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Tripod head advice (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Retrodaz
- Start date
Handles are too much hassle.Retrodaz,
I tried one a while ago because AFAIK it's the lightest "video" head currently available, and I love "light" ! Heads are normally 400g+. It's nicely made, and has a quality feel, but (unlike Hermann !) I must have a good pan bar or handle. I found the one on this head a little short (it's designed for a camera which unlike a scope has little or no rear overhang), and more importantly I found it cramped to use directly underneath the back of the scope. The pan bar bolts on the side of the head so you can't rotate the bent section to one side of the scope. I liked the rest of the head enough to think about whether I could modify the pan bar attachment, but gave up and sent it back for a refund. It felt like an ideal head for a 50 or 60mm scope, maybe not so good with a 70 or 80mm scope but it's definitely worth a try to see how you get on with it, and as it's Amazon you can always return it for a refund if you don't. Which scope are you using ?
WRL
Well-known member
I got one of those. After a while I stopped using ist. My copy is obviously a bit sticky and the stop levers a quite fiddely and uncomfortable.
What I can recommend wholeheartedly is (I would say any) video head made by BERLEBACH of Germany (I have three, 510, 553, PEGASUS). They are not on the cheap side, admitted. But you get top quality in terms of design, manufacturing and usability. In addition, BERLEBACH's customer service (e.g. repairs) is outstanding: Very, very fast and (as I have experienced multiple times) often free even after warranty ran out.
Regards,
Werner
Hermann
Well-known member
Retrodaz:
I think you will get more and more specific advice if you explain what scope you use. The Smallrig head will not work with a big scope (80mm+). It's marginal for my admittedly quite heavy Nikon EDIIIA. Works with the very light Nikon ED50 though.
BTW, for big scopes I still recommend the Manfrotto 500AH. Fairly cheap and easily robust enough for a big scope.
Hermann
I think you will get more and more specific advice if you explain what scope you use. The Smallrig head will not work with a big scope (80mm+). It's marginal for my admittedly quite heavy Nikon EDIIIA. Works with the very light Nikon ED50 though.
BTW, for big scopes I still recommend the Manfrotto 500AH. Fairly cheap and easily robust enough for a big scope.
Hermann
Apologies, I have the Kowa 883.
Hermann
Well-known member
OK, in that case I'd definitely get a really stable head. One of the Berlebachs would work, or a head like the Manfrotto 500AH. Gitzo also makes some pretty good video heads. I use a lightweight Gitzo head for my 60mm Nikons, however, that head (the 2180) is long out of production. For my 82mm Nikon I use the Manfrotto. Works like a charm.
Hermann
Digiscoping can be a little more demanding of a support system. Are you suing a phone or larger camera body?
The BulbMogul
Well-known member
I prefer the Wimberley MK2 Gimbal head on my Gitzo 5543 LS Tripod for all my big glass..
If one is digiscoping... One nice benefit of using something like the Manfrotto 500AH fluid video head is that it works very well if you switch the smartphone to video digiscoping (instead of still photos).
There have been a number of times I've used video to capture groups of birds, that would not settle down or land, while flying over a body of water. I could not capture individual still images of them in flight very well.
Using video allowed me to go into the video later, and pull out some well focused frames to either ID or support an ID of an uncommon or rare sighting.
Having a smooth fluid video head makes following birds in flight much easier while video digiscoping.
There have been a number of times I've used video to capture groups of birds, that would not settle down or land, while flying over a body of water. I could not capture individual still images of them in flight very well.
Using video allowed me to go into the video later, and pull out some well focused frames to either ID or support an ID of an uncommon or rare sighting.
Having a smooth fluid video head makes following birds in flight much easier while video digiscoping.
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