Which type of tripod head do you prefer?

julianhj

julianhj

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I've been using a geared head for years (Manfrotto 410) and a while back I bought a ball head as it gives greater flexibility (specifically pointing up and down at much greater angles). Whilst the ball head is great (Manfrotto 468), I generally default to the 410, as the fine adjustability suits me in terms of the landscapes I take, but it can be a little cumbersome. I've got a big trip coming up and I'm trying to minimise the kit I take, so I've decided to pack just one. I'm erring towards the ball head as it's lighter and more versatile.

For those that shoot landscapes in particular, what head do you use, and why?
 
Ball here. Essentially use it half-loosened (there's resistance, but it's movable) to compose then tighten the grip on the ball.
 
Recently changed from a typical ball head to one with a lever instead of a screw knob for tightening, I'm finding it very user friendly.
 
Ballhead, its lighter than a gearhead. I do like the incremental adjustment of the gearhead but the greater additional weight outweighs this for me
 
Depends what you are used to. For landscape a good ball head is fine for me, you should have plenty enough time to set it up.
 
I prefer using a ball head but find my 410 geared head far more accurate and it stays exactly where it's aimed, while balls need to be set slightly off then adjusted (usually) once they've settled a bit.
 
I had the same dilemma, I had been using a 410 geared head for years and loved it but wanted something lighter. I went for an Arca Swiss P0 hybrid head which is a ball head with geared adjustments for fine tuning. It's the best of both worlds and half the weight of the 410.
 
I had 2 ball head tripods. I found the to be useless with a heavy camera/lens setup. May have been better with a high quality fluid head costing an arm & a leg.

I much prefer a 3 axis independently controlled head although I would have liked to try a gimbal head.
 
Isn't it a case of using what's appropriate at the time? I use a geared head where I want accuracy and a ball head where I want speed. Anything except a ball head on a monopod simply doesn't work for me.
 
Also had the same dilemma, tried a ball head and hated it.... So in the end opted for the Arca D4 which is a combination of ball head, pan and tilt and geared head all in 1.
 
The cheapest is fine by me

My 15yr old Manfrotto tripod was about £120 and has a £42 (then) 3 way head, but for a holiday I recently bought a travel Manfrotto tripod and head for £60 and its perfectly fine - surprisingly so in fact

I've never understood why people pay so much for something that does such a basic job

Dave
 
Video heads for us, remove the arm, use as a ball but with locked axis for better control, we also use the pistol type ones, they are ok.
 
I photograph a combination of landscape and wildlife so I’ve always had a problem of needing two different heads (gimbal style for wildlife and a 3 way for landscapes). A few years back I got sick of changing head so I went with a uniqball head. It’s not perfect but it’s a jack of all trades and relatively light for wildlife and landscapes.

It’s hard trying to find something that gives fine control and lightweight at a good price. @justinminns that arca looks fantastic for landscapes. The price gave me a fright!
 
Just couldn't get on with my Kirk ball head despite really wanting to like it.
I don't really need the faster speed you can supposedly get with the ball but much prefer the three axis style head anyway.
 
DG Phototraining said:
I've never understood why people pay so much for something that does such a basic job

Dave
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For me it's how quickly/easily/acurately it does the job... I started with a cheap(fish) Manfrotto ball head which slipped a fraction every time I locked it in place which was incredibly frustrating and meant I was spending time fiddling with gear rather than thinking about the shot.

Obviously it all depends on what you are shooting but as this thread is about landscapes, for me the accuracy of a geared head is hard to beat. As with everything though we'll all have our personal preferences.
 
Been using a Arca Swiss P0 for the past few months and love it - not the geared one mentioned above but the cheaper model. The unique design makes pano's a doddle without the need for a separate levelling base.
 
I prefer to use a three way head. and have done so ever since I used large format and monorails.

for the last twelve years I have used a Manfotto MG 460 which I have adapted to take Swiss type plates. I use this mainly on my heavy Manfrotto 055prob.
On my newer Manfrotto 190 probxL I use either a Nodal Ninja pan Head (for pans) or a medium ball head.

I still have a large and heavy Manfrotto 029mk2 three way head, which will cope with an equally heavy 5x4 MPP monorail.
 
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rob-nikon said:
. A few years back I got sick of changing head so I went with a uniqball head. It’s not perfect but it’s a jack of all trades and relatively light for wildlife and landscapes.
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Agreed, a Uniqball or Flexshooter is a great "compromise" for wildlife, landscape and even video, which lets you get away with only carrying a single relatively compact head.
 
Yeah, I have Arca Swiss on all my gear, even on my shoulder strap so I'm not carrying all the weight on the small neckstrap loops.
 
Ball head. The two I had (Manfrotto and 3LT) before getting my Arca Swiss were not great at holding heavy cameras straight (they'd often drop after tightening) but the Z1 is rock solid even with 3kg of RB67 on there (compared to the 2kg of a 5D & 70-200)
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
I prefer to use a three way head. and have done so ever since I used large format and monorails.

for the last twelve years I have used a Manfotto MG 460 which I have adapted to take Swiss type plates. I use this mainly on my heavy Manfrotto 055prob.
On my newer Manfrotto 190 probxL I use either a Nodal Ninja pan Head (for pans) or a medium ball head.

I still have a large and heavy Manfrotto 029mk2 three way head, which will cope with an equally heavy 5x4 MPP monorail.
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I too use a Manfrotto MG460 but have problems with the locking screws when trying to fine tune the alignment. It is as if the taper surfaces lock together, any ideas of lubricant to use or how to fix the problem.
 
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I prefer a geared head - I have used a Manfrotto 410 Junior for a while. The problem is: geared heads are bulky and weigh a lot when out and about.

Geared heads just have the control that no ball head can come close to. I've yet to find a ball head that doesn't cost a stupid amount, is able to take the weight of a decent camera/lens combo and has zero "slop" between pointing it in the right direction and locking it off\settling. I baulk at paying as much for a geared head (ignoring the cost of the tripod) as my camera. That's simply wrong.

My current setup is to use a geared head when static on location for the control and accept the weight, but use a ball head when travelling to give a compromise between lugging silly weight around and control. Having said that, when travelling with a ball head I usually have to aim a little high and then lock off, accepting that the whole setup will drop and aim itself a bit lower. Either that or have to crop the image slightly in post to get the composition I desire.
 
I've changed from a 410 cos it was too heavy to a benro with ball head [emoji2961] and now I'm on an ifootage fastbowl and a pano head.... Its brilliant
 
I prefer a 3 way head. Never could get on with a ballhead myself. Nothing fancy though, a Manfrotto 190 Xpro 4 leg aluminium thing with the Xpro 3 way head. It takes the weight of a D810 and 70-200 F.28 no problem. It's sturdy enough and if it lasts 5yrs for £230 delivered then all the better.

If it keeps the camera still and doesn't fall over then job jobbed.
 
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This set up IMG_20191110_105531.jpeg
 
For outdoor use I switched to a Manfrotto Xpro 3 way geared head earlier this year. It doesn't feel as robust as any of the other geared heads I've encountered - but is lighter.

It replaced a Manfrotto leveller and pano rotator that I was previously using without a head. I find it easier to level using the three way geared head and it provides a greater range of adjustment than the leveller.
 
Dryce said:
It doesn't feel as robust as any of the other geared heads I've encountered - but is lighter.
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Also a lot more expensive than the far superior 410, which is why I would not even consider one as an alternative.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
Also a lot more expensive
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????

It's always been cheaper than the 410 when I've looked.

which is why I would not even consider one as an alternative.
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I went against 410 or other geared option because of the extra weight to haul around.

A lot of advice offered on forums is uncompromising. I find gear decisions are all about compromise.[/QUOTE]
 
Arca P0 for everything up to my 5x4, Gitzo 3 series ball head for my 8x10 or a Manfrotto 229 3 way pan/tilt when weight/size isn’t a consideration.
 
Dryce said:
????

It's always been cheaper than the 410 when I've looked.



I went against 410 or other geared option because of the extra weight to haul around.

A lot of advice offered on forums is uncompromising. I find gear decisions are all about compromise.
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]

Maybe they've gone down now. In TPS 410 was 130 last year and that one over 200 I think. It doesn't make any sense this way though, except maybe novelty factor.

410 is stupidly heavy for sure. But it lasts too, 8 years now and I killed 5-6 tripods completely in this time
 
My main tripod has a Manfrotto 410 - it's heavy for a tripod head, but not in comparison to all the other gear I cart about with my big backpack (I am happily guilty of taking lenses with me 'just in case' :) ).

For my travel kit I have a compact CF tripod with ball head - but then my travel kit is about lightweight and 'good enough', rather than ideal.
 
DG Phototraining said:
I've never understood why people pay so much for something that does such a basic job
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Depends on how you use it?

How often do members of thse forums use tripods - some hardly ever - some intermittently - some a lot. What kit do they mount? Heavy DSLR with long lens, light weight DSLR with short lens, mirrorless, compact? What conditions are they used in? How are they carried or transported.
 
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