kylie-bird
Member
I’m so confused about types of tripod head. The more I read, the more confused I get because it seems like there is overlap or inconsistency in names of types. One article lists all these as different types: Pan/tilt, two-way, three-way, video, fluid, ball, pistol grip, gimbal – but some of these seem to be the same thing??
Other things refer to 3-way pan, fluid video, 3-way video, centre ball, lever ball, ball with 3 independent controls, Hybrid Photo-Video Head…
I’m planning to get Celestron Regal M2 80ED 20-60x scope for birding at wetlands & beaches and now looking for suitable tripod.
I read that “Ball heads are not good for large lenses. A ball head effectively allows the lens to tilt in any direction, and this makes it very difficult to keep a large, heavy lens stable” and that, “biggest problem with ball heads is that they aren’t very precise when it comes to adjusting their position. When you unlock the ball, you’re moving it around completely and not just on one angle or plane.”
Is this still true of ball heads with 3 independent controls? Are they inherintly less stable? Should I definitely avoid ball head even if it has 2 or 3 independent controls and a handle? Is a handle essential or recommended? Is it worth getting a Manfrotto Befree 3-Way Live with 3-way fluid video head with 2 foldable handles, even though its heavier?
I appreciate any advice but recommending specific models & brands is not so helpful as here in Australia many are not available and the prices are about 3x what they are in USA, so I can't afford the good ones
Other things refer to 3-way pan, fluid video, 3-way video, centre ball, lever ball, ball with 3 independent controls, Hybrid Photo-Video Head…
I’m planning to get Celestron Regal M2 80ED 20-60x scope for birding at wetlands & beaches and now looking for suitable tripod.
I read that “Ball heads are not good for large lenses. A ball head effectively allows the lens to tilt in any direction, and this makes it very difficult to keep a large, heavy lens stable” and that, “biggest problem with ball heads is that they aren’t very precise when it comes to adjusting their position. When you unlock the ball, you’re moving it around completely and not just on one angle or plane.”
Is this still true of ball heads with 3 independent controls? Are they inherintly less stable? Should I definitely avoid ball head even if it has 2 or 3 independent controls and a handle? Is a handle essential or recommended? Is it worth getting a Manfrotto Befree 3-Way Live with 3-way fluid video head with 2 foldable handles, even though its heavier?
I appreciate any advice but recommending specific models & brands is not so helpful as here in Australia many are not available and the prices are about 3x what they are in USA, so I can't afford the good ones