Publication Magazine Volume 2 Platography | Page 17

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. 17 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. subscribe 0330 333 1113 I www.platography.co.my I 8 October