Good affordable fluid head? (1 Viewer)

[Blackdog67]

My wife has been given an Acuter scope which came with a very flimsy tripod with a terrible head. I have a spare carbon Manfrotto 190 Go which she can use but we need to get a fluid head for it. Any recommendations on decent but affordable fluid heads?

 

[Eranou]

Manfrotto 128rc or a Sirui VA-5 maybe, depending on the size and weight of the scope.

 

[jmepler]

Manfrotto 128rc or a Sirui VA-5 maybe, depending on the size and weight of the scope.

Since you already have the Manfrotto 190, the 128RC seems to be a logical choice.

 

[Tringa45]

Since you already have the Manfrotto 190, the 128RC seems to be a logical choice.

Nearly all tripods and heads have a 3/8"x16 thread, so compatibility is not a problem.
I once had a Manfrotto 128, which was cheap and smooth, but heavy and incapable of holding my Kowa 883 at 45° tilt without creep.

John

 

[jmepler]

Nearly all tripods and heads have a 3/8"x16 thread, so compatibility is not a problem.
I once had a Manfrotto 128, which was cheap and smooth, but heavy and incapable of holding my Kowa 883 at 45° tilt without creep.

John

While compatibility may not be a problem, there is one advantage to using a Manfrotto head with a Manfrotto tripod. The three grub screws on the tripod will keep the head from becoming loose on the center column. Depending on the diameter of the mounting surface of other manufacturers the grub screws may not do anything.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

This is a solid choice for small-medium (50mm - 65mm) scopes. Not really suitable for anything over 2kg though.

 

[Tringa45]

While compatibility may not be a problem, there is one advantage to using a Manfrotto head with a Manfrotto tripod. The three grub screws on the tripod will keep the head from becoming loose on the center column. Depending on the diameter of the mounting surface of other manufacturers the grub screws may not do anything.

Well, you could tighten the grub screws on just about any head, but I think they are rather superfluous. If you lock the pan function and tighten up the head, nothing is ever going to come loose, I even read one test in which tightened grub screws transmitted more vibrations, although the effect was minimal.

John

 

[Blackdog67]

Thanks everyone for your responses. The 128rc was the one i was looking at and it looks like that is the one to go for.

 

[Tringa45]

Thanks everyone for your responses. The 128rc was the one i was looking at and it looks like that is the one to go for.

No, see post#4. While usable it's pretty awful by today's standards. I donated mine to the "Komitee gegen den Vogelmord" (Campaign against Bird Slaughter).

 

[jmepler]

No, see post#4. While usable it's pretty awful by today's standards. I donated mine to the "Komitee gegen den Vogelmord" (Campaign against Bird Slaughter).

You bash the 128RC, yet you offer no alternative.

 

[Tringa45]

You bash the 128RC, yet you offer no alternative.

I hesitate to recommend something I have not used but the go-to lightweight but stable and inexpensive video head is the Sirui VA-5, with which several members here are very satisfied. It's also Arca-Swiss compatible. I have and could recommend the Berlebach 510 and 552 (now succeeded by the 553) but they would both be disproportionate outlays for a Manfrotto 190.

PS:- One BF member I know has a Sirui VA-5 on a 3-Series Gitzo carbon fibre tripod, so it would be fully compatible if at some stage the OP decides to upgrade.

 

[z-ben]

My wife has been given an Acuter scope which came with a very flimsy tripod with a terrible head. I have a spare carbon Manfrotto 190 Go which she can use but we need to get a fluid head for it. Any recommendations on decent but affordable fluid heads?

Be careful there seem to be people vouching for heads they have not tried personally such as sirui v-a5 now I may have got a bad example but if so the the quality control is rubbish and I would advise against this company altogether the locking system failed and if it not for the fact that I always attach a strap to the foot of my scope and high on the tripod it could have cost me a good scope. By the way if anyone wants a Sirui va5 cheap with all original packaging pm me you have however been warned !!

 

[corvid-8]

Be careful there seem to be people vouching for heads they have not tried personally such as sirui v-a5 now I may have got a bad example but if so the the quality control is rubbish and I would advise against this company altogether the locking system failed and if it not for the fact that I always attach a strap to the foot of my scope and high on the tripod it could have cost me a good scope. By the way if anyone wants a Sirui va5 cheap with all original packaging pm me you have however been warned !!

I have this Head on a Monopod and one day had a slight difficulty getting the AS Plate to locate, opening the lock was not enough to accept the plate in the clamp.
But, after worrying if like yours it was faulty (why, it worked before) i noticed the locking lever was spring loaded ie you could gently pull the plastic lever out and looking with a "light" there was a small shiny metal flange so to speak which when pushed down or up, set the right distance for the jaws to open and lock securely.
You have to keep the plastic lever OUT while gently adjusting this SMALL flange.
The Shiny Flange DOES locate in a recess in the Plastic lever , so when you set it make sure it is all located at the end.
Works a treat now.
Maybe this is all you need to do.
This must of occurred because I must have messed with the lever when the plate was not in and because the lever is mated with the flange it moved out of the right width distance to take the said AS Plate.
hope this helps

 

[z-ben]

Thanks for the info but the doubt about this mean it will not get a second chance not from me I have a friend who loves working metal as soon as he became aware he offered to make a swiss arca conversion plate for my Manfrotto vh500 after a bit of R and D and a couple of prototypes that work well this is what I will use then it's easy to switch from tripod to hide clamp or window amount.

 

[jring]

Hi,

for sth smaller like 50 or 60mm aperture, the 128RC will be ok, but for a full size scope, the 500AH is recommended.

Joachim

 

[z-ben]

I have this Head on a Monopod and one day had a slight difficulty getting the AS Plate to locate, opening the lock was not enough to accept the plate in the clamp.
But, after worrying if like yours it was faulty (why, it worked before) i noticed the locking lever was spring loaded ie you could gently pull the plastic lever out and looking with a "light" there was a small shiny metal flange so to speak which when pushed down or up, set the right distance for the jaws to open and lock securely.
You have to keep the plastic lever OUT while gently adjusting this SMALL flange.
The Shiny Flange DOES locate in a recess in the Plastic lever , so when you set it make sure it is all located at the end.
Works a treat now.
Maybe this is all you need to do.
This must of occurred because I must have messed with the lever when the plate was not in and because the lever is mated with the flange it moved out of the right width distance to take the said AS Plate.
hope this helps

I should point out that after a bit of fiddling about the head Sirui va5 now appears to be functioning correctly how long for I do not know but it is not nor ever has been arca swiss compatible and it is still surplus to my requirements.

 

[Boogieshrew]

This is a solid choice for small-medium (50mm - 65mm) scopes. Not really suitable for anything over 2kg though.

I second that. I use it for an MM4 60 but it feels capable of taking something up to 65mm