Manfrotto ONE Video Tripod and 502X Fluid Head Introduced – 8kg Payload, XTEND Legs, XCHANGE Quick Release

by Johnnie BehiriToday

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Manfrotto has added a dedicated video tripod to its ONE platform, pairing the single-lever XTEND legs and XCHANGE quick release of the ONE Hybrid with an integrated leveling base, a three-position leg angle selector, and the new 502X fluid head rated for 8kg / 17.6lb with a switchable counterbalance. We spoke to Sofia Braccio at the Manfrotto booth during IBC 2026 to run through the system.

The ONE platform started at BILD Expo 2025 with the ONE Hybrid, a tripod built for shooters who alternate between stills and video on the same job. A photo-only version followed, and the ONE Video now completes the set as the version built purely for motion work. We looked at the ONE Hybrid with the 500X head at NAB 2026, and much of what makes that tripod quick to work with carries straight over.

The reasoning behind the video version is short: Sofia said the two things a video shooter needs from sticks are a fast setup and a level horizon, so both are built into the legs rather than left to the head.

Legs, leveling, and the angle selector

The ONE Video is an aluminum tripod, made in Italy like the rest of the platform, with the same non-round leg profile that Manfrotto uses for torsional rigidity during pans. The XTEND mechanism opens and collapses all leg sections from a single lever, so deploying the tripod or folding it to move position is a matter of seconds, and Sofia demonstrated exactly that at the booth.

Leveling is built into the tripod itself rather than handled by a half bowl in the head. The 502X sits on a 75mm flat base with a 3/8″ attachment, and the tripod’s own leveling mechanism handles the horizon, which suits a system where the head is meant to come off and go onto a slider or another support.

There is no center column on the ONE Video. That is the main difference from the ONE Hybrid, where the column lifts the shooting height and swings to 90° for top-down work, and a section of it can be removed to get back to ground level. The video version replaces all of that with a three-step leg angle selector. Manfrotto lists the angles at 20°, 50°, and 81.5°, and the widest setting drops the camera almost flat to the floor because there is nothing underneath the spider to get in the way. Maximum height is 149cm / 58.7in, minimum 28cm / 11in, and the tripod closes to 79.7cm / 31.4in.

The feet are rubber as standard and unscrew to expose spikes for grass and uneven ground. Easy Link connectors with an anti-rotation pin sit on both the tripod and the head, so a monitor arm or a small LED can hang off the sticks without a separate stand.

XCHANGE, with a safety lock

The XCHANGE quick release is the thread that runs through every ONE product. The 502X is XCHANGE compatible out of the box, so it drops onto the tripod and locks without tools. For a head or slider that only has a standard 3/8″ thread, Manfrotto supplies an XCHANGE plate in the kit; screw it onto that support once, and from then on it swaps onto the legs in the same way. Sofia pointed out a safety lock on the mechanism that can be engaged to prevent the head from being released unintentionally.

The camera goes on from the top with a 504PLONG type sliding plate, so a camera can be dropped onto the head rather than slid in from the rear, and balance adjustment happens directly on the head.

The 502X head

The 502X is the new piece of hardware here, and it is the higher-capacity option of the two heads Manfrotto offers on the ONE Video. It is aimed at mirrorless cameras and compact camcorders in a lighter configuration, with a safety payload of 8kg / 17.6lb to Manfrotto’s UNI/PdR 105:2021 standard.

The counterbalance system switches on and off and is set for 4.4kg / 9.7lb at a 55mm / 2.17in center of gravity. Sofia’s point was that operators can engage it when a heavier setup needs help holding a tilt, and disengage it when the rig is light enough that the spring would fight the movement. Fluid drag is variable and continuous on both pan and tilt, adjustable from zero to maximum, so the tension can be tuned to the camera weight and the type of move rather than stepped through fixed positions. Tilt range is -70° to +90°, pan is 360°, and independent locks cover both axes.

502X or 500X

Both heads share the side-lock plate and XCHANGE compatibility, and the ONE Video ships in a kit with either one. Asked how a buyer should choose, Sofia framed the 500X as the head for mirrorless users: it has a fixed counterbalance rather than a switchable one, a lower payload rating, and the ability to flip from horizontal to vertical shooting for smaller camera setups. The 502X is the better fit for anyone who also puts a compact camcorder on the sticks, and for anyone who wants to adjust drag rather than work with a preset feel.

The bag doubles as a groundsheet

Both kits include a carrying bag, and Manfrotto has designed it to open out fully and lie flat. The idea is that on an outdoor shoot the bag becomes a mat to keep the head, plates and camera out of the dirt while the tripod is being set up, rather than living in the car once the gear is out.

Price and availability

According to Sofia, the ONE Video aluminum kit with the 502X head is €549 including 20% VAT, and the kit with the 500X head is €469. The 502X head on its own is €269, and the 500X is €199. In the US, Manfrotto lists the ONE Video with 502X at $599.95 and the 502X head alone at $299.95. The products have started shipping and should be at dealers shortly. The kit weighs 4.7kg / 10.4lb with the head fitted.

For more information, please visit the Manfrotto website.

A video-only ONE with a switchable counterbalance and no center column. Is that the version of the platform you were waiting for? Let us know in the comments below!