Geared Tripod Head (Page 2): That looks sturdy.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

Nothing new but oldies are goodies. I've had and u... (show quote)

That looks sturdy.

Dim Flash Loc: Canton, Michigan

Baysitter11 wrote:

Benro 3-Way Geared Head (GD3WH),

This has the Arca- Swiss release plate. I have one on order.

I also have a Benro GD3WH mounted on a Oben AG-236i tripod. I hold my Canon 90D with a grip and 100-400 lens rock steady. The two speed adjustment makes it a winner.

ncribble Loc: Albuquerque, NM

Question: How do they do in video work? Can anyone compare to a fluid head?

MJPerini

Most geared heads are for precise still positioning and are useless for video.
And even for still work they are not 'fast' but they are precise if you need that. (Architectural interiors, precise alignment in museum photography etc)
However there ARE Geared cinema heads for super smooth moves but they are not easy to use and were originally designed for very heavy cameras. Modern fluid heads are easier & better for most video uses.

roy mann Loc: Denver, Colorado

I purchased a Manfrotto head which I liked, but while shooting the eclipse in October, the droop I experienced was annoying at best as the sun moved fairly rapidly and it wa difficule to get the focal poin where I wanted it. I subsequently purchased their geared head which solved the problem. As you change the angle or position, you don't unweight the camera and lens so there isn't any droop. I love it!

marvkaye

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

Nothing new but oldies are goodies. I've had and used this one for over 50 years. They came wot the most Majestic tripods for decades. ...

I picked one of these (Majestic) up many years ago at an Orlando, FL surplus store for $20 or so, thinking I would one day find a use for it. Now that I know what it's for I'll have to dig it out of storage. Thanks for the heads up.

jcboy3

jerryc41 wrote:

As I've often said, companies have to do a better job naming their products. Manfrotto has the "X-PRO-3-Way-Head - MHXPRO-3W" and also the "X-PRO-Geared-Head - MHXPRO-3WG." The first one lists for $199, and the second is $249.

https://www.manfrotto.com/us-en/x-pro-3-way-tripod-head-with-retractable-levers-mhxpro-3w/
https://www.manfrotto.com/us-en/xpro-geared-three-way-pan-tilt-tripod-head-mhxpro-3wg/

The first one is a 3-way head, but it is not a geared head. And that is the reason for the price difference.

ncribble Loc: Albuquerque, NM

MJPerini wrote:

Most geared heads are for precise still positioning and are useless for video.
And even for still work they are not 'fast' but they are precise if you need that. (Architectural interiors, precise alignment in museum photography etc)
However there ARE Geared cinema heads for super smooth moves but they are not easy to use and were originally designed for very heavy cameras. Modern fluid heads are easier & better for most video uses.

Thank you MJ
Norm

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

ncribble wrote:

Question: How do they do in video work? Can anyone compare to a fluid head?

From what I've read, the Manfrotto behave like fluid heads. We have a couple of Vantage Trackers here, and they have non-fluid "fluid heads." Pan and tilt is perfect for video. I've given up on ball heads for any kind of photography. I should sell them.

jcboy3

jerryc41 wrote:

From what I've read, the Manfrotto behave like fluid heads. We have a couple of Vantage Trackers here, and they have non-fluid "fluid heads." Pan and tilt is perfect for video. I've given up on ball heads for any kind of photography. I should sell them.

These 3-way heads don't behave like fluid heads except for limiting motion in one axis. Fluid heads have variable resistance to smooth motion, and have spring return tilt to help keep the camera pointed level. Geared heads are not suitable for tracking or panning; they are best at precise pointing.

I used to have some 3-way heads, but I got rid of them because they were too bulky/cumbersome. I also got rid of my Manfrotto geared head, and now use a Sunwayfoto head. It is smaller and lighter and very good for astro-photography.

Ball heads are portable. But not useful for heavy lenses, so I use pan/tilt heads or fluid video heads for those. Or gimbal heads, but those are also not very portable.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Thanks for the post. Can’t say I ever knew about a geared head. Looks like something I could have used.
Sticking with the ball head since I don’t do that much shooting anymore.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

jcboy3 wrote:

These 3-way heads don't behave like fluid heads ex... (show quote)

That Tracker tripod is the smoothest of all my tripods, although there is no actual fluid involved. I suspect tripods with actual fluid in them are rare and expensive. For video, you want smooth movement.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Fortunately, I've given up on the idea of a $200+ geared head. I realize that I can live without it. If I bought one, it would spend its life in a camera bag.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Saw some on Amazon for half that price.
Since I am not buying one I did not read the specs.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

coolhanduke wrote:

Saw some on Amazon for half that price.
Since I am not buying one I did not read the specs.

The big advantage of the Manfrotto was ease of use.