Manfrotto 509HD Professional Fluid Video Head

The 509HD is the head Manfrotto builds for shoulder-mount and built-up cine rigs. Its 100mm half ball drops straight into a standard bowl tripod, and both pan and tilt drag are continuously variable from zero to full, so a slow reveal and a snap pan come off the same head without swapping anything. The 4-step counterbalance carries up to 12.8 kg at a 55mm center of gravity or 8.5 kg at 125mm, with a safety payload of 13.5 kg.

The aluminum body carries an Easy Link 3/8 in thread for hanging a monitor or recorder off the side, and the ABR (Advanced Balancing Recorder) marks the balance point so a rig that comes apart between setups goes back on balanced. Tilt runs from -50 to +90 degrees, pan is a full 360 degrees, and the head ships with a 509PLONG sliding plate and pan bar.