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A try at a summary for current fluid heads options (in the market for one) (1 Viewer)

Alain75

Well-known member
Hello, below a try at a summary for the current "fluid heads" (for digiscopy stills and video), with key info such as weight, load max and recommended, price (taken from BH when possibe to make it even), image, birdforum feedback and dedicated threads if available ...

Note : I'm currently looking for one (to set up a swaro ATS 80 + 20mm +G6 and adaptator : total weight 2.6kg), with head weight as a key criteria. Below list only contains below 2kg heads, and not gimball ones.

So going by brands :

Gitzo :

G2180 :
http://www.gitzo.us/series-1-soulid-238-quick-release-fluid-head
picture :
http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images200x200/435028.jpg

weight : 0.57kg
load max : 4kg
counter balance : adjustable (as said on gitzo site but more on off from what I understand)

bf feedback : quite mixed

price : $259

G3280 :
http://mediacdn.shopatron.com/media...thm/t300_0d54a8b1445be9448b845f377fdefc61.jpg

weight : 1.4kg
max load : 5kg

bf feed back : quite good (if not very good)

price : $309 (gitzo site)

GH1720QR :
http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images150x150/709793.jpg

weight : 0.5 kg
max load : 4 kg

bf feed back : quite good ? (maybe not for video)

price : $274

GH2720QR
http://mediacdn.shopatron.com/media...c589664382d5c9534c51ac45e00a86.jpg?1413742757

weight : 0.7kg
max load : 6kg

bf feed back : quite good ? (maybe not for video)

price : $349.90


Manfrotto :

MVH500AH
http://mediacdn.shopatron.com/media...20842cc442adc6767ff5234ddbef46.jpg?1413829128

weight : 0.9 kg
max load : 5 kg

pre set counter balance for 2.4 kg

bf feed back : good (great ?) up to now.

price : $166.50

MVH502AH
http://mediacdn.shopatron.com/media...67cc607f7f514da5510d7ec2686fbc.jpg?1413829128

weight : 1.7 kg
max load : 8kg

pre set counter balance for 4kg

price : $190.95

BENRO :

S4 :
http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images200x200/896856.jpg

weight : 0,7 kg
mx load : 4kg

price : $133.00

S6 :

weight : 1.4 kg
max load : 6kg

counter balance adjustable on tilt.

price : $160

Sirui :

VH10

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...6235&is=REG&cm_sp=ZoomImgs-_-DTLpg-_-MoreImgs

weight : 0.9kg
max load : 6kg

counter balance pre set to 2.2 kg

price : $199.95

bf feed back : mixed (or good ?)

VH15

http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images200x200/1066275.jpg

weight : 1.7kg
max load : 10kg
counter balance pre set to 4kg

Price : $299.95

Berlebach


552
http://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=details&id=94&sprache=english
weight : 0.79 kg
max load : 6kg
counter balance : yes for over 2kg

Some others suitable ?

Price : 395€ $504 (on the site)

---------
Ok will stop there :).

I'm leaning towards the gitzo ones (G2180 or GH2720QR), the small manfrotto (500AH), or the sirui VH10 at this time..

Any info on the Benros ?

Some key ones not in the above list ?
 
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Note : I'm currently looking for one (to set up a swaro ATS 80 + 20mm +G6 and adaptator : total weight 2.6kg), with head weight as a key criteria. Below list only contains below 2kg heads, and not gimball ones. <snip>

I'm leaning towards the gitzo ones (G2180 or GH2720QR), the small manfrotto (500AH), or the sirui VH10 at this time..

I've got the Gitzo 2180 and the Manfrotto 500AH myself. Of these two, the Gitzo is definitely too small for your setup IMO. I use it for my Nikon EDIIIA in combination with a lightweight Gitzo carbon tripod, and it's OK. But your stuff is quite a bit heavier, and I don't think the small Gitzo will do. In fact, I think the Gitzo isn't really suitable for bigger and heavier scopes. It's too vibration prone.

The Manfrotto 500AH is a totally different cattle of fish. I use that one for my Nikon ED82, and it works just fine. Balancing heavier equipment on the Manfrotto is easy, and the whole head is very stable. It's far better than the old Manfrotto 128LP I used for my big scope for a number of years.

The Sirui VH10 - I had a look at that head, and it looks quite nice. However, the one I looked at wasn't ok (far too sticky at normal temperatures), and I tend to buy only well-tried equipment. So the Sirui was out.

The Berlebach - I've seen that head in the field, and it seems *very* well-made. However, I don't know it well enough to judge if it's OK for the kind of weight you want to put on it. I found it a bit too expensive for my purposes, otherwise I would have considered getting it instead of the Manfrotto.

Hermann
 
Thanks a lot for the info Hermann, will clearly take the G2180 out of my short list then, and have the 500AH on top. Plus as the 500AH has a pre set counter balance of 2,4 kg, should be quite adapted to my set up.

Yves
 
On the 500AH: In some of the earlier threads people complained quite rightly about the high price of additional camera adapters. Manfrotto seems to have changed their prices now: I paid € 29,90 for a second adapter at my local dealer. That's quite reasonable, I think.

Forgot to say that in my original post.

Hermann
 
Yves,

O good list you have there. I'll comment on the Berlebach head, which a local shop has and I've had on loan for a quick trial. The problem with it was lack of damping in the horizontal movement, which made movements not smooth like with true fluid heads. Otherwise it was quite impressive, very solid and well-made.

I agree with Hermann on the 500AH. I have also had that one on trial, for a couple of weeks actually, and it worked very well with a Swaro ATX 95. The only bits I didn't like was the very wide and angular top platform which left rather crowded space for my focusing hand, and the couple of rather thin and extending locking screws that felt like they might catch onto something and break too easily. But these are minor complaints, and it is a very good head offering ideal solidity for anything under at least four kg.

The Gitzo 2380 I have used for many years, and it is very solid and good, but since it lacks a counterbalance spring, you have to be locking the vertical movement all the time. As it is also heavier than the 500AH, I see little reason to not prefer the Manfrotto over it now.

What I use currently is the Sirui VH-10, but again agree with Hermann that not all units are problem-free. However, the ones that have smooth action are extremely good. The movement is very smooth, counterbalance works well, the quick-release works very well and the design is compact and nice to handle.

Kimmo
 
Thanks a lot for the information Kimmo, so I think I'm pretty much sold on the 500AH at his point.
In fact just ordered one, will see :)

Cheers,
yves
 
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