I was searching a video tripod head to be use with my small Panasonic NV-GS230 3CCD video camera (bought it myself when I was working as a stringer cameraman for local TV station in 2008).

Before that, I used the ball head which normally use for still photo camera (Victory 3080 tripod kit – about the same configuration of the Manfrotto 190series). Not a practical thing to do when you want to pan or tilt the video camera while capturing footage.

The other alternative method was to replace the default ball head with a 3-way pan tilt head like the Manfrotto 141RC. It use the same adapter plate (200PL) as the ball head – practically I don’t have to switch plates and the same 3-way pan head can be use for still photography – but I’ve stayed with the ball head instead since there were no major needs.

At first, I was saving to buy the Manfrotto 701RC2 – inspired by other senior stringer cameraman that used the same thing with their Panasonic DVC-102B and Sony PD170P cameras. Use the same base plate for the ball head (200PL type). But the model was replaced with the new Manfrotto 701HDV model.

The 701HDV use the same plate as the previous Manfrotto 501-series and 503-series video head – the long flat 501PL plate. About the same design with the 501/503, it still maintain most aspect of the 701RC2 – a max load of 4kg.

… updating in progress.

Not intend to be a perfect tips/review blog but just some note from my own personal experiences and daily usage.

Hope this blog will be useful and please forward any inquiry to my email at hafizudin.mohdsafar(a)gmail.com.

NOTE: I myself will not to be put any responsible or liability or drag with any lawsuit of any country or constitution or patent, should one experience or had major breakdown of their system, or system failure or mess up their PC or broken their stuffs, or loss of revenue, or loss of data, or if you have to reset/reformat your equipment (any thing related or equivalent meaning) if one follow or use such tips, or information from this blog. – All related material or information here are from my own personal day use and any other third parties things will be noted if taken from other source.

- Hafizudin Mohd Safar (freelance media practicer, since 2006 to present).