Umm, not WD40 on 488. I had the 486, Manfrotto ballhead needs a light coating of grease as lubricant. WD40 is not oil, it is actually a chemical repellent of moisture so that won't help you. That is one of the reason I actually never used it. I much prefer AS B1, which requires nothing, actually no oil allowed.
I agree there appears to be a sheen of lubricant on the ball. I bought mine only a couple of months ago !
I'm just pointing out the info from the instruction leaflet, obviously if Matjaz' 488 has become difficult to move then he needs to try something to remedy the problem.
you know the answer can be very simple if the instructions that came with the head say nothing of maintaining a level of lube on it you don't. if it moves freely there is no issue. don't create a possible problem. most lubes will allow foreign particles to adhere to the component your lubing. in the case of a ball and socket assy that can be a problem. manfrotto has used a polymer type self lubricating material in some of their heads in the past. simply next time check your gear well before you go and if there are any issues contact the vendor and they will point you in the right direction.
the use of a lube can actually ruin the operation of the head by reducing the friction needed lock the ball in the socket. if you have a fairly chunky camera like a 1D or better with an larger L lens it may tend to flop. in that situation you will then have to tighten it more and more. this will then cause issues with locking system later as it grows older.
i have owned 3 ball heads to date and none have required any form of lube maintenance.
arca swiss B1
markins M10
acratech ultimate
waiting on the RRS BH-55
