Geegee Loc: Peterborough, Ont.

I have difficulty adjusting my tripod head up and down when doing macro work. It seems that if I want to tweek it a little, it moves a lot and I have to go back and forth several times until I get it right, a real pain. I have tried several heads and they are all the same. I found a ball head too floppy for macro work. I am sure that I am not the only one who has experienced this problem. Today I was in my nearest big brick and mortar camera store and tried a Manfrotto fluid head. It responded like a dream and the long handle made small adjustments easy. However, the fluid heads are intended for video and do not have the ability to flip the camera from landscape to portrait orientation. Bummer!!!

Has anyone found a work-around for this problem or does anyone know of another head which works smoothly to make minute adjustments as required it fine macro photography?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I use a good ball head - Arca-Swiss z1 - which is rock solid and not floppy. Then I use an L bracket on the camera, so it is easy to switch from landscape to portrait. If you need finer adjustments then there are vernier movement racks that will allow very fine adjustments in all three axes.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

consider a devise like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SLIK-2-AXIS-MACRO-FOCUS-ADJUST-TRIPOD-HEAD-Camera-photography/401558168538?hash=item5d7ebb63da:g:QBUAAOSw8fRbMXt5

AlohaJim Loc: Retired. Hawaii >> N. Arizona.

Oben MFR4-5 Macro Focusing Rail for macro. works well for focus stacking.
Larger Pro Manfrotto Ball Heads do well otherwise.

kskarma Loc: Topeka, KS

A little known head type is the "Geared Head". This head allows you to make precision moves in any of the three axis. The problem I always had...and have...with a standard 'ball head'...even a fluid head, is that small increments of motion are difficult to make with any degree of confidence...usually it's too much or not quite enough...and then....waaaayyyy too much....curse and start over... Here is a link to a Manfrotto Geared Head like mine....easy to use, highly recommended by ME...! https://www.manfrotto.us/410-junior-geared-tripod-head-easy-to-use-ergonomic-knobs

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Consider this precise 4 way adjustment.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1130512-REG/oben_mfr4_5_macro_focusing_rail.html?sts=pi

with a arca swiss type l bracket so you can switch from Horizontal to Vertical easily

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/964627-REG/sunwayfoto_dal_1_arca_l_plate.html

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I have this problem for a project I am on. Trust me on this - do not buy anything because it is cheap. All the cheap macro focussing rails are just that - cheap. The worst problem is that the adjustment racks are all too loose. By the time you have a large camera, bellows and reversed lens with adapter and teleconverter you have such a weight, if using vertically, that you must hold the camera so that the adjustment can be tweaked and precise adjustments are impossible. Unless everything is extremely solidly mounted it just won't work. Hence buy a really solid rail. With an L bracket you can quickly swap between landscape and portrait but, of course, you will need to setup your picture again. The cheap X and Y axis adapter (and even B&H sell this one) is such a heap of junk I took mine back and got a credit. The bellows unit I bought is also not so good but I made a strengthening support for it and this bracket has my arca-swiss fitting mounted on it instead of the camera. This works much better as it shifts the center of gravity so the weight is better balanced. I will try adding my focussing rail to this as soon as more AS fittings arrive.
I am starting to have a good understanding why macro setups sometimes look like an iron foundry.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Look at Manfrotto's X-Pro 3 way head. I have a predecessor, the Jr. Pro 3 way head which I have permanently mounted on my macro platform

LensWork

I second the recommendation of a Manfrotto geared head 👍🏻

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

My ball heads has a plastic insert so it's a metal ball rubbing against a inter plastic sleeve. I can then adjust the tension on my ball head to give me just enough play so that the camera moves slowly but firmly. Once I have it when I want I can lock it in place.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Yes, you need HEAVY duty 2 or 3 axis macro geared slide or a GEARED 3 axis head or both ! - none of which is in-expensive.

..

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

I agree with kskarma, that a geared tripod head is a great solution. I recently bought a Benro Geared Tripod Head https://www.benroeu.com/products/benro-gd3wh.aspx
for $200 and I am highly impressed with this quality of build and accuracy of precision movement. It is also CNC machined from magnesium and it is one of the lightest geared heads on the market today. Because I put it on my carbon-fiber tripod and I take it in the field that was an important factor for me.

They are also the cats-meow for panorama and architectural photography due to their fine tune settings and millimeter by millimeter movement in three axis. Add a precision macro slide rail to the geared head and you will have a full range of camera adjustments necessary for macro focusing and for the macro focus stacking technique.

kskarma Loc: Topeka, KS

Gee Whiz....TWO people agree with me....that's a new Personal Best...[Grins]

On a serious note...or notes...I should point out that a very helpful feature of these geared heads is the ability to pull any of the adjusting knobs out and have totally free movement. This allows any degree of "coarse" movement that might be needed.... Also...when the head is levelled or made plumb, it works very well as a pano head. You can easily keep track of your increments with the degree markings...or simply view your scene and allow for a good overlap from image to image...(this is my method as good stitching programs...such as PhotoMerge in PS...can handle all sorts of errors you might make...but missing any overlap is really a killer. This is also one reason why I always do two passes....just in case!)
I looked at the Benro head that the link led me to and I really liked the look, price and specs of it. I got my Manfrotto from an eBay source at about that same price range....but the Arca plate sure is a big plus for this head...

Ron Dial Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador

You should try a "focusing rack", a rack and pinion focusing attachment that adjusts side to side and forward and back on micro focusing knobs. It is made to attach under the camera and on top of the tripod for macro work.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

Yes I have a Bogan Manfrotto fluid head that does go 90 degrees to shot vertical, when I get home I will get the mdl.# for you....it has the hexagon quick releasd plate on it.