. With a tilting range of -60/+90 degrees and a panning range of a full 360 degrees I find this head more then adequate for all video and most still photography uses. The slider plate has a full range of 2.2 inches (58mm) allowing a generous range of CG adjustments. The dual mount 1/4″ – -20 and 3/8″ thread types give you flexibility also allowing you to mount a standard Manfrotto 323 Quick release system. This allows you to quickly attach and remove your still camera from this type head and still retain the neat sliding head feature. A mini-bubble level allows quick reference to make sure your videos are level. Adjustable handle ensures the perfect relation between the handle and camera.

Still capture of B-17 Bomber video Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 17-40 F/4 L Lens:

Pros:

Slider plate
Very Smooth
Adjustable handle
Mini leveler bubble
Double latching system

Cons:

No tilt for portrait mode
Can be a little bit heavy

Accessories:

Manfrotto 323 Quick release system allows you to quickly release and attach your standard still camera.
I love using this head with the Bogen – Manfrotto 055CX3 Carbon Fiber Tripod. The carbon fiber allows maximum stability and vibration dampening to make those perfect High Definition videos.

Conclusion:

The Manfrotto 701HDV video head is an awesome all around head very useful for still photography but a real requirement for videos! I highly recommend it.

Tripod mounted sunset storm shot: