Probably a stupid question but... (1 Viewer)

I need to replace my Velbon PHD-157 as this is the second one I've had where the horizontal/vertical plate won't lock tight - there's a slight movement...

I like the single twist/lock action adjust up/down and left/right however, and am a bit confused by the many options available - seems some have separate horizontal and vertical lock which I think is a problem if I've got one hand on the focus of my 'scope...

... Am I understanding this correctly, or do they all operate with a single twist?

Any recommendations for an upgrade in terms of quality and lightness, but with the same action as the Velbon.

Thanks in advance.

Any movement means your head is overloaded and/or unbalanced causing excessive wear and tear on friction surfaces. A head properly loaded and balanced will stay put at any position (with only minimal pan/tilt tension)when you release your grip.

How to fix this? Get a head that has a load capacity at least 2x+ more than the total weight of your scope with eyepiece and SOC if any. For an 80mm class scope you want something like the Velbon FHD-61QN or the FHD-51QN for a 65mm class scope. Both these come with a fairly long QR plate too which allows for more freedom to achieve proper balance, i.e. your scope should not flop over but stay horizontal when the tilt knob is loosened. Or get a gimbal-type mount.

Thanks RJM,

The thing is, after two faulty Velbons, I'm reluctant to have another of theirs.

The problem I've had is not caused by overloading on the friction surfaces - that all works fine, the issue is with the baseplate that can be flipped vertical or horizontal (so photographers can switch between landscape and portrait) - it has a couple of mm play when locked down.

So I guess I'm looking for recommendations for (non Velbon) heads which have left/right/up/down movement controlled by a single twist grip...

bluesinlondon said:

...So I guess I'm looking for recommendations for (non Velbon) heads which have left/right/up/down movement controlled by a single twist grip...

Click to expand...

Manfrotto MH293A3-RC1 would appear to fit the bill. Park Cameras have them for £33, possibly cheaper elsewhere? HTH