Manfrotto 494RC2 Mini Ball Head, RC2 Plate
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Manfrotto 494RC2 Mini Ball Head 494 with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate, Maximum Load: 8.8 lbs/ 4 kg

SKU: BG494RC2

This item is no longer available.

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Q&A

Questions & Answers

Shopper : Can you use this on the Manfrotto BeFree?ZHONG D : Yes you can. I have this head and the carbon version of the BeFree. They have the same size thread.
RICHARD T : From time to time I will shoot with a 70-400 lens. What head and tripod do you suggest?WAYNE M : Your decision should be based on the total weight you're looking to support; the features that are most important to you and $$$$. The weight of one lens is just part of it.Ronald D : Your ball head is one I use and it works very well. Your concern should be the weight of your lens and camera for now and your future weight expectations. Since camera are getting lighter, if it will work well for you today it should be OK in the future. Also, you may want to consider a Manfrotto 685B NeoTec Monopod. I have been using one for years and find it more convenient than my tripod for most daytime situations. The ball head you are considering also will work on the monopod. Hope this helps..TIM M : To answer your question about the tripod, I had to look up my receipt. It was the MA190 at around $120 a few years ago. I also checked on the exact ballhead: H054M0-Q2 054 Magnesium Ball Head with Q2 Quick Release. It was about $170. The quality of this ballhead exceeds that of the tripod. Were I to purchase a new tripod, I'd go up a notch or two.TIM M : This is a broad question with some unknown variables. That said, I think you'd need to shop for a head (whether pan/tilt or ball) that can support the weight of your body/lens combination. The Manfrotto 494RC2 Mini Ball Head, which I bought some years ago, is fine for all but telephoto lenses. I bought the next model up to handle my D800 and 200mm, 300mm and 400mm lenses. The tripod should match this weight capability. I am happy with both of my Manfrotto ball heads and Manfrotto tripod.
PHILIP M : How do you release the camera head?JOHN L : Underneath the camera plate release lever is the locking lever. You must first pull it and then you can move the plate release lever. It is a small brass bar with a black cap on it. It shows up very well in the 2nd and last pictures that Adorama have posted of the unit.ROBERT H : Press the button to the side at the rear left of the plateRonald D : The ball head has a quick release plate that attaches to the bottom of the camera and then to the ball head. It works very well and the camera is very secure on your tripod or monopod. I have owned the head for several years and it still works perfectly.RONALD D : Sorry, but I don't know what is meant by "camera head."BOB H : There is a light gray-colored lever on the side of the ball head. This lever is used to both mount and release the camera. There is also a safety in terms of a small metal lever which must be used in conjunction with the gray lever to open the release - this is to prevent accidental release and damage to your camera. I find the system to be very secure and effective. Hope this helps.OLEG S : I assume that the question is about the quick release plate, which attaches to the camera. Next to the plate, there is a lever that holds the plate in place. The lever itself is secured by a pin from yellow metal, just under the lever. The pin can be pulled down using the black-rubber handle that's attached to the pin. Once the pin is down, the lever can be turned about 90 degrees, releasing the plate.ANGELICA R : Sorry, don't have that head, kept my old one...

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2018-11-09T16:15:48

Rated 5 out of 5

Great piece or gear

Rock solid gear

Chad C.

2018-07-09T07:52:41

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Value, nice size without the weight!

Great Value, easy to work with!!

MELODY L.

2018-05-18T05:34:55

Rated 5 out of 5

MV

this worked well for me. I am a senior and needed a smaller and lighter head for my tripod. It works well with my set up. Yes I would recommed it.

MARY V.

2016-09-06T11:44:46

Rated 5 out of 5

Very Good Lightweight Mini Ball Head

It is a very useful lightweight tripod head. Movement is easy and fairly precise. It is ideal for use on one of the new fiber tripods. I also use it on a Cinetics motor panning device for time lapse shots.

Walter C.

2013-08-28T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Super ball-head in a small package

Works great on any tripod, but GREAT on a monopod. Small, easy to adjust, light weight and VERY stable / secure.

jhb

2013-06-21T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Solid, good weight & convenience

I use this with my D90 and an 18-105 and super-wide angle lens for landscape, artistic and a variety of nature shots. The quick release is solid. It clamps down well. Be careful when you loosen- you aren't going to get any good stitching photos with this ballhead. If this had a panoramic swivel on the bottom and a bubble level on the top, 5 stars. Convenience and quality with great weight and simple-to-use design. Look at the features- there are hardly any. But what it does, it does very well. If you really want more control over motion (such as the example of stitching multiple frames together), get a pan/tilt.

l w.

2012-07-22T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

I would recommend this to anyone.

When out hiking.

JOSEPH K.

2012-06-18T21:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

For the Price it's ok.

For the price it does what it is supposed to do. I had a hard time with the release, it is a bit hard to get the camera on and off the tripod quickly.

CATHY B.

2012-01-31T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great upgrade to what I had

I like to photo waterfalls which very often require long uphill hikes. This ball head weighs less than half of the one it's replacing with obvious increase in quality. It is ideal for my purposes. Tom

THOMAS S.

2011-09-05T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Secure, Light, Easy to use

Use this for backpacking, is light, but very flexible and secure.

JAMES S.

2010-11-17T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Very Solid Unit

Great tripod head. I use it on a Gorillapod SLR Zoom. Easily handles my D90 and a Sigma 18-50 2.8 (somewhat heavy standard zoom). This is helpful when you need balance but you can't lug a standard tripod. Good for nature shots.

HSEinPhila

2010-11-14T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Very good travel head.

I bought this head to use with 190CXPRO4. Tripod for me is mainly for travel purpose, so I wanted light small combination. The largest camera/lens combination for me is 40D/70-200 F4 IS and their combined weight is less than 4lbs. So even with flash and other stuff attached, it is nowhere near this head's maximum weight limit. So for travel tripod/head combo, I didn't need anything bigger than this. Movement of ball head can be smooth depending on how much friction you set, but once the lock lever is moved, it solidly holds my camera and lens. Only problem is that it is not really for panoramic shooting since loosening the lock lever to pan the head unlocks the ball too. But to take panorama shots, you can always loosen the center column and pan the whole head. Overall, this head is awesome travel gear. It's affordable, small and light. Pretty much all I need. I may buy different head later for different purposes, but traveling this will be on my tripod all the time.

SK

About Manfrotto 494RC2

FEATURED REVIEWS

Very good travel head.

By SK

I bought this head to use with 190CXPRO4. Tripod for me is mainly for travel purpose, so I wanted light small combination. The largest camera/lens combination for me is 40D/70-200 F4 IS and their combined weight is less than 4lbs. So even with flash and other stuff attached, it is nowhere near this head's maximum weight limit. So for travel tripod/head combo, I didn't need anything bigger than this. Movement of ball head can be smooth depending on how much friction you set, but once the ...

View full Review

I would recommend this to anyone.

By JOSEPH K.

When out hiking.

Manfrotto ball head family has been completely updated to be more ergonomic and easier to handle. Payloads range from 4.4 lbs (2kg) to 17.6 lbs (8kg). Features include a new friction control knob which allows micro movements without having to engage the head locking mechanism.

The friction control is present in all models except the small 492 head. The locking lever can be moved to the most convenient position, making it easierand quicker to work with this head.

All models featuring the quick release plate include an additional safety system that helps to prevent an accidental detaching of the camera from the head. These new Manfrotto heads are the ideal support for all needs!

The 494 and 494RC2 (will replace the 484 and 494RC2) is available in two different models: one is featuring a standard platform and one featuring a quick release plate. The 494 series is designed to be used with compact, 35mm and small digital cameras. Max load 8.8 lbs. (4kg).

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What's in the box:

  • Manfrotto 494RC2 Mini Ball Head 494
  • 200PL-14 Rectangular Quick Release Plate
  • 1/4"-20 Screw
  • 10 Year Limited Warranty (6 Months + 9 Years & 6 Months Extension with Online Registration)

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