Manfrotto’s best tripod heads to hold birding spotting scopes

The tripod heads that you place on top of your tripod are arguably even more important than the legs themselves. The head is what directly connects to your spotting scope. It needs to be secure and stable, as well as being able to move smoothly when you want to track birds.

As a very long-established Italian brand, Manfrotto has been making tripods and other equipment linked to photography and optics since the 1960s. So you would be buying into a long history of well-researched and developed designs adding up to a high quality product.

We have compiled this round-up of the top picks from their wide range of tripod heads

Quick comparison: Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding

Reviews: Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding

In this review section, we list all the most important specifications of each product along with a summary of its main features. For each model there is a quick summary of its pros and cons, before a fuller review of how it performs.

As price is always a key consideration, we have included the facility to check the current price so that you can also compare from that point of view.

Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding – top for travel

Manfrotto 128RC Micro Fluid Tripod Head Overview

The 128 is another of the most sought-after tripod heads for use with spotting scopes. Let’s look at the reasons why.

Despite its moniker of ‘micro’ the 128 is a sturdy option. It’s heavier than the Sirui VA-5, weighing 2.2 pounds. But the Manfrotto 128 can cope with higher loads, up to 13.2 pounds.

The whole thing feels really secure – both in its attachment to the plate and to the scope itself. The 128 is available with a standard attachment or a quick release format. This is the RC plate, which has a lock on it to prevent accidental release if you knock it.

Safety lock keeps scopes secure

So there’s no worry about the safety of your precious optics. But it’ll work best when heavier spotting scopes are appropriately balanced otherwise you’re risking some slippage in the tilt.

You can pan and tilt independently using the 11-inch handle, as there are separate locks for each.

There is sufficient control of the tension, but possibly not quite the precise tension control that some people might prefer. Only about one turn of the dial takes you from really loose to lock position.

Drag control adjustable – to a certain degree

This is a significant reduction in the fineness of drag control in comparison to say one of Manfrotto’s other heads, such as the 500AH. If this is an important enough feature to you to step up in size and weight, it might be worth checking out our review of some other tripod heads that can cope with heavy loads – Best heavy duty tripod heads (stable for big scopes or wind!)

Fluid pan and tilt movements

With the two fluid cartridges, the gliding smoothness makes it a pleasure to pan, though, and up and down movements are good too.

A tiny feature that it could benefit from that some other heads do include is a bubble level to check alignment.

Some tripod legs have this built-in, though. If you can do without this on the head, however, for a birding spotting scope the 128 does the job well.

With this Manfrotto tripod head you are getting top design at an affordable price and a convenient size. It can be easily combined with a sturdy tripod for the best views.

Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding – two-way head

Manfrotto MHXPRO-2W 2-Way Pan/Tilt Tripod Head Overview

This tripod is designed for birders who want a lightweight and compact option without sacrificing quality or features. Its load capacity of 8.8 pounds works for a good range of spotting scopes.

The construction, mainly of hard plastic, means that it weighs only 1.7 pounds and is very small. The XPro will add 3.9 inch of height to your tripod legs.

Quick-release options

The built-in quick release (QR) plate has a ¼ 20 attachment. This makes setting up a breeze, so you can start viewing in no time. There’s a ⅜ inch tripod attachment to just screw it onto the plate on the top of the tripod legs.

The panning handle will attach onto either side of the head in a few seconds. There’s a bubble level on the tripod head.

Separate pan and tilt locks let you adjust along each axis independently. With varying fluidity tilt levels that allow you to add or remove resistance to the motion, there’s the potential to feel totally in control of the spotting scope.

Controllable resistance levels on the tilt

This means you are able to reposition the spotting scope as quickly or slowly as you prefer, or follow birds in flight. Tilting can be done forwards to 90 degrees or 60 upwards.

Movement is very smooth due to its dual fluid cartridges. This smoothness compares favorably to another of Manfrotto’s lightweight options, the BeFree.

A more apparent fluidity on this XPro is the reason we have included it in this list rather than the BeFree, which is also popular.

Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding – three-way head

Manfrotto MHXPRO-3W 3-Way Tripod Head Overview

The MHXPRO-3W is made of aluminum. Stability is excellent.

Manipulating your spotting scope while it is mounted on the tripod head is a breeze, with a range of simple controls across the three planes of movement. Tilt and lateral tilt ranges are both from -30 to +90 degrees. On the panorama, you can turn the whole 360 degrees.

It’s good to be able to adjust exactly how much friction is applied to the movements. The silver dials to adjust the friction are not quite as easy to grip, so this would be a point for improvement.

Helpful trio of bubble levels

Also, the bubble levels remain fully visible when the optics are attached, which is not the case with some other tripod heads.

The handles are a particular strength of the Manfrotto XPRO-3W. Not only do they extend telescopically (not all that far though), but they have a rubber grip which is pleasant to use. So with the handles being easy to pack down, this tripod head is a good option for travel.

Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding – ball head

Manfrotto XPRO Magnesium Ball Head Overview

The main body of the Manfrotto XPRO is magnesium alloy, with a hollow sphere to keep the weight low. The visible outer is of hard plastic, though. It feels tough enough but it lessens the overall classiness of its visual impact.

Ease of use

Set up is straightforward, with the quick release plates, which are also fitted with rubber cushioning to prevent any slide. It’s obvious how to release the additional red safety catch, when necessary.

The helpful bubble levels are easily visible.

Controls are close together

It must be difficult to figure out the best layout for the controls – allowing sufficient room to access and turn them, on such a small sized curved body. With this in mind, the controls are quite close together.

While this keeps it easy for people with small hands or nimble fingers, it might be a point of contention for those with large hands or less compliant digits!

On the plus side, rather than being twist knobs like on many tripod heads, Manfrotto uses levers, so these are less fiddly.

Satisfying friction control

Overall, on the key feature of how well the ball head moves, the Manfrotto XPRO scores well, with on-point simple but accurate friction control. It’s a stable set-up that is versatile as it can be used with non-Manfrotto tripods and monopods.

Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding – with counterbalance

Manfrotto MVH500AH Fluid Video Head Overview

The MVH500AH comes from one of the best-known brands for tripods and tripod heads. Manfrotto designs tend to be reliable and of high quality. You’d be buying from a company that is likely to be around for quite some time yet.

This fluid video head handles smoothly and precisely. Exactly what you want from your tripod head. Our only gripe is the lack of adjustable drag.

To add this option, you might consider taking a look at our top pick for tripod head, Manfrotto’s 502. It’s the next up in this range and will take more weight and also offer you the ability to change the resistance on the tilt and pan movements.

The MVH500AH handles an 11-pound maximum load

Sticking with the MVH500AH model, however, will still get you up to 11 pounds of maximum payload. To give a rough guide, sizewise this includes scopes around 85 mm. The counterweight spring is set around five pounds.

Some tripod heads can end up with extra play in the controls over time. With this Manfrotto, though, both the drag and the lock facilities on the tilt are secure. They certainly feel strong enough to cope consistently with scopes at the heavier end of this spectrum.

If the fixed drag feature is sufficient for your needs, the Manfrotto MVH500AH is our pick of the tripod head options to cope with heavier spotting scopes.

Best Manfrotto tripod head for birding – large spotting scopes

Manfrotto MVH502AH Video Head Overview

A fluid video head with adjustable drag on the pan and tilt features, this is an easy tripod to get used to.

The panning handle can be attached on either side. Depending on which side you chose, you might have to release the long QR plate in the opposite direction to usual.

The quick release plate has a safety lock, so that the plate does not release even if the dial is off. Good to know that your spotting scope will remain safe!

Finely tuned drag on the pan and tilt movements

The substantial metallic red ring at the base adds or removes drag to the pan. There’s a dial on the side for the tilt.

Both these controls of the pan and tilt resistance are a good size. The first advantage of this is that they are easy to grip and turn.

Additionally, because the dial is large, it means the resistance can be more finely adjusted. This allows for a greater degree of control over the drag.

Maintain the scope’s position with the counterbalance

The counterbalance, to hold larger, longer spotting scopes in place using their center of gravity, is a handy additional feature. This adds to the sense of using a stable piece of equipment. Your spotting scope will also be sitting on a wide, sturdy base.

Manfrotto has created a solidly reliable and smooth moving fluid video head. Its features add ease and control to the use of your spotting scope.

Next steps to picking the best Manfrotto tripod head

With this round-up of a wide range of Manfrotto tripod heads, we’ve aimed to cover many different options – from micro heads to ball heads to heavy duty… It’s all here!

The ball heads tend to be the most compact tripod heads out there, and often the lightest too. Both the two-way and three-way tripod heads also actually weigh very little, at around two pounds, but are still able to cope with spotting scopes up to 13 pounds.

At the more extreme end of the scale, the MVH502AH has a maximum payload of 15.4 pounds. Both this tripod head and the 500AH both incorporate a counterbalance that holds the spotting scope still while you are not holding it.

The counterbalance is one of the most helpful features, but we hope to have covered lots of details within these reviews, in order to support you in your decision to differentiate which is the best Manfrotto tripod head for you.

For many birders, Manfrotto has proved to be a reliable choice. The company certainly offers many products and we hope that there is at least one tripod head here that would suit you and your spotting scope.

For the top picks of Manfrotto tripod kits, if you want to buy the whole bundle, take a look here >>> Which is the best Manfrotto tripod for a birding spotting scope?

In this round-up you can read about an alternative brand’s offering of tripod heads > What Gitzo tripod head is best for a birding spotting scope?