perfect. looks like I'm looking for 3d head. thanks for the advice.
-TAG
One thing you might want to keep in mind about you head choice is where you are going to be taking it and how. I own 4 different heads at this point and am getting ready to order my 5th.
My general field head is a ball head with a ball release knob, separate friction control knob and a panning knob on a set of 3021 legs. I prefer a ball head in the field because it is the smallest and easiest to haul around. No big protrusions sticking out. A good ball head is very easy to use even for things like landscapes. To me a good ball head has a separate friction control knob that allows you to loosen the ball with out getting that dreaded drop. The single knob ball heads can also work that way, but you have to be careful how loose you turn the knob.
I use a 3 way pan/tilt head for things like product shoots and static macro. This is usually studio type stuff or location stuff where I don't have to lug a lot of gear or go far to set up.
For portrait I love my pistol grip ball head. The bogen 322 to be exact. Since I use the arca-swiss style systems I had a machinist friend of mine modify an acra-swiss QR head to fit on the 322. It is the fastest and easiest I have found for shooting portraits and lives on my studio tripod.
Also keep in mind how you plan to grow with this tripod and head. Arca-swiss QR heads and plates are more expensive then the standard systems like bogens RC2, however I would not trust a lens like a 400 f2.8 on an RC2 plate. If you ever plan on getting some bigger glass then you might want to look at one of the Arca-swiss compatable heads from someone like RRS, Kirk, Wimberly etc.
This is one area where a look to the future can save you money in the long run.