The 482 Micro ball head is a now discontinued model from Manfrotto, and this review will thus be brief. It has been replaced by the 492 Micro. As one of the smallest ball heads available, it is most at home on ultra compact tabletop tripods or the like.
| Name | Manfrotto 482 Micro |
| Type | Ball Head |
| Stiffness About Vertical Axis | 236 +/- 2 Nm/rad |
| Stiffness About Radial Axis | 334 +/- 1 Nm/rad |
| Retail Price | $27 |
| Weight | 0.26 lbs (0.118 kgs) |
| Manufacturer weight rating | 4 lbs (0.05kgs) |
| Maximum Height | 2.3 in (5.8 cm) |
| Base Diameter | 0.9 in (2.3 cm) |
| Ball Diameter | 14 mm |
| Tension Control | no |
| Panning Lock | no |
| Quick Release | None |
There is not much stiffness to this head. The stability of any tripod will be negatively impacted by this head. The flipside of this lack of stiffness is the lack of size and weight. This is presently the smallest and lightest ball head I have tested, so the lack of stiffness is understandable.
The 482 Micro is incredibly simple, with only one knob to lock up the ball head and panning base simultaneously. One could place a quick release on the 482, but this would defeat the purpose of the small size and weight. For the weight cost of a clamp and quick release plate, one might as well also get a larger, more stable head.
The 482 Micro is for ultra light tabletop tripods with lightweight cameras or to hold lightweight pieces of equipment where resistance to motion isn’t critical.