There’s nothing really wrong with plastic, although it’s been getting an awful lot of bad press lately. This Manfrotto tripod head certainly isn’t a ‘single-use plastic’ item, so that’s definitely something in its favor. In fact, it should last for years and indeed, Manfrotto is sufficiently confident in its build quality to offer a free 10-year warranty, as with most of its products.
I can bear testimony to its hard-wearing nature as the sample that I’m using for this review has pretty much been to hell and back, being used and abused by hard-working photographers on our team for many years. The plastic itself goes by the name of a ‘technopolymer’ or technical polymer, and it’s not the first time I’ve seen it. I actually own a Manfrotto XPRO Geared 3-way Head, which is made from the same material. That one aims to be one of the best geared heads, whereas the 804 that I’m reviewing here sets its sights on being one of the best 3-way heads.
