Did I buy the right head?

LMNOP

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My main rig is a Mamiya RZ67 Pro ii - and I'd like to be able to add bigger lenses with this setup.. I just purchased a MHXPRO-3W - found here. Today, I ordered the Manfrotto 055XPROB legs, this seems to be an ideal setup, but I wonder: Is this head too small for the large surface area of the RZ67 body bottom? I am concerned it is a lot of weight in one concentrated area. Should I have been looking for something with more surface support?

I also use a Mamiya 645AF - but I imagine that is not an issue if the RZ isn't. I've been using a vintage Slik model for a while now, but it has felt small as well.

As always, I appreciate the thoughts.
 

benjiboy

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I think it will be O.K., especially since your camera has a revolving back and you won't need to flip the head over.
 

Old-N-Feeble

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Looks like a good combo to me.
 

Mainecoonmaniac

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It will be fine. One piece of advice. When you mount the camera with the plate, twist the camera on the tripod to make sure the plate is fully seated on the head. I found out what quick release means when my camera fell off the tripod assuming that I mounted it correctly. I still laugh at myself for that.
 
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LMNOP

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Thanks!
 

mweintraub

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I use the same RC2 system and I find it fine for the RZ. And as mentioned, Yes, make sure you secure the RC on the body and then the RC on the head. Before you left go of the camera, give it a little tug.
 
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LMNOP

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mweintraub said:
I use the same RC2 system and I find it fine for the RZ. And as mentioned, Yes, make sure you secure the RC on the body and then the RC on the head. Before you left go of the camera, give it a little tug.
Click to expand...

Nice! I will do that. I also got Nikon's 12" screw-in cable release, should work with the RZ.
 

MattKing

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I use the same RC2 quick release with my RB67 and a couple of different Manfrotto medium duty ballheads. They work fine. You do need to be cautious in unusual situations like where you hold the camera sideways in order to clear an obstruction ahead of you - the camera has a lot of potential torque at those rare times when it is to the side of your trpod head, rather than on top of it. If the release is torqued, it can loosen.
 
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LMNOP

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As much as I try, I cannot picture what you are describing. Or maybe I can, but I don't understand the torque aspect. Do you mean the whole camera at a 90 degree angle on the tripod?
 

polyglot

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I am personally Not A Fan of the manfrotto quick release system. It gets quite sloppy once it's worn a bit and the little plates don't have much area to grip the bottom of the camera. The Arca Swiss system is much better (tongue in groove, tightened with a screw); that doesn't mean you have to pay Arca prices though because compatible systems/bits are available from all over. I have Feisol stuff, and it holds the camera far more steadily and reliably than my manfrottos ever did. I use the 100mm plate on my RZ67 and the 40mm plate on my Toyo 45A.
 

MattKing

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LMNOP said:
As much as I try, I cannot picture what you are describing. Or maybe I can, but I don't understand the torque aspect. Do you mean the whole camera at a 90 degree angle on the tripod?
Click to expand...

I thought this might be a problem:confused:.

From time to time I find myself in a situation where I cannot place my tripod in a position where I am able to both frame my photograph properly and look straight down into the waist level finder.

Usually this is because I need to shoot either over some sort of obstruction like a railing or around something like a post. As an example, I have hanging over my desk right now a shot I took with my RB67 where I was on a wooden bridge and I pointed the camera straight down at a stream/rocks/waterfall directly below

The solution often involves essentially hanging the camera off of the rotated sideways tripod head, rather than positioning it on top of the vertically positioned tripod head - not necessarily a full 90 degrees from vertical, but certainly a fair amount away from vertical.

It is in those circumstances that rotation can happen unexpectedly.
 

mweintraub

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Thanks for the heads up for this brand. I've been thinking of going to a ball head and looking at my options.
 

Dan Daniel

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I recently bought the Manfrotto MHXPRO-3W and like it very much. Locks down securely, the tension system works well, and so far no creep in locking down the handles. The collapsing handles are very nice, also, making the tripod much more compact. It's a well-made head.

I have been using a Markins ballhead, their smallest model, and it just didn't allow for precise positioning with a Horseman VH setup. To handle the Horseman would take a much larger ballhead, meaning much more expensive. For slow, precise framing, a 3-way can be better. Best as I have seen, you will get a better head with a 3-way over a ballhead for the cost of the MHXPRO-3W

Yes, the Arca-Swiss plate system is much better. I wish Manfrotto would finally give up its systems. Very annoying on their part since their heads would find a much larger market using Arca plates. I couldn't find a quality 3-way head that used the Arca plates.
 
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