Well-built and sturdy, while still being reasonably compact and light weight. The quick-release head snaps in and out very positively, and is really outstanding. Pan and tilt are both smooth, and function very well when partially locked for controlled motion, like for a spotting scope. I like it a lot.
The pan lock is awkwardly located, and the quick-release head has no way to attach another element. Otherwise this is a clear five-star.

Not worth buying

The design and material quality is awesome. It's pricey, but this ball head is worth the investment. The locks and knobs are very smooth when turning. The tension knob allows me to make tiny adjustments easily without shaking the camera too much. I have rarely needed to make additional adjustments whenever locking it in place.

I've been searching for a long time for a tripod and video head combo to serve my needs as a dedicated video hobbyist. I ended up pairing this head with a Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 tripod, which I also love. The tripod will be a separate review, but let it suffice to say that if you're in the same quandary trying to find a video head and tripod to work well together, give this a serious look.

I'm not a pro, nor anything close, but I do have serious amateur needs for video that sometimes approach (semi-)professional. When I do pans and tilts they need to be smooth and controlled. I had looked at heads such as the Manfrotto 502HD, but I'm using a Canon Vixia HF-G10 and it needed a head for a lighter camcorder. Everything seemed like overkill. I was willing to spend the money, but I wasn't using a 10 lb. video cam. And as you probably already know, finding a good match of head to the camcorder size/weight is important.

First of all, don't pair this head with too lightweight of a tripod. Other reviewers have complained that when panning this head will lift the tripod right off the floor. Well, it's possible. The fluid motion is stiff, but that's what makes it work so well. You can't make accidental sudden jerky movements. You need to push from side to side (or up and down), and it needs something to push against. A lightweight tripod just won't do the trick. I like to grip the rubber grip on the Manfrotto tripod when doing a pan or tilt to make sure that everything stays solid. Learn to do it and you won't have a problem.

The fluid motion is gorgeous, especially for its price range. The pan and tilt adjustments can be tweaked, and locked down completely, but it won't allow you to adjust so loosely that you lose the effectiveness of the fluidity. This is NOT the head that you want if you're going to be trying to video fast sports action, but it's perfect for following a speaker, panning nature shots, or the kids at play.

For a camcorder the size of my G10, the two-position tilt fluidity selector knob doesn't have a lot of effect. Changing the selection does make a difference, but not dramatically so. But if you were using a DSLR with a longer, heavier lens I'm sure it would be an important adjustment. I use the "short lens" position.

The included bubble level is a must, although it's a little difficult to see. Pack a penlight for low-light situations, or be prepared to use your cell phone's light. When mated with the tripod, the tripod's level and the head's level were pretty close in agreement, but not exactly. This indicated to me that there may have been some minor machining tolerance matchup problems between the tripod plate and head. However, it was certainly nothing to cause a problem. When setting up, I use the tripod level for gross adjustment (it's easier to see) and then tweak the tripod for final adjustment with the level on the head. There is no level adjustment on the head itself.

Don't pay any attention to the reviewers who say that this head is made of cheap plastic. Manfrotto doesn't make cheap. The material in question is a polymer. Look it up - it's much tougher than plastic. No, it's not a $1000 head, but it's good quality and with a little common sense will hold up just fine. And the parts that need to be are made of aluminum. You'll appreciate the weight difference.

One small complaint is that to adjust the handle position the handle adjustment knob has to be backed off until the meshed teeth disengage completely, and then tightened back down. The teeth lock the handle in place once adjusted, and that's good. But I leave the head attached to the tripod, so when I go to put it away in the bag I have to loosen and swivel the handle down each time. A quick-release system for the handle would have been nice but I can live with it, and it's not enough of an issue to deduct points.

There's a quick release plate for the camcorder/camera which I love! I attached the plate to my camcorder and it stays attached. It's not large at all, in fact it's small. With a couple of minutes of practice you can then learn to hold the camcorder with one or both hands and it just pops into place on the head and locks with a spring action. So smooth! Just be sure to have the latch set in the released position before you go to insert the camcorder/plate. To unlock, press down the spring-loaded safety with the thumb and move the locking release lever with the index finger. Lift out with the other hand, or use two hands. It's a two-second process. Great job on this one, Manfrotto!

Note that most Manfrotto tripods have a set screw under the mounting plate that you can tighten after mounting the head to help assure that the head doesn't come loose. If you're going to be leaving the head attached be sure to tighten the set screw to avoid headaches later, since the head just screws onto the ⅜ inch mount. It could come loose during use. While it wouldn't be likely to just fall off, it would cause serious wobble that might ruin a shot.

To sum up, you can put less into a cheap head, but you get what you pay for. You can certainly pay a lot more for semi-pro or pro heads, but if you have a small camcorder and don't have pro needs, this may be the head for you. It would also work well for video taken with DSLRs.

Only had this a very short time, my initial impressions - Solid build, a bit heavier than I expected, but feels likes it will hold up to some punishment. Really like how easily and securely the camera snaps into place, I think I'll be able to get the camera on in the dark. Panning works beautifully, the levers seem to be ergonomically designed and you can really feel when it locks down. I don't get the friction knob I can't seem to find a setting where it would be useful, but that could just be me not understanding.
If you're reading this and its before 9/30/2015 I also purchased Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 4 Section Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs with Q90 Column (Black) and found there is a rebate of $50/$25 off when you buy this ball head and also one of the 055/190 series tripod legs. If you go to manfrotto.rebateaccess the offer number is 63032 you can see the details.
Going on a photo trip next month where I'll give this and the new legs a really good workout, I'll come back and update at that point with more real life experience.