Lens Creep

that is a great point. You can see it the legs are open or closed at a glance. I also like unlocking all three levers on a leg with a single hand motion, which is handy. Twist locks allow a similar quick lock/unlock of the entire retracted leg.

Lens Creep

wait, now were are talking about heads, lol.

I have a couple of ball heads, 2 nice 3-way heads, and used to use a pistol grip ballhead(Manfrotto brand).
They all have pros and cons so it really depends on the application. Standard ballhead with a separate panning knob is a good all purpose solution. For landscape, macro, and product shots, I prefer the 3-way head for its precision and additional control. What I mean is that with a ballhead, if you need to recompose to tilt up or down, you lose the leveling, which is a big deal with precise framing. I also have a 55mm ballhead and it still sags when I use my heaviest lens. I get no sag with the 3-way head.
For long tele wildlife shooting, a gimbal is a good bet for it's fluid movement and quick re-composing.

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

Six pages of opinions of tripods. That ought to pretty much cover it. Lever locks or twist locks? The answer is "yes".

dar_clicks Loc: Utah

I have a heavy old Bogen tripod that has a "thumb press" (for lack of a better term) near the head end on each leg that releases the lower leg section. All three legs can be very quickly lowered, even on uneven ground without struggling with either twists or flips. I wish that design could be applied to three- or four-section devices, but that might be very difficult or impossible to engineer economically.

Inquiring about the differences between twists & flips is quite valid considering that there may be differences between how well they adapt to different uses and which might wear better over a long time or with hard use. Beyond that, it is a matter of personal preference as has been noted.

I have a monopod that has been used for many decades. It has twist-type sections. I'm trying to think of a way to make a simple tool to quickly grip the knurled releases which now sometimes need more tightening than is comfortable to apply. I also have an old tripod with flip connections that needs the joints to be overhauled because they start to slide too easily under load. Nothing is perfect nor lasts forever before it needs replacing -- hmmm ... now there's a thought ...

tinwhistle

I read only a couple pages of replies, so I may be repeating. I live and take pictures in the "frozen tundra" and the twist locks are extremely hard to operate in cold weather while wearing gloves.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

As I get older, I find the twist locks difficult to use, so I changed to the flip lock version. If you do not have arthritis, and have good hand strength, there is little difference and the twist locks take up a little less space, but if you have problems with your hand strength, the flip locks are better.

TucsonDave Loc: Tucson, Arizona

I went through the same review process 3 months ago and received a lot of good input from the hogs. I ended up with the carbon fiber Benro with the B3 ballhead on sale from B&H. When it arrived and I assembled it with by D5300 and 300mm telephoto it was better than I expected. Very stable, easy to adjust after a little practice and easy to carry. The right tripod for me. Gene51 had suggested it initially.

JacktheMassey Loc: South Central Wi

Get big balls! 😀

Golden Rule Loc: Washington State

Good to know, thanks.

Photocraig

Flip locks can snag on things, like your clothing or branches etc. They are also subject to breaking off when dropped. Pro, they're easy to release and lock.

Twist locks aren't subject to snagging or snapping off. They can become over tightened and hard for smaller (female??) and arthritic hands to open. The can also get sticky with mud, dirt and cola drinks, slurpees and the like plus they are susceptible to sand and dirt intrusion. Pro. they can be completely disassembled and rinsed in a hotel bathtub--be careful of rings and washers.

Gitzo, now branded Manfretto, uses twist rings. Enough said for me.

C

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

I think there is room for a completely new legs configuration - "Fold Out" - 3 or 4 section for choice of height (folding in to progressively sized "U" sections) locking in to place with ball catches. Would be faster to open and collapse. What do Hogs think?

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

I'm still waiting for "remote control" leg extension and retraction!

MDI Mainer

The tension of the flip locks on a well designed unit can be easily adjusted to assure optimum performance over time. Not so (at least in my experience) with twist locks.