If you want to swing very slowly and steadily, you need a high friction. Horizontal works well as it should. However, the soft start of a vertical panning is impossible in the upper third of the friction adjustment due to the underlying construction by 502AH. Turning the friction high, in a play of about one degree, which must be overcome first before the friction intervenes.
The reason is that the outer friction plate is edged with two plastic pins into the metal housing, which are held in position by a respective very strange piece of plastic and a small spring, which is clamped in a recess of the housing. Strange, because this piece of plastic while ensuring that the friction disc normally not flapping around in the cast housing, but the spring with higher torque ultimately gives something to the plastic parts clamp in a different position on the surrounding housing. This reminds not the thoughtful engineering work of the facade, but looks very after a predetermined breaking point. The plastic may hold a number of years, but sitting funnily enough where the largest forces occur (so deep inside that hardly anyone penetrates the tinkering there) and prevents even during normal operation, the expected behavior.
Even as a layman I can think of at least two ways to besetigen this problem: Instead of those weird plastic things screw one or two correspondingly shaped metal disks at this point in the housing to prevent the slipping of the friction disc; use or a version exactly made for friction disc into the case.
That features such as the spring adjustment will not be installed for the purposes of price segmentation or Manfrotto be allowed negligence in ergonomics, is still to be understood. Especially as the other quality for the current market price and, in particular in comparison with its competitors is very high. But that one is fooled with such a concept in gefrickelten Herzststück the Panhead, really can not be.
Who also studied the friction control on both axes and will not slow pan vertically or gets close to it, only to overcome the game and only then to begin the actual swing, and otherwise expect a solid Neiger, thus possibly happy. It is plenty of choice in this price region anyway not.
Addendum of 31/05/2015: The Benro S8 is with 200 euros ex-factory price and exactly this feature is probably a very good competitor.
