p.2 #1 · Opinions on the 322RC2 Manfrotto Grip Ball Head
Omar, excellent observation.
I seem to recall doing both, but I thought the set screw (mine was silver, not brass) adjusted the range of the thumbwheel, and that range was indicated by a red slider on the palm side of the grip. Perhaps I need to ReRTFM?
It's been a long time, and I don't even know where my 322RC2 is right now, it's been so long since I gave up on it. The nail in it's coffin for me was my conversion to Arco Swiss style dovetail L plates and clamps system wide, after becoming frustrated with the movement within the RC2 QR plates themselves, on any type of head or grip.
I still like the Bogen Manfrotto hexagonal plate system, but the RC2 is a loosy goosy joke compared to the firm attacment of machined billet dovetail plate systems from Really Right Stuff, etc.
Like many before me, I didn't see the need to "waste" money on the Arca Swiss style plates when the RC2 system seemed just as good for a fraction of the cost. So I paid for quick interconnect systems twice, learning for myself the hard way, as usual.
So even if I set the tension right on the 322 grip action head to steady more than a 5 lb load (which a full size grip body and 70-200 VR can easily exceed) without drift, the built in RC2 system keeps me from using it.
Whenever I do find the thing again, I should sell it, as in theory it has to be the most convenient to adjust ball heads made... squeeze, move, let go, done. No tightninging or untightening.
Mine drifted with weight, and the RC2 QR plate shifted within it's cleated receiver. A no go for me. I'm still curious about my potential misunderstanding of that set screw however. What does the "friction" thumbwheel control then, if not that grip on the ball? The rotation of the collar? I thought the friction wheel controled both. I recall that I could move the ball by hand regardless of whether or not the handle was squeezed or not.
The more I think about it, the more I recall the issues that dissuaded me from using it. I invested in a secondary RC2 plate set up so that I had two mounted simultaneously, one on the collar, and one on the handle end, so that I could intantly switch from side style squeeze grip to joystick style squeeze grip.
Using the grip in the joystick style added even more leverage to the load on the ball, excaserbating the weak holding power exponentially. That didn't last long with me.
When I find it again, I'll try turing that allen screw more, but I think I explored it's range quite thoroughly before retiring the piece. Could be wrong though.
p.2 #2 · Opinions on the 322RC2 Manfrotto Grip Ball Head
I tried tighting both places on mine also and neither worked. Maybe mine was defective? I contacted Bogan about it and they said I could send it in for about $65 for repair, I decided it wasn't worth it. I'm glad you like how it works for you, but it wasn't a head for me. That's maybe why there is such a proliferation of ball heads. My main one now is bogan's hydrostatic head which I enjoy.
p.2 #3 · Opinions on the 322RC2 Manfrotto Grip Ball Head
The older Bogen 3265 put the camera and lens at the end of a very long lever arm, when in Portrait orientation, exacerbating the lock tightness issue!
The Manfrotto 322 fixed the long lever arm issue, and the knowledge about the set screw (not merely the friction wheel) addressed slippage issues.
But if you have to try to shoot field sports using a tripod mounted camera, having to perpetually squeeze the release quickly becomes an exercise in forearm pain management.
If you have the luxury of a shooting situation requiring quick repositioning and then setting camera position in the new fixed position, the squeeze trigger idea is nice, but many of us simply do not shoot in that mode normally.
And the lateral 322 trigger grip sticking out makes for a more difficult storage issue.
p.2 #4 · Opinions on the 322RC2 Manfrotto Grip Ball Head
One of my Dynatran knockoffs of the 3265 developed looseness and wouldn't hold under pressure. I just adjusted the silver (brass?) screw a bit and now it holds rock steady. It was harder to find the right size Allen wrench than to adjust the ballhead.
I never had a problem with fatigue using the pistol grip. I always found it far less fiddly than a standard ball head.
I shoot a lot from a monopod, and I find the simplicity of the pistol grip works very well with a monopod. Holding the grip in the left hand also steadies the monopod and camera as the right hand holds the camera and operates the camera controls.
