Tripod heads, ball or 3 way
- Thread starter rgrebby
- Start date
I've got both and the 3 way has remained unused since I got balls. I would only find the 3 way better for something like panoramas to be stitched together, if I were going to do it properly. But I'm too lazy to change them over anyway, and I've still done panoramas with a ball.
- Messages
- 2,668
- Name
- Stuart
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I Opted for the 3-way.
I find it more versatile. You can slacken the three axis to give you total free or you can damp some of the axis for controlled panning or fix the horizontal axis for panoramics.
The drawback is the weight but that that really only comes in to it when you are carrying it.
A ball will give you total any direction type movement or you can lock it once you have framed the subject, but as soon as you release it, it goes anywhere it wants.
Heavier it may be, but I will sick with the 3-way.
I find it more versatile. You can slacken the three axis to give you total free or you can damp some of the axis for controlled panning or fix the horizontal axis for panoramics.
The drawback is the weight but that that really only comes in to it when you are carrying it.
A ball will give you total any direction type movement or you can lock it once you have framed the subject, but as soon as you release it, it goes anywhere it wants.
Heavier it may be, but I will sick with the 3-way.
I used to only ever use a 3-way head, but I find ball heads easier to transpor as they don't have the handles sticking out and are generally lighter for the same weight capacity.
These Giotto's models are great, you can control the tension on the unlocked ball to make it easier to get your camera in position.
Check out the video at the bottom of the page, there is also one on the home page about how to decide which type of tripod and head to go for
http://www.giottos-tripods.co.uk/index.php?page=productpage&cat=49130e8d88135&product=4918502ce3a47
These Giotto's models are great, you can control the tension on the unlocked ball to make it easier to get your camera in position.
Check out the video at the bottom of the page, there is also one on the home page about how to decide which type of tripod and head to go for
http://www.giottos-tripods.co.uk/index.php?page=productpage&cat=49130e8d88135&product=4918502ce3a47
- Messages
- 4,009
- Edit My Images
- No
i have a ball head and i find it really versatile and easy to use, whereas I find a 3 way head quite cumbersome sometimes. You can still do panoramic shots with a ball head as most of them have a base that can rotate on the horizantal plane. One drawback is that you have to be very careful how much you loosen the screw, as if you loosen it too much too quick the ball slackens and your kit can smash into the tripod, or worse fall over. So i always have one hand under the lens cradling it.