MHXPRO-BHQ2, XPRO Ball Head, Magnesium Body with 200 PL Plate, Triple Locking System, Levelling Bubbles, for DSLR, Compact System Camera, Mirrorless

Deciding to update my long-time ball-head, I looked at various alternatives. However, I kept coming back to Manfrotto. I wanted to switch up my system with an L-bracket for my camera, and needed an Arca-Swiss style head to be able to accommodate this change. This new Manfrotto head is lovely.. Lighter than my previous one, and very secure when tightened, it feels great to use when I'm out landscaping. The adjustment now possible for the friction on the head while it is unlocked is very useful, meaning you can set the friction level to suit your hands and movements then easily tighten everything back up with one twist of the main lever. I'm delighted with it - it's another quality head from Manfrotto, and at a very competitive price point for an Arca Swiss compatible clamp.

A well made and compact piece of equipment. All movements are fluid and the locking levers are substantial and work well. The bubble levels are well placed and make life so much easier. I am using it with a Canon 5D4 and it carries that well. I haven't used it with my Rolleiflex 2.8C yet so can't comment on its medium format performance. Has replaced a Kennet 3-way pan and tilt head dating from the mid 80's and the 200PL is a god send compared to the struggle with fixing a camera to the Kennet and its fustrating screws and lock nut design. Recommended.

Manfrotto has gained an excellent reputation for manufacturing quality camera supports and I would say that this XPRO Ball Head with its MSQ6PL ‘Arca Swiss' compatible Quick Release (QR) Plate is a good example of the quality of their designs and of their high build-quality. Importantly for me, this Manfrotto XPRO Head with MSQ6PL Plate enables the use of more universal ‘Arca fit’ attachments such as an L-Bracket for example. Worth noting about the Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head is that it's available in two versions - the 'PL200' version features Manfrotto's own designed Q/R Plate and it's NOT cross compatible with Arca Swiss Q/R Plates; and the ‘MSQ6PL’ version which comes with an 'Arca Swiss compatible' Plate. While looking into buying this new Tripod Head, I couldn't help notice that there seems to be a lot of 'misleading marketing info’ surrounding Arca Swiss Plates etc., with descriptions such as "Arca Swiss Type or Style" suggesting compatibility, but beware as a lot of them actually are NOT ! However, in my opinion at least, if you don't specifically have a need for using any Arca Swiss Plates etc, Manfrotto's own PL200 Q/R Plate System is extremely good; certainly as secure as the Arca Swiss System, and arguably slightly easier to use. This product is nicely made and finished, feels solid and is moderately lightweight weighing in at about 1/2 Kg (500g), and I would recommend it to anyone.

When buying this ball head for your tripod, please watch as many videos with reviews on ball heads, after watching many videos this was the Ball Head for myself with no doubt about it, I am extremely pleased by quality of it, defiantly a great tripod head for hiking with for outdoor photography

A few months ago I bought a Neewer Carbon fibre tripod for travel nice and light but the head was an afterthought and it needed to be replaced, there were two versions of the Manfrotto XPro Ball head one with the standard PL plate and one with the Arker swiss design, the latter had mixed reviews so I went with the PL plate, and it was the best move as its lightweight and a joy to move into that position, Its a first class product so it cost more than my tripod but when I upgrade my tripod I do not need to worry about the ball head.

Since it's made of magnesium it's a very lightweight head unit indeed & is perfect then for pairing with a modern day portable carbon tripod. It's built like a tank too so I don't doubt it's longevity but just in case I registered at Manfrotto's website which extends it's warranty to 10 yrs. The dials feel solidly built & result in your camera staying pretty much where you set it at not tending to droop forward with gravity on some lesser well made heads. All in all I'm very glad I opted for this model versus the cheaper medium sized Manfrotto ball head unit & I think it was well worth the extra cost. So all in all I have only praise for this particular head unit & can thoroughly recommend it especially pairing it with a good carbon tripod :)

I bought this Manfrotto Ball Head to replace my Manfrotto Pistol Grip 322RC2 which I hated. The Manfrotto XPro is a huge improvement. With a 10kg Payload has double the capacity of my old head and is such a better design. It easily carry's my DSLR with battery pack and a 70-200L f2.8 lens which only weights half of the total capacity of this head. The adjustments are smooth and very controllable due to the friction device and having the ability to independently pan the head is a big bonus, and one missing from some much more expensive heads. I prefer the 200PL locking plate rather than the Arca Swiss type, as it's faster to fit the camera, but it's also £50 cheaper to by the head with the 200PL plate. The only thing I don't like about this ball head are the plastics used for the locking levers, but considering the price this really is a minor point. Comes complete with 2 spirit levels pan angle gauge and a 10 year warranty if you register the product with Manfrotto. Worth every penny.

A fantastic bit of equipment I wish I had bought before. I feel so much more confident my camera is not going to move once locked in position. To me the 200 PL plate is more valuable for its quick release and lock rather than the Arca Swiss model which costs more and a bit more fiddly. The tensioner knob works very well, just a few clicks to get the right resistance required. The larger locking knob simply works fantastically well, with my Nikon D7200 and the Tamron 70-300 lens fitted, the ball head does not budge, even with the smallest tweak of the locking knob. I managed to purchase this from Amazon at the right time, when it was on offer at just £75.20. I am so glad I made this investment, it has made photography on a tripod so much more enjoyable. My last ball head was simply not up to the job and would often allow the camera to slowly creep down even with the tensioner knob and the lock knob tightly screwed in.