The Manfrotto 502A Pro Video Head with 75mm Half Ball is an affordable yet remarkably fully featured professional head that represents an advance over the popular 501HDV, with sturdier construction and a half ball for precise leveling on a corresponding tripod. The 502A comes in two versions—the “A” ball-base version such as this one, and the “AH” flat-base version which is separately available.

Featuring Manfrotto’s patented bridging technology (inherited from the 509 and 504 heads), the 502A is designed for executing cinematic moves with compact camcorders and DSLR video cameras. The weight limit is 15.43 lb and counterbalance supports up to 8.8 lb. 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 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.