Pan/tilt head recommendation

[obi-wan-yj]

I'm in the market for a new tripod, as the flimsy $35 model I've had for 10 years has become too frustrating.

I'm tentatively decided on a Manfrotto 055XProB due to its height and horizontal center column, but I'm open to

other similar suggestions.

 

What I'm not sure about is the head to use for this. I kinda think I'd prefer a pan/tilt head rather than a ball

head, because I frequently want to adjust my tripod angle in only one direction. I was thinking that I'd prefer

a quick-release head, but maybe that's not such a big deal. The 055XProB legs will support 15 lbs, so I'd prefer

a head that will do the same. This will frequently be used for wildlife and macro photography with telephoto

lenses (perhaps a Canon 100-400 or 400/4 someday).

 

Manfrotto and Gitzo ($$$) are really the only brands I know enough to respect. Are there others that are worth

considering?

 

Is the Manfrotto 804RC2 a decent head? The 808RC4 might almost be a little big & pricey, but I'm not sure.

[obi-wan-yj]

I should point out that on my current tripod, the quick release mechanism is a major source of flex. Do better tripods like the aforementioned Manfrotto's have this problem, or are their quick release mechanisms rock solid?

[akajohndoe]

I actually prefer ball heads because they adjust any direction with only a single control knob.

 

However, my first real tripod head was a Bogen 3028 pan-tilt and it worked well for that type of head. I suspect the 3025 would, too.

[Matthew Currie]

The Bogen 3030 was pretty nice, similar to the 3028 mentioned above, with a quick release.The 804RC2 replaces it. If it is big enough for your purposes, it ought to serve well. The quick release on the 3030 was solid enough, and the latch mechanism is quite clever, allowing for a safety lock, but also letting you snap the plate in without opening the lever.

[obi-wan-yj]

Thanks for the suggestions. The 3025 only has half the load capacity of the legs I want, so I think that's out. I like the separate handles of the 3030 and 804RC2 as opposed to just the large thumb screws like the 3028 has. The levers allow finer control of the angles. I think the weight capacity of those is similar enough to the legs that they'd be a good match. I'm still open to any other suggestions, though.

[obi-wan-yj]

OK, so here's another question. I often see pros carrying their tripod over their shoulder with the camera & lens attached to the tripod. I wouldn't dream of doing that with my current tripod, but it sure would be convenient at times. Are the 3030 or 804RC2 sturdy enough heads that you'd trust them to do that? If not, what would be required in order to deserve that trust? Would it basically mean passing on the quick release feature? Let's assume I've got a mid-range SLR and nothing larger than a 100-400/5.6 lens.

[akajohndoe]

My Bogen 3028 had two big spearate paddle lever handles like this one:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bogen-Manfrotto-3028-Super-Supports/dp/B00009XV0T

[Matthew Currie]

The quick release on the 3030, and other recent Manfrotto heads, has an optional safety catch, which requires two actions to release. That makes it very secure, and unlikely to come off by accident. That catch also remains cocked and open when you remove the plate, so that it can be reinstalled by just snapping it in. I still would not carry a camera on the tripod as a rule, because it's so vulnerable even if it stays attached, but I would not forego the quick release.

[pvp]

I use a Bogen 3021-series legset -- I think that's what they now call the o55 -- and a 3030 head. I've had the

tripod for 6 or 7 years, and I use it with all of my 35mm equipment including a 300mm f/2.8 lens with a 2X

teleconverter, with a 4x5 field camera (Tachihara) and with a <B>10+ pound Calumet 4x5 monorail.</B> The only

time I find the 3030 head to be less than I'd like, is when I'm using the 2X TC with the 300mm lens. Otherwise,

it's just fine. Surprisingly (to me) it does yeoman duty with a 4x5 monorail, even when the camera is slung off

the end of the horizontal column. I'd buy the 3030 again, in part because I find those damn hexagonal QR plates

(for the

bigger 3047 head) to be a royal PITA....<P>

<center><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/407387514_58f4153940_o.jpg"><BR>

<B>4x5 Monorail on Bogen 3030 head with 3401 Legset</B></center>

[steven_f1]

I would suggest you look at the Bogen 410 mini gear head. It is basically a 3 way pan tilt head but instead of friction controls it uses gears. Each axis has a knob. Rotate the knob for a small adjustment. Each gear can also be disengaged so large changes in position can easily be made. It allows you to make very small adjustments easily for macro or telephoto work.

 

It comes with a quick release plate (with safety catch) and is rated at 11lbs. The head itself is a little over 2lbs (it’s a little heavy) so that gives you 13 to 14lbs on a tripod designed for 15lbs. I have attached a 3” spotting scope with a strapped on camera / 70-300mm zoom lens to this head and the head was solid. My current typical maximum load is a Canon 5D with 100-400mm L lens with a 430EX flash on a Bogen 3001 tripod. I have carried the tripod with the camera over my shoulder without any problems. The quick release plate is very solid and I haven't had any issues with it flexing.

 

The only thing this head does not do well is track moving objects such as birds in flight.

[obi-wan-yj]

The geared 410 head looks really sweet, since I do a lot of macro work. However, I don't think I can stomach the $200 price tag for just a head.

 

It appears that the 804RC2 is not a direct replacement for the 3030. The 3030 has about 50% more weight capacity and larger handles than the 804RC2. While the 3030 does appear to be a better match to my legs than the 804RC2, I'm a little leery about buying a discontinued head off the used market. You never know what condition it'll be in. Does the 3030 use the same RC2 quick release system as the current heads? I'll surely want to pick up at least one spare QR plate for my long lens.

 

Does the 804RC2 (or any other similar head that you'd recommend) have a bubble level that will indicate true 0 or 90 degrees at the camera mount? That'd be really handy. I know people complain that the 3030 has no levels.

 

On that note, I'm open to considering other brands besides Bogen. Are there any others worth considering that cost no more than $100 or so?

[steven_f1]

I have not seen any levels built into tripod heads that are very useful. Instead I use a level that attaches to the cameras flash shoe such as this one ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/419395-REG/Jobu_Design_LVL_PL_2_Axis_Flash_Hot.html ).

 

You might want to find a good photo store which carries Bogen and Gitzo tripods and heads and try them out. A good camera store would allow you to do that right at the counter. You might also want to think about get a low cost head now and then upgrade later.

[obi-wan-yj]

<p>Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I seriously considered picking up a used 3030 on eBay, but eventually broke down and bought new equipment. I received a 804RC2 head for Christmas and bought myself the 055XProB legs as soon as the gift-giving season was over. The legs and an architectural quick connect (200PLARCH-14) showed up yesterday. I haven't used it yet except to set it up on the carpeted floor in my living room (not the most stable base).</p>

<p>So far, I'm quite happy with the legs. If they weighed half as much (without the added cost of carbon fiber), then they'd be perfect.</p>

<p>I think the head is fine for me, although there is a bit of flex in the mechanism if I push it. To be fair, the head is only rated for about 5 lbs less than the legs. I imagine it'll be good enough for my purposes. Given the 055XProB's horizontal center shaft ability, it would be nice if the head had the ability to angle (pitch) straight up, which would mean straight forward in landscape mode on a horizontal shaft. I suppose I can mount the quick connect backward on the camera with the handle pointing toward the lens in those odd situations where I can't shoot landscape mode.</p>

<p>The architectural quick connect would work very well on a bare camera body. However, the extra battery grip that I own has a softer, rubbery surface which allows quite a bit of play between the quick connect and the body. This isn't really the fault of the quick connect, of course. Still, it means that in my default shooting configuration, my lens won't be quite as rock-steady as I'd hoped it might be. It'll be worlds better than my old $35 tripod, though.</p>