Ball head or Pan/Tilt head.....

[handicap18]

Ok, so I'm pretty sure that I'm going to get a new tripod very soon. I've pretty much decided on the tripod. B&H has a combo deal with a few different heads.

For my price range there is a compact ball head (Bogen-Manfrotto 486RC2) or a 3-Way Pan/Tilt head (Bogen-Manfrotto 804RC2).

Other than the ball head being able to support more weight are there any other differences/issue/concerns or anything else I should be looking at in order to get one or the other?

A buddy of mine uses the 808RC2 so I've seen it in action. But I see many people talking about ball heads. I've never used a ball head on a tripod. Are its features that much better than a pan/tilt? Is it easier to use?

Thanks for any help/info.

 

[dqpowell]

Ball heads are the way to go, IMO. Faster and easier to find your desired position. I have the 486RC2, and it's fine for everything up to a 300/4.0L with 1.4 TC on a 5D, which is the largest/heaviest combo I have right now.

David

 

[boBQuincy]

Ball heads and pan/tilt heads both have their place.
Let's say you have the camera all set up for fireworks over the castle but find you need to tilt it up just a bit more. A pan/tilt head is easy to reposition that way, a ball head will need some fiddling to keep the horizon straight.

On the other hand, if you need to make adjustments to more than one plane the ball head is a lot quicker. Then there are ball heads and there are Ball Heads, the latter with drag adjustments so they don't just flop over when you release the lever.

I have both types and find the ball head is better for most uses.

 

[Furgus]

I have the 486RC2, and I love it. I got it last year for Christmas and it has been great. Very sturdy, and have never had an issue with it. The only thing I don't like about it is, it doesn't have a separate locking mechanism for panoramic. When you loosen it, the whole head moves. I would love it I had a lock to just unlock the base and spin it. I know some RRS* ballheads have this feature, but are also a lot more money. Maybe next one, since boB has been raving about his RRS* seems like everyday to me at work since he got it

For the money, you can't go wrong, it is a great ballhead.


BTW I have a D50 and believe of not my heaviest lens is my Sigma 10-20, which is about the only time I use my tripod, is when I use that lens.

*(RSS-Really Right Stuff)

 

[boBQuincy]

When you loosen it, the whole head moves. I would love it I had a lock to just unlock the base and spin it. I know some RRS* ballheads have this feature, but are also a lot more money.

*(RSS-Really Right Stuff)

Oh no, the RRS ball heads are not a lot more $$$, they are a *LOT* more $$$!

 

[NostalgicDad]

I also have the 486RC2 and love it. I typically use it with my D80 and 70-300VR and don't generally have a problem with that setup. I much prefer the quickness of the ballhead over the pan/tilt but as boBQuincy mentioned, you need to be aware of the horizon and keeping it level. The legs underneath are the Manfrotto 3021N. I purchased both from B&H but it wasn't a combo deal.

 

[mabas9395]

The 488RC2 is a bit more sturdy (larger) and it has the panoramic release, which is nice. I use it on top of my 3021BPro legs and love the set.

 

[handicap18]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going with the ball head. I actually went down 1 to the 484RC2. Budget is real tight and I found a good deal through amazon with the ball head coming from amazon with $5 guaranteed Sat delivery shipping and the tripod from adorama for $158 w/free shipping, though I wont get it till after x-mas. No big deal.

The tripod I went with is the Bogen-Manfrotto 055XB, which from what I can tell is the "replacement" for the 3021.

Total price: $220. Still a bit more than the budget allows, but we were able to make an exception.

The 484RC2 is a mini ball head, but still is capable of holding almost 6lbs. I weighed my camera with my heaviest lens attached (D50 & 70-300mm VR) and it comes to 3.3lbs. I don't believe I'll be using the 70-300 on a tripod when it has VR so I'm good there. Plus down the road I can always upgrade the ball head if the need arises.

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[Groucho]

Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure I have a 484RC2 and it seems plenty strong enough, even when I was using an old 400mm F5.6 lens on it. It's also, of course, lighter than the larger ballheads, which is nice when lugging the whole assembly around.