Tripod head hunting - advice needed

[Overread]

Ok so I've gotten tired of the fact that my Junior Geared head is the only one I've got for my good tripod so I'm in the market for a more generalist or at least faster moving head.


At present I've got two with my eye on them as potential choices:
1) Acratech GV2 - I've head my eye on this a long while for its ability to be a light-weight and yet durable high capacity ball head. Offering both all the movement of a ball head with a built in panning plate plus it can slip to the side to act like a side mounted gimbal design.
The only downside I can see is that when mounting a heavier lens the side mount might well mean that the centre of gravity is to the side of the middle of the tripod; this might mean always having to ensure that a leg is under the camera and lens side and I worry that it might be a point of wobble in the setup.

2)Benro Gimbal Head GH3 - this is newer to my eye (I don't recall seeing it before) but would seem to be a more affordable gimbal design suitable for holding heavier lenses right over the middle of the tripod.
It is, however, overkill for anything else really - much larger and more bulky than the Acratech head listed above.


At present I don't use my tripod enough, it gets taken out for still work and macro because the geared head I have works great for that. Otherwise it doesn't see the time it should and as a result the heavier lens I use also doesn't see as much use as it should either.

I'm rather torn as I know a few things:
a) In an ideal world I'd have both.

b) In an ideal world I'd get the Wimblery Gimbal head because I'd be using bigger heavier high end lenses.

Neither of those is a practical solution for now (unless I win the lotto in the near future ).



For reference I've got
Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 OS
Canon 70-200mm f2.8
As my heavier lenses. Everything else I own is smaller and much lighter; those two are the big ones and the 70-200mm isn't a challenge to hold really (although sometimes a tripod does help matters or at least takes the weight off one).


So I'm rather torn, have any here got any thoughts to share? Either other tripod heads that you've used that might be better than the two I've identified; or direct experience or observations of using either of those tripod heads.

 

[table1349]

This is my choice.

RRS - Full-sized ballhead with B2-Pro II clamp

Expensive, but works flawlessly.

 

[tirediron]

I don't have first-hand experience with either head, but if it were my choice, I would opt for the Acratech. Neither of your lenses is so heavy as to really justify a gimbal head, and the Acratech is a much more versatile unit for regular use.

 

[TCampbell]

I have the Induro gimbal head -- but only occasionally use it. It's really mostly good when the lens is large enough that the lens has it's own tripod mounting collar & foot. Because if you don't have a tripod collar on the lens then there's no way to rotate the camera (horizontal vs. vertical orientation shots). BUT... when you do have a big heavy lens, you can neutrally balance the lens so well that it's not actually necessary to snug down the clutches. You can point the camera anywhere you want, let go, and it will just "stay" pointed at that spot (you can't do that with any other type of head.)

For everything else I prefer a ball head mount. I don't have a strong preference for brand (I have a Benro).

I do strongly prefer mounts that have arca-swiss mounting saddles due to the universal nature of the mount.

 

[Overread]

TC - aye I've wanted to move into the arca-swiss style of quick release plates - even if just because I'm rather tired of the manfrotto types slip-sliding around the join area a little unless you REALLY clamp the lens/camera down super hard which always feels like you're going to damage something or just make it really hard to get it off again later.

The ability to use the gimbal style of head control is very appealing; the kind of thing that makes sitting with the camera for a while a lot more effortless.

However that said I think others are right, its warming toward the ballhead first (at least a ballhead of course). Just for that added versatility and reduced size.

 

[runnah]

Man I just don't trust arca-swiss mounts. I like the locking function of the Manfrotto systems. Then again I am mostly shooting video so my needs might be different.

I have a ballhead tripod and I personally can stand it.

 

[Overread]

Runnah interesting most rave about the arca swiss; then again the video mounts might be different for Manfrotto? My main issue with manfrotto is that quick release to camera/lens is all about pressure on a rubber grip plate and honestly I find everything slips around the screw-pivot unless you REALLY tighten it down (which I dislike doing as it makes it more tricky to get off without going to find a screw driver).

Interestingly someone I've known a while suggested these as an option Beike BK 45


Budget, dirt cheap Chinese version with some variable reviews from those who like it to those who dislike to hate. The video I picked highlights one of the main complaints and how, in the reviewers opinion, its a bonus not a detracting feature. Considering the price I might just pick one up at some point (only around £40-50) as a trial. Considering my heavier lenses are not "super" 600mm heavy it could be worth it.

 

[Derrel]

The Beike BK 45 in the video looks like a super value at 70 Pounds Sterling price! I mean...sheesh...i could see how it worked as a bird in flight/action type support system. Looked like a heck of a value. I know what you mean about the Manfrotto style plates...I have two heads that use them....ehhhh....they truly MUST be tightened down like a bastid, or they work loose in use. I know why Arca-Swiss has overtaken Manfrotto. I've stopped using the two older Manfrotto heads (one their magnum ball head from the 1980's), the other a three-way head, and have started using a Gitzo 1377 ball head that uses NO QR plate whatsoever. What I like about that is that the ballhead and tripod is ***always*** a complete, and ready-t-use piece of gear, with no way to lose, no way to forget, no way to misplace that doggone QR plate: if you have the tripod, it is always ready to use and there are zero quick release plate worries or hassles.

I really thought the Beike 45 gimbal-type head looked good for BIF/wildlife/nature/action uses, where the tripod head is more for load bearing/muscle fatigue prevention/readiness with both support and smoothness with a large and heavy lens, rather than for locking the camera immobilized for timed exposures or slow speeds.

A guy really needs at least two different types of tripod heads.

 

[Overread]

One thing that attracts me to the whole Arca-swiss method is that in theory you never are without a quick release plate because each lens collar/camera has one fitted to it at all times. No fiddling around taking it off to put on the other camera/lens because each is unique (or as unique as it needs to be of course). The fact that it fits the base and won't allow any rotation is a big boon for me and honestly considering the potential for lots of sales of plates I can't see why Manfrotto hasn't followed suit. Their screw mount is fine for lighter stuff, but get anything heavy and serious and it starts to fail; which is a shame as they make some great heads and their geared head range is ideally priced for general macro (some of those geared heads get to insane prices very quickly).

 

[PhotoriousMe]

I've never tried one of these,
Vanguard GH-300T Pistol Grip Ball Head
Pros vs cons?

 

[Overread]

Out of interest Runnah (and anyone else) how do you find video heads compared to photography heads for ease of use? The video makes not only a good claim for the budget gimbal but actually a good argument for a video head over a regular stills photography head.

I know that video tripods weigh a lot more and are generally more stable than lighter photography tripods so it would be interesting to hear how you feel about video heads.


Photo - I've had (actually still got and not sold it) a pistol grip head. Some people love them, I honestly don't. I think they have a place and some people do like them, but I find that for me they just don't work out. I want 3 arms to use one (two on the camera+lens and one on the pistol grip) and thus always just want to lock off the pressure and use it like a ballhead rather than a pistolgrip

 

[astroNikon]

Have you ever thought of a direct mount 3-way tripod head (no plates)?
I used a Slik SH-909 and SH-908 SLIK CORPORATION - The most copied line of tripods today
and don't have any issues even when I mount a 5 inch telescope OTA to it.

Also my ball head SBH-320 DQ BK I have no issues with either. Other than I prefer a friction lever which this model does not have (another does, but it stinks). The lack of friction is what made me pursue the SH-909/908s and weight support.