Tripod head: I just bought my 1st decent tripod today, bogen 3001 & it came with a #3025 head. I thought for $75 it was a good deal. The 3001 is in like new condition. Any suggestion...

Elmosal Loc: Austin Tx

I just bought my 1st decent tripod today, bogen 3001 & it came with a #3025 head. I thought for $75 it was a good deal. The 3001 is in like new condition. Any suggestion on a better head. Thanks in advance.....I have a Canon 40D with a 24-105L lens I will be using.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

First of all and this may upset you but whey do you think people spend $300-500 on a tripod or whatever the equal is, I have FOUR and none are under £250.

You get what you pay for.

Having said that as long as you do not try putting any "real" weight on it such as a 300mm or anything expensive it should e ok for a lightweight travel pod.

The head you have is fine, perhaps a b and s, BUT remember, anything more would be like fitting a Jaguar engine in a low end ford.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Elmosal wrote:

I just bought my 1st decent tripod today, bogen 3001 & it came with a #3025 head. I thought for $75 it was a good deal. The 3001 is in like new condition. Any suggestion on a better head. Thanks in advance.....I have a Canon 40D with a 24-105L lens I will be using.

The 3001 was Bogen introductory model and similar in design to the venerable 3021, but lighter weight and thinner legs. Its a decent backpacking tripod but don't put a lot of weight on it, and NEVER extend the center column.
As for the head, that was also Bogens introductory model. I would look for a good mid-sized ball head for general useage. I recommend the Bogen 3055, its a very good ball and has the highest production numbers of any head ever built, so they are readily available used. I have 3 of them on various setups and one I have used for over 30 years now and it still works like new. You can often get them for under $50.

Elmosal Loc: Austin Tx

JR1 wrote:

First of all and this may upset you but whey do yo... (show quote)

JR1 this tripod is to use around the house & I am not using
any long glass on it. I want to get a good head for the better tripod that I will purchase in the future.thanks for your reply. BTW you did not upset me. When I ask questions I want the honest feed back, I'm a big boy I can handle it.

Elmosal Loc: Austin Tx

MT Shooter wrote:

quote=Elmosal I just bought my 1st decent tripod ... (show quote)

MTShooter
thank you very much. I thought I remembered you had a few 3001's. when I looked at it & it looked brand new I thought for the money it was a decent deal. The rubber feet looked like the never touched the ground. The lady told me it was used indoors from what I saw I think she was telling me the truth.thank you for your honest reply.

Marc G Loc: East Grinstead, West Sussex, England

JR1 wrote:

First of all and this may upset you but whey do yo... (show quote)

£400 tripod will not make you take better pictures!
the person pressing the shutter will

whatever the name on it. it still comes from china just different box

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Elmosal wrote:

quote=MT Shooter quote=Elmosal I just bought my ... (show quote)

Actually I don't have 3001's, never did. But I do have 3 of the 3021's, its big brother.

Elmosal Loc: Austin Tx

MT Shooter wrote:

quote=Elmosal quote=MT Shooter quote=Elmosal I ... (show quote)

Ahhhhhh understood. I think the 3001 will be easy to take on my flight next month to visit family in New Orleans & the Mississippi gulf coast. I will in the future buy the 3021.

breck Loc: Derbyshire UK

as for a good head RRS, Markins and Acratech make great heads that will do good service on any tripod and hold heavy glass, but the best atribute is that you can set up the friction to allow you to adjust the angle without twiddling with the lock adjustment and when you do lock them of they do not slip

Elmosal Loc: Austin Tx

breck wrote:

as for a good head RRS, Markins and Acratech make great heads that will do good service on any tripod and hold heavy glass, but the best atribute is that you can set up the friction to allow you to adjust the angle without twiddling with the lock adjustment and when you do lock them of they do not slip

Thank you Breck. I appreciate the feed back!

wowbmw Loc: Grant, Colorado

breck wrote:

as for a good head RRS, Markins and Acratech make great heads that will do good service on any tripod and hold heavy glass, but the best atribute is that you can set up the friction to allow you to adjust the angle without twiddling with the lock adjustment and when you do lock them of they do not slip

After 5 years of gradually upgrading my tripods and head, I finally got the message. In this area it does not pay to be penny wise and pound foolish. Get it right the first time. If you find yourself fighting with the unit at any level, you are likely not going to use it or you won't see the benefits that come with using the right system for your type of photography. I now have a rrs 55 ball head and a Gitzo tripod. WOW. Got it used and saved a couple of hundred. There are other manufacturers as mentioned above so do some additional research so you know what options are right for you and then save up some bucks or pounds and just do it.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Elmosal wrote:

I just bought my 1st decent tripod today, bogen 3001 & it came with a #3025 head. I thought for $75 it was a good deal. The 3001 is in like new condition. Any suggestion on a better head. Thanks in advance.....I have a Canon 40D with a 24-105L lens I will be using.

Hello Elmosal,
I agree with most of the posts here, IF you are using heavy equipment, but if for 'general, around home' use is your game, then it should work fine for you. As you continue using it, YOU will be the best judge as to it being the 'right' one. Ease of use, solid, etc. Happy Shooting! (My first tripod cost a whopping $19.95, but of course that was back when Abe Lincoln was around :)

Elmosal Loc: Austin Tx

Papa Joe wrote:

quote=Elmosal I just bought my 1st decent tripod ... (show quote)

My only tripod was the kit tripod & the legs were the size if my pinky finger. So the 3001 is a huge improvement
My grand daughter will get my 3001 when I upgrade