Buying a
tripod head
There are tripod heads to suit every type of photography.
Size, weight, fuctionalty, features and cost are all important.
Diffrent heads will have diffrent mount but the two main ones
you’ll come across are arca Swiss, not limited to this brand,
and Manfrotto, which usesr several mounts on diffrent heads
including Arca Swiss. Read on below to discover more about six
types of tripod heads.
Ball heads
Ball heads are compact ball-and-
socket-type heads offering quick
and easy adjustment and use a
single lock to secure the camera.
Often favoured by landscape
photographes, they are great for
all types of photography, except
on those occasions where a
large and heavy telephoto lens is
required.
Three-way and
geared heads
Featuring a three-twist-locking
lever, you can pan and tilt the
head verticaly and horizontally.
Geared heads are also three-way
but you twist the levers to tilt the
head on the horizontal or vetically
axis.
Gimbal Heads
These are designed for
wildlife, motorsport and
airshow photographers
using heavy telephoto
lenses. A gimbal head lets
you rotate a lens smoothly
around its centre of gravity,
and tilt it up and down
steadily with ease. These
heads are bigger and
heavier than most other
types.
Panoramic heads
Mini tripods
If you’re out shooting and don’t
think you’ll need a tripod, a mini
tripod fi ts discreetly into your bag
thanks to its small size and light
weight of just a few hundred
grams or less. These tripods are
limited by maximum height and
maximum payload, but you can
set them up on a wall or table to
get a higher viewpoint.
Alternatively, position them on the
ground for a creative low angle.
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These are specialist pieces of
kit that are heavy and bulky as
a result of their design. They
allow you to rotate the camera
around the nodal point of the
lens, which simply results in a
better panoramic than if you
rotate the camera using a
standard head.
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