Tripod Head???

brandofamily · June 19, 2007

So I bought A new tripod and head "Manfrotto 475B Professional Tripod Legs (Black) with 322RC2 Grip Action Ballhead (RC2 Quick Release)"
But I have found I need a head that will allow me to pan left and right smoothly. (The grip action head works great, but w/ a heavy lens it tends to tip forward as I attempt to pan.) Any suggestions?

ian408 · June 19, 2007

Take a look at the sticky at the top of the forum. You'll find some
recommendations in it. The search feature will also turn up a number
of threads on this very topic.

Otherwise, you can find any number of heads including the RRS heads that
will do the trick.

Ian

Andy · June 19, 2007

ian408 wrote:

including the RRS heads that
will do the trick.

RRS

DavidTO · June 19, 2007

There is only one brand of ballhead to buy, and that is Really Right Stuff. You only need to choose the right size.

For panning, add the pano kit.

claudermilk · June 20, 2007

I'm with Andy and David: RRS, just pick size (S=BH-25, M=BH-40, L=BH-55). Follow Thom's advice, buy the best & buy once ( http://www.bythom.com/support.htm ).

Shizam · June 22, 2007

Forget the RSS head, check out the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. Its a _dry_ head, as in dirt/dust/sand has no effect on it and its rated to like 28lbs.

Andy · June 22, 2007

Sizam wrote:

Forget the RSS head, check out the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. Its a _dry_ head, as in dirt/dust/sand has no effect on it and its rated to like 28lbs.

pathfinder · June 22, 2007

Acratech, ReallyRightStuff, Arca-Swiss - they all work, and work well.

The Acra Tech is the lightest, RRS the nicest, and the big B1G Arca-Swiss, the largest by a big amount. All will do the job.

The RRS BH-40 will work fine for most folks if they are not shooting long >300mm glass. I love RRS, but have been unable to get them on the phone for the last three days. Anyone else having trouble getting through to them? They usually anwer quite promptly.

Sizam, how's the new toy working out?

Shizam · June 22, 2007

Fantastico! Tore it out of the box, barely got a lens on it and squeezed the trigger for that oh so satisfying 8.3FPS

Which was funny becuase also on that day I picked up my first 4x5 camera with its lightning fast 1FP5M.

Oh also, I shoot with a 1D/500mm f4 IS on my Acratech, holds up way fine.

Art Scott · June 22, 2007

brandofamily wrote:

So I bought A new tripod and head "Manfrotto 475B Professional Tripod Legs (Black) with 322RC2 Grip Action Ballhead (RC2 Quick Release)"
But I have found I need a head that will allow me to pan left and right smoothly. (The grip action head works great, but w/ a heavy lens it tends to tip forward as I attempt to pan.) Any suggestions?

That is odd...what lens are you using......I have 322RC2 and love it...even with my 70-210 2.8 and a 2x converter attached I can pan smoothly with it ( I have used it also with my medium format cameras and no probs)....the question I have for panning are you squeezing the grip or just using it as a handle.....I loosen my center column just enuff so it pans smoothly and have never had a prob as you described.....also it took me some time to get the 322rc2 properly adjusted to suit me.....so it could just be in the adjustments.

Good luck

LiquidAir · June 22, 2007

I've got a Markins M10 ball head that I am very very fond of. Lightweight, amazingly easy to asjust and smooooooth as silk.

David_S85 · June 22, 2007

Another big nod for Really Right Stuff's ballheads and other accessories.

They seem to be going through another big change right now. I don't know what the phone problem could be, but their new website is 100% e-commerce oriented. (note to owners of RRS - get part of the old website's great info, pics and tutes back online soon, eh?

)

claudermilk · June 23, 2007

David_S85 wrote:

Another big nod for Really Right Stuff's ballheads and other accessories.

They seem to be going through another big change right now. I don't know what the phone problem could be, but their new website is 100% e-commerce oriented. (note to owners of RRS - get part of the old website's great info, pics and tutes back online soon, eh? )

The old site is still up, so you can get to all that great info if you need to. It looksl ike they will be reformatting those articles to the new look over time. It is a cleaner site now--though some products seems to be MIA now (for example the MC-L universal L-plate).

BTW, regarding "dry ball heads," funny but it seems to me like they all are.

brandofamily · June 24, 2007

Art Scott wrote:

That is odd...what lens are you using......I have 322RC2 and love it...even with my 70-210 2.8 and a 2x converter attached I can pan smoothly with it ( I have used it also with my medium format cameras and no probs)....the question I have for panning are you squeezing the grip or just using it as a handle.....I loosen my center column just enuff so it pans smoothly and have never had a prob as you described.....also it took me some time to get the 322rc2 properly adjusted to suit me.....so it could just be in the adjustments.

Good luck

I am using my D2h w/ Sigma 120-300mm... by center column I assume you mean on the tripod. But mine is a geared center column so I do not think it can turn as yours does...

Art Scott · June 24, 2007

D

brandofamily wrote:

I am using my D2h w/ Sigma 120-300mm... by center column I assume you mean on the tripod. But mine is a geared center column so I do not think it can turn as yours does...

Oh i see geared center column...correct those won't rotate....hmmmm i haven't had a geared ceter column since I stopped using my Vivatar pod and moved to Bogen then Giottos....of course the vivatar also had a fluid head and I did not care for that either......

any idea what a D2h with the monster Siggy attached weighs?...as I have had around 8 lbs on my 322 and it held quite well even on a vertical axis for portrait orientation (camera + lens+ stroboframe + sunpak 622).....but I am sure there are limits to what it can hold especially with weight on something as physically long as the 120-300....but I would think that if Siggy put the tripod collar in the best place it would have balanced better....Hmmmmm........

claudermilk · June 25, 2007

Going by the specs I can find online, with your 70-210, 2500g or about 5.5 lbs., with brandofamily's 120-300, 3650g or about 8 lbs.

pathfinder · June 26, 2007

Art Scott wrote:

D

any idea what a D2h with the monster Siggy attached weighs?....but I would think that if Siggy put the tripod collar in the best place it would have balanced better....Hmmmmm........

The Sigma 300-800 weighs about 13 pounds Art. The camera and lens plate another 3 or 4. Add a tripod and a gimbel head, and you are getting close to 25 pounds when you are ready to shoot. DAMHIK:D

It is not a combination for a light weight tripod.:D I use a Gitzo 1325, and some think that it too light a tripod for it, but it works for me.

Tripod Head???

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