Name: Manfrotto 3265 Grip Action Ball Head with Quick Release - Supports 5.6 lb (#3265)
Brand: Manfrotto
SKU: BG3265
Price: 129.88 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.39 (23 reviews)

Manfrotto 3265 Grip Action Ball Head with Quick Release - Supports 5.6 lb (#3265)

Manfrotto 3265

Manfrotto

Manfrotto 222 Grip Action Ball Head with Quick R

Adorama

Photography

Tripods & Supports

Tripod Heads

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Manfrotto Ball Heads

Manfrotto 3265 

Top Rated Gear: Manfrotto 3265 Grip Action Ball Head with Quick Release - Supports 5.6 lb (#3265) Buy now & save $15. Quick Release: With Quick Release

I realize this is an old product that is no longer made but for the people complaining that it loses tension over time, it has a small set screw that adjusts the tension. I did not even realize it was there until mine had loosened up after years of use. Noticed a small set screw opposite the trigger, adjusted it a little bit and it worked like new again. I have had this over 10 years, only had to adjust it once, great product.

Great Product

Best for lenses up to 70-200 (if using the lens collar). Longer lenses will challange the head.

Excellent head

Works great but is a little heavy. Supports spotting scope very well.

Works great

Great purchase from a great seller.

I use this for wildlife mostly.  It has been great for weddings to quickly go from horiz. to vert.  But this year a hairline fracture on the base of the ball stem could have cost me not only my lens, but my camera.  Luckily I inspected the head when I noticed the slightest play in the tripod.  Inspect your gear!

Years of use, but hairline fracture

When shooting wildlife on the move stability is critical particularly when paning a flying Mallard or Osprey diving for a fish. Great control

Great support

This is a great try-pod head.  Great control and built to last!

Outstanding Control

I use this with my Manfrotto tripod & Nikon D5000 DSLR!Shots come out perfect. Easy quick attach plate and smooth positioning make this a must have. I've owned a few of these for industrial filming. They're the best and will last forever! If you like flimsy don't buy this!!!

Great Control!!!

Very solid even on the weakest setting. Don't like how far the QR plate is frome the pivot point though.

Very Robust Construction

I received my grip ball head just a few days ago, so I haven't got a lot of experience with it, but I've been very pleased so far. It's as steady as a rock, even with my 70-300mm lens attached to the camera. No sag at all with the long lens. Manipulating the camera is both easier and quicker than with the standard ball head I was using before, also a Manfrotto. 

Be aware that the grip ball head adds a little extra height to your tripod setup, which some people might find to be a slight problem. Of course, others might find it to be an advantage.

Exceeds my expectations

Great ball head or i would have gotten it  it does wjhat i need when i need  Best in town & good at great price also

Great Head

I do mostly outdoor stuff (landscape, wildlife, etc.) so this turned out to be a very easy, comfortable, and stable head. No complicated dials or tricky attachments, this head screwed on and was ready to go. Looking at it, one might think that it would be loose and not capable of much stability. But as a user I can tell you that it is absolutley solid. It does have one dial that will allow you to customize the tension of the movement. This is quite handy. Of course the builtin spirit level is also wonderful and makes for fast compinsation.

Simplicity with stability

If you have weak hands then don't buy this, I am handicapped and it was to hard for me to squeeze all the time, I had to send it back.

A very nice unit

I bought this with the Manfrotto 190xprob tripod.  There is no more versatile setup or better quality, in my opinion, for the money.  I can rapidly change positions and get any angle I need to get the shot I want.  All I have to do to get any possible angle is press one lever on the head and I'm there.  The tension on the head is easily adjusted to cover most all preferences, and the stability is great.  You won't be disappointed!

Quality Craftsmanship and Easy to Use

You might have one! Don't forget to get a bracket

Superb Product

As people have said, this head does loosen up over time.  I used it for about two years with a Pentax 645.  At the end of second year I noticed it started to shift on me.  Since it was out of warranty I popped it open, added six washers above the spring assembly and it works fine again.  The disassembly was easy.  It took me two tries to get it back togther perfectly.  But, its fairly simple, if you keep track of where the pieces go as you take it apart.

I know people are going to say that something this pricey shouldn't have to be "hacked" to work right.  It took fifteen minutes from disassembly through the second reassemble.

If you have a basic understanding of tools you can probably do the same thing I did.  Three years later it still works great.

Yes it can get loose

I loved it, until it started loosing its tension.  I expected it to last a lot longer than specifically due to brand name and $$$ system.

Expected it to last longer

I would recommend this product, but with conditions.  It's held up well for 3 years, but no longer keeps its tension.  Maybe my gear was too heavy (Nikon N75, N80 & D80 w/ 300mm lens at most), but I thought a product with the reputation of Bogen would last a few years longer.  If you think you will have heavier equipment later on, make sure you get a head that can support it.

my first tripod head

Great tripod head, very stable in the field, quick adjustment. I would recommend it to anyone that wants fast easy and reliable camera mount.

Great Grip

I like this ball head for the ease of operation. No handles sticking out like conventional heads. It moves fluidly & has strong support while in the upright position. My one & only complaint is that the camera sits so high on the head that it is not very stable when repositioning the camera to take a vertical composition. The camera is precariously off to the side of the tripod much too far for my comfort & feels like it will fall completely off the head if I walk away from the tripod. I don't use it in the studio because of that situation. For fast continuous shooting on the tripod it's great though. The trigger action works fine & is very convenient.

Great head but...

I used this head with a standard 35mm setup, and after 13 months, 1 month out of warranty, it needed to be repaired because the grip mechanism was shot (ie. the head would flop around and could not be secured in place).  

The head is certainly easy to use, but don't expect any longevity from it.

Short life expectancy

I made a parellelogram binocular mount using this ball-head.  I mounted 10x70 Fujinon binoculars on the head, and the thing worked like a dream. I could squeeze the grip, move the binos around, and when i found my intended object, let go of the grip, and the object was there.  At 90* this head supported the big Fujinons without a slip.

Bogen-Manfrotto 3265 Ball Head

This head performs exactly as I want it to. It enables me to position the camera right where I want it almost instantly. It is very fast and easy to use--just squeeze the grip, position the camera where you want it, and release. The clamp is strong; I have never had the camera slip or drift from the desired position during the two years I've been using it.

I often shoot teachers and children in classroom settings with borderline slow shutter speeds. The 3265 enables me to set up a shot quickly and recompose just as quickly, since my subjects do not stay in one position for very long. I like the ability to instantly adjust the angle of my shot by just squeezing and releasing the grip handle. I operate the grip with my left hand and the camera and lens with my right hand.  

The grip nicely accommodates the Nikon D70 with 18-70mm zoom and Speedlight 800.

I highly recommend this product to photographers who are looking for a camera support that is sure and steady, yet fast and versatile. The 3265 is a high-quality head, and it performs so well, it is fun to use!