flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

My present carbon fiber tripod has a ball head with An Arca Swiss compatible camera plate. The Aluminum medium weight one has an unremovable pan head, with the Bogen/Manfrotto release plates. I don't like the ball head very much, because of the positioning slips and droops, so I am considering a new head.

I like 3 way pan heads, despite the handles sometimes digging into parts of my anatomy...In fact, I've used them for a lot of my photo career. I sold my last 3 way with Arca Swiss compatible plates to a buddy for $25.

I like the relatively light weight Manfrotto MHXPRO 3W 3-way pan head, and the geared version of the same head, which share the small release plates. Does the adjustable tension feature allow a truly solid lock down of the camera?

The tripod will be used for all sorts of things, some in my "studio" for close-up and Macro photeaux. Is a geared head with fine adjustments worth the premium, and would it be more likely to wear out sooner?

I also like the Benro GD3WH head, but I don't want to encourage discussions of "My dog is uglier than your'n".

But suggestions are welcome! What say, Hoggers?

PoppieJ Loc: North Georgia

I say get what you want. If it is heavy duty enough to hold your gear it probably wont wear out any time soon

TerryVS

You might want to look at a fluid head. Hudson Henry has several videos on them. A YouTube search for "Approaching the Scene 180: Fluid vs Ball Heads for Still Photography" will get you to one of them. I don't shoot off a tripod a lot but I have a fluid head and I like it

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

Personally, I went to B&H with that very question. They had over 75 to 100 heads to try out. Tripod and tripod heads are very much like shoes to me. If you don't try them on personally, you may be disappointed in the result.

dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC

I had an old Manfrotto ball head that could never be adjusted to not slip. It was a spring-loaded friction system.

Then, I got a ball head that was about 1" diameter that has lock knobs. It just wasn't big enough to be rock-solid.

Now, my ball heads are 1.75" and 2" with good lock knobs. They work perfectly. When loose, they are very smooth operating. With a moderate lock, they move with a little effort. Both can be tightened until extremely rigid.

Ball heads have come a long way with almost perfect spherical machining and nearly perfect finishes. They aren't perfect for everything. They suck at video applications.

Gimbal heads and 3 way geared heads also have great advantages in many situations.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

RRS ball heads don't slip, they lock up solid with a simple snug... and I have some big prime and big zoom lenses on a D800.... however, not for video. But they do charge for them, but only the once and you are finished buying heads forever unless you wanna add to them.

Depends on what you are mounting and if you carry them, I go backcountry and climbing- etc.. For studio I have a heavy three way head originally made for 4x5 bellows cameras.

User ID

While Im glad to have a geared head for some uses, I would never want it for a main, or an only, head.

I do have an Arca Swiss monoball that I can trust for anything including a studio monorail, but it has no model name markings. The ball itself appears to be between 2.25 and 2.5 inches and acoarst it has adjustablee friction plus separate panning. Hikers might feel that its heavy. IIRC, I got it used for $175.

Also use a Vanguard ball head thaz about half the size, weight, and cost and yet its certanly no toy. Perfectly good for a 70-300 even with an L-bracket attached directly underneath the camera body (IOW not ideally balanced). That head is married to a leveling pad on a middle weight ~6 ft CF tripod. Its a really great go-to package and lives in my car.

Arca Swiss "mystery head" about 4.5" height

(Download)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I prefer Manfrotto to Arca, too, and I have them on my tripods and cameras.

I also prefer pan and tilt heads. I can set the level in one direction and then set it in another. I find ball heads annoying. My best tripods are Vanguard - Tracker and something else. I don't care about carbon fiber - too expensive for the savings in weight.

Burkley Loc: Park City

Really Right Stuff. One and done. They are great.