Tripod chosen.......
Discussion
....now I need to choose a head!
I'm going for a Manfrotto 190MF4 because it's lightweight and compact enough to chuck in a rucksack and bound to be better than the plastic Jessops thing I got given as a temporary stop gap years ago!
I've looked long and hard at the extensive range of Manfrotto heads available and there's a couple I'm seriously thinking about:
460MG - 3 way
486RC2 - ball
390RC - video
All are around 0.5kg & £50 at Warehouse Express.
I'll use the combo mainly for landscapes and some motorsport. I know that the ball or 3 way would be best for landscapes and the video best for panning at the track and yes, I realise the ideal answer is to buy both!
Can anyone offer any advice / opinions on the above heads, or any others to considered? Has anyone tried panning using a 3 way head - am I better off not attempting it? Has anyone with a video style head tried using it for landscape stuff / in portrait mode etc?
Thanks,
Longers
I'm going for a Manfrotto 190MF4 because it's lightweight and compact enough to chuck in a rucksack and bound to be better than the plastic Jessops thing I got given as a temporary stop gap years ago!
I've looked long and hard at the extensive range of Manfrotto heads available and there's a couple I'm seriously thinking about:
460MG - 3 way
486RC2 - ball
390RC - video
All are around 0.5kg & £50 at Warehouse Express.
I'll use the combo mainly for landscapes and some motorsport. I know that the ball or 3 way would be best for landscapes and the video best for panning at the track and yes, I realise the ideal answer is to buy both!
Can anyone offer any advice / opinions on the above heads, or any others to considered? Has anyone tried panning using a 3 way head - am I better off not attempting it? Has anyone with a video style head tried using it for landscape stuff / in portrait mode etc?
Thanks,
Longers
I use Gilux and think 3 way heads are the most versatile...but that's because I was always obsessed with eliminating converging verticals using spirit levels and that...
ball & socket: slow,
video: depends on whether you do panning a lot
3 way will do all that, but not vice versa
hope that helps, just don't get lazy after the novelty wears off!
ball & socket: slow,
video: depends on whether you do panning a lot
3 way will do all that, but not vice versa
hope that helps, just don't get lazy after the novelty wears off!
I recently got a 488 to go with an 055 and it's very good for me.
I did check out the MF range of tripods but couldn't justify the price hike to save 200g but then I don't do a lot of hiking with it...
The flexibility of the 055 surprised me even though I read all the info, it really is very adaptable.
I did check out the MF range of tripods but couldn't justify the price hike to save 200g but then I don't do a lot of hiking with it...
The flexibility of the 055 surprised me even though I read all the info, it really is very adaptable.
I find ball heads awkward to use so I use a 700RC2 for my still photography and haven't had a problem with it (if I want a vertical shot I have to muck about a bit but I expected that). I like video heads because apart from the smooth panning the long handle gives you a nice fine control over the aiming of the camera before locking it into place - something that wouldn't be so easy with the 460Mg. I have an old 141RC as well which I find is still a little coarse and clumsy, so my vote goes for the 390RC.
Another vote here for the Manfrotto 700 series. I use a 701RC2 head which is great with a 500mm lens, and is also perfect with a Nikon Fieldscope attached (useful for birdwatching if you're into that sort of thing!). Because this is quite heavy duty kit I also have a 222 grip-action ball head (!) No good for panning but very useful when you're on uneven ground and don't want to spend half the day adjusting leg length on the tripod to find an accurate level. It's quite expensive kit but if you can stretch the budget it will last you a very long time. I highly recommend it...
I have a 190MF4 with a 484RC2 head.
Ball heads are definitely NOT good if you want good flat plane panning. However if you want the flexibility to quickly position it in any position, balls cannot be beaten - the major drawback with balls is that once loose they move all over the place. I tend not to use the tripod for panning shoots. For panning I put the head on my 695 monopod and use it as a rest, picking the whole thing up to take shots (hence buying a magfibre monopod).
I have always found panning with camera attached to any kind of support to be very tricky, the object rarely moves in exactly the plane you are working in!
On the plus side, I have found the 190MF4 to be a very lightweight and versatile tripod (the splitting column is cool), which can be VERY stable if you hang your camera bag from the centre of it...
Ball heads are definitely NOT good if you want good flat plane panning. However if you want the flexibility to quickly position it in any position, balls cannot be beaten - the major drawback with balls is that once loose they move all over the place. I tend not to use the tripod for panning shoots. For panning I put the head on my 695 monopod and use it as a rest, picking the whole thing up to take shots (hence buying a magfibre monopod).
I have always found panning with camera attached to any kind of support to be very tricky, the object rarely moves in exactly the plane you are working in!
On the plus side, I have found the 190MF4 to be a very lightweight and versatile tripod (the splitting column is cool), which can be VERY stable if you hang your camera bag from the centre of it...
The Manfrotto 322RC joystick head is what you want (well if you do not do too much panning that is, because as said that's a real pain). The thing is very versatile, will take up to 5 kgs and extremely easy to use and position. I've had mine for a bit more than a year and I can heartily recommend it. Here's a link: [url]www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/cache/offonce/pid/2319?livid=80|81&idx=83[/url]
I would not get the 222, it's good but not nearly as good as the 322RC.
The thing is so versatile, I'd say if you really need to pan get this one + a threeway.
Maarten
I would not get the 222, it's good but not nearly as good as the 322RC.
The thing is so versatile, I'd say if you really need to pan get this one + a threeway.
Maarten
I've got a Manfrotto ball head on a Uni-Loc tripod.
1) Release the Uni-Loc main bolt, throw the tripod down so all three legs are in contact with whatever looks the most solid and tighten back up.
2) Hold camera (V.Important!), release ball head, point camera, lock ball head.
3) Release shutter.
Got to be the ultimate combination on really rough ground.
I occasionally borrow a 3-way head tripod and find it soooo slooooow!.
Ball heads are not everbodies cup of tea and scare a lot of people becasuse they have the potential to damage the camera. But as long as you remember to hold the camera before releasing the head they are fine.
1) Release the Uni-Loc main bolt, throw the tripod down so all three legs are in contact with whatever looks the most solid and tighten back up.
2) Hold camera (V.Important!), release ball head, point camera, lock ball head.
3) Release shutter.
Got to be the ultimate combination on really rough ground.
I occasionally borrow a 3-way head tripod and find it soooo slooooow!.
Ball heads are not everbodies cup of tea and scare a lot of people becasuse they have the potential to damage the camera. But as long as you remember to hold the camera before releasing the head they are fine.
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