Home > Consumer Reviews > Manfrotto 3229 Swivel Tilt Head with Quick Release

This is a well made head constructed of solid metal with a nice finish. There are no plastic parts and even the rubber piece on the quick release plate is hard rubber. I have used it every week for about two years and have had no problems with it. I use it mainly attached to a monopod for sports photography and videography. The quick release has a clever locking mechanism to prevent accidental release. I bought an extra quick release plate so I can switch between two cameras.

Tilt only -- no swivel: Amazon (and others including Bogen) calls it a Swivel Tilt Head, but that seems to imply that it moves in two directions -- tilting (up and down) and swivelling (side to side or panning). This head only moves in the tilting direction which allows you to orient the camera in either landscape or portrait modes.

The tilting action could be improved if the head clicked into the upright position when you tilt it back to landscape. When you are going to the portrait mode, there's no problem since it stops at 90 degrees. However, when I want to go back to landscape, I have to hold it out and look at it to see if it's level. A subtle click to know I'm there would be nice.

Dec 10, 2009 update: I have used this head nearly every weekend now for 5 years and it is still in very good condition. I dropped my monopod (with this on top) once onto concrete a couple of years ago and it chipped the paint a little, but still works perfectly.

This is really a special purpose head. Its best used for a monopod and not a tripod since you can get enough tilt range by tilting the mononpod. The only reasons you even use this on a monopod is for quick release or for vertical shots. Its just not flexible enough for a tripod. For a tripod use I'd suggest either the Bogen 486 or 488 ball heads, both of which offer good value and come with quick release.
In any case, note that this uses the RC2 quick release. If you use camera supports even 20% of the time, you can just keep the quick release attached to your SLR. I've got two other heads and all use the RC2 system. The adapter is always on my camera and I can easily attach it to any of my tripods/monopods. Its really easy to use and encourages me to set up the tripod/monopod when I might otherwise get too lazy.

I've used this with two different monopods, a light-weight Manfrotto monopod that I use when I'm travelling, and a heavy-duty pro-grade Manfrotto that I use at home. This head works wonderfully and is exactly what you'd expect from a company with the reputation of Bogen.

I purchased this Bogen (Manfrotto) swivel/tilt head with a Bogen (Manfrotto) monopod. I wanted something to stabilize my camera without having to carry a tripod. This head is great!!! It comes with a plate that attaches to the camera. Then you simply place the camera on the device and it snaps shut. It is easy to pull the lever and disconnect your camera. To prevent you from doing this accidentally, it has a safety lock that you can deploy with a flick of your thumb. I recommend this for other folks wishing to stabilize their camera and not having to lug a tripod around.

I purchased this together with a 4 section monopod. This head is very solid, and works very smooth.
I would definitely recommend this if you are planning to use it with an SLR. I you have a smaller point and shoot, you might want to stay away. Before my current Rebel XTi, I used this with a PowerShot S3 IS, and the quick release lever would stick into the palm of my hand. Very uncomfortable and distracting when you're trying to compose.