He is very very well made, the connection plates are even after a long service life even tightened, even without the need to re-tension necessarily. The rubber does not proprieties ever to lösen.Der lever and the innards of the connection to tripod plate back even after more than a year of hard use hardly worn. I use the head for the large format photography, so I can not give up something stable unfortunately. The contact surface is wonderfully large and the head gives a very secure feeling. Very good is also the choice between different screw sizes and the appropriate slot for spare screws in the tripod head. He does very good services. Next is "nagging at the highest level":
- To detach the courses (for a faster adjustment) is in some positions of the head is extremely difficult - especially if strong tendency rests is the head partially self "in the way".
- The quick adjustment in itself works well, but "jumps" to the head during latching part, so you then again have to work with the worm gear.
- Partial effect of the head after a quick adjustment already snapped back, but it is not so that it then when turning at the Feinverstellknöpfen "nachspringt".
- The geared head wobbles very slightly on my Manfrotto 190 CXPRO 3, even if it is locked with the set screw. This is not because of the connection to the tripod, but at game in progress!
- For macro I have the tripod plate opposite to the normal direction of the camera screw, because otherwise I do not hammer out the necessary inclination to the horizontal folded arm of my tripod (on one side there are only 30 °, on the other 90 °!). Although this sounds like a banality, I find it quite annoying, especially when you change to a photo trip between macro and landscape photography. Then the unscrewing of the tripod plate is always necessary ...
These things are still somewhat acceptable, but:
Agility:
In cold weather, the knobs are on the head so unruly in their response that they just can not turn only to a few mm. At room temperature and up no problem, but whoever photographed much in temperate weather notice it. This is annoying in so far as that can be 3-way pan head in cold weather (just the Manfrotto models with Friction Control) adjust much softer. This would allow to solve vll through better lubricant?
In the beginning I had no problem with it, I just think that my needs have grown to a good Getriebeneiger.
Balance:
My tripod is almost as heavy as the Manfrotto head per se, so that the combination is very hard but then total. Even more problematic, however, is the top-heaviness of the combination. While the course is not necessarily a problem for everyone (at a 055er aluminum tripod will be there not as noted) it bothers me when worn on my backpack immensely - the tripod swings despite good fuse partially as a stick to it around.
personal conclusion:
The 410 Junior Geared Head is a very good head, which however does not come without drawbacks. It is very difficult and also for trips not easy to store due to its size. Of course, a gearhead may not be as easy as a normal 3-way head, but I'm looking forward to the MHXPRO 3 WG. This head I could at Photokina 2014 test yourself. He does not weigh only half, and all problems have been addressed, which I have listed above: Easier locking and quick adjustment, much more precise transitions, smaller design. The only problem at the new head is much smaller connector plate.
