Dziadzi wrote:
Last week I asked you for advice on which head is best for my Manfrotto 055XPROB Pro Tripod. What I failed to ask first is, which is the better head, ball or pan head? So I ask now which is better and why?
That's a personal decision... based upon what YOU want to do with the tripod and the gear you plan to use on it. You'll find folks advocating both types (or others).
Pan/tilt heads tend to be larger, with protruding handles. They can be more precise and, depending upon design, may give better balance switching back and forth between horizontal/landscape and vertical/portrait orientation. I use a pan/tilt head on a (big heavy) tripod I now only use "in studio". It's great for that purpose.
Ballheads are typically more compact and streamlined. They usually have low profile knobs that make them easier to pack for travel or less likely to catch on branches, etc. when carrying them around outdoors. Many "flop" off to one side to provide vertical/portrait orientation, which may less well balanced. Some folks fit their cameras with "L-brackets" for this reason... those allow either horiz. or vert. orientation without having to flop the ballhead to the side... Also, larger lenses that have tripod mounting collars allow better-balanced changes in orientation. I use heavy duty ballheads on two tripods I mostly use in the field... but most of the lenses I use on a tripod are fitted with mounting rings (and I use a gimbal adapter which can serve to provide vert. orientation, too.)
Shopping around, you'll also find some specialized types of heads. For example....
"Pistol grip" heads are a form of ballhead (usually light to moderate duty, at best). They're fast to use, but rely upon a spring-loaded locking mechanism.
"Gimbal heads" of various types are typically used with longer telephotos. They allow smooth, easy panning and tilt with large, heavy gear. Personally, I use yet another tripod fitted with a full size (J-type) gimbal, but that makes the tripod "large telephoto only"... not really usable with short lenses at all, unless I swap the head on the tripod or buy and carry around additional accessories. OTOH, a "gimbal adapter" (mentioned above), I use with either of the heavy duty ballheads, to quickly and easily convert them for long lens use... or remove the adapter to quickly and easily convert it back for use with other lenses on my cameras.
"Hybids" such as pan/tilt with relatively low profile controls.
You'll also find heads with and without various "quick release" options. Without those, you simply screw a bolt into the socket in the bottom of your camera (or lens tripod foot, if it has one). Those are standardized using 1/4-20 fittings (except for some relatively uncommon, large, heavy duty that use a 3/8" socket and bolt).
Quick release involve some sort of plate that's attached to each camera and lens you may want to mount, left in place.... that corresponds to a mounting platform on the tripod head. The most common type of these is the Arca-Swiss-style.... Many different manufacturers make a wide variety of accessories that are compatible with versatile and reliable Arca-style. You will also find some less common, proprietary types of releases.... For example, Manfrotto has two different ones (a small rectangular and a larger hexagonal type), but over the last two or three years they've also begun making some heads that are Arca-compatible. I used the Manfrotto QR systems years ago (when the were still Bogen) and they're okay. But they are ONLY used on Manfrotto heads, are incompatible with any other system and few other manufacturers make anything to fit them. Some types of heads, including the gimbals I use, require an Arc-type release. Around 15 years ago I set out to and have now largely converted everything to Arca-compatible.
Hope this helps!