Good Fluid Head for GH1 (light cameras)
- Thread starter ustein
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Ben_B
Veteran
I am enjoying david and stanford fm-18 head...not sure if you can buy it by itself and i don't like the sticks it came with that much (ball leveler is nice though) but the head works well and is cheap.
Thought I'd slip in here before you get innundated with recommendations for Libec heads.
Thought I'd slip in here before you get innundated with recommendations for Libec heads.
Ben_B
Veteran
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/336011-REG/Davis_Sanford_FM18_FM18_Fluid_Head.html
there we go. Kind of cheapy build quality on handle attach points, etc...some of the knobs are not well thought out and interfere with each other...but overall I am very happy with the smoothness of it.
there we go. Kind of cheapy build quality on handle attach points, etc...some of the knobs are not well thought out and interfere with each other...but overall I am very happy with the smoothness of it.
I'm looking for this too... for use on my Cullman Video Magic tripod 
(which I use a super cheap steadicam right now).
I was watching dvxuser Rolly's vimeo GH1 movies and found this: http://vimeo.com/5314867
There's a great tilt down around 17 seconds in, so I asked him what head he used. It's a Manfrotto 560B (http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-560B-Fluid-Video-Monopod/dp/B000M19LES). It's pretty sweet as a monopod, but the way that it works is the "fluid head" is at the base of the monopod, not the top. So to get the nice pans/tilts you'd need to basically just use the whole monopod unfortunately. Here's a youtube video with some nice 560b pans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrSaBIqqhPs
Also, it appears that you can't lock down the pan for tilts or vice versa. So now I'm searching for something that can, basically a regular fluid head, that delivers as smooth results as the 560b
(which I use a super cheap steadicam right now).I was watching dvxuser Rolly's vimeo GH1 movies and found this: http://vimeo.com/5314867
There's a great tilt down around 17 seconds in, so I asked him what head he used. It's a Manfrotto 560B (http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-560B-Fluid-Video-Monopod/dp/B000M19LES). It's pretty sweet as a monopod, but the way that it works is the "fluid head" is at the base of the monopod, not the top. So to get the nice pans/tilts you'd need to basically just use the whole monopod unfortunately. Here's a youtube video with some nice 560b pans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrSaBIqqhPs
Also, it appears that you can't lock down the pan for tilts or vice versa. So now I'm searching for something that can, basically a regular fluid head, that delivers as smooth results as the 560b
Got any links to some pans/tilts you made with it? What's with the dual handles? That's interesting...
Martti Ekstrand
Veteran
Sticks and heads have been discussed in multiple threads. Do a search.
I'd like to see a pan on that.
j
Veteran
> I am enjoying david and stanford fm-18 head
Sorry Ben you usually give solid advice, but I'd have to disagree on this one. We have a small fleet of fm-18 tripods at my school, and they are - shall I say - less than... good.
In the cheap range, I'd recommend the bogen micro fluid head. Cheap, small, and decent.
-J
Sorry Ben you usually give solid advice, but I'd have to disagree on this one. We have a small fleet of fm-18 tripods at my school, and they are - shall I say - less than... good.
In the cheap range, I'd recommend the bogen micro fluid head. Cheap, small, and decent.
-J
Ben_B
Veteran
I'm not the biggest fan of the tripod it came with...the inadjustable spreader is annoying, and I've heard that the air column tripod they sell sucks but I have the ball-leveler one, but the head seems pretty darn smooth to me...maybe it's because I'm used to trying to use my friends full HVX + 35mm adapter + monitor + rails + follow focus setup on a 501 head but the FM-18 seems perfectly fine with GH1 to me.
Without having ever used the mini head you mentioned I'd say it looks flimsy, but maybe I'm wrong, as you've used both I'd value your opinion more on that head if I was OP...but I have had fine luck with the FM-18 head...and it's only $100 for a fluid head that, in my experience, seems to outperform the 501 head (in terms of quality of motion, although probably not in terms of build-quality, adjustability, or maybe even durability.)
Plus it has some features that I think others in it's price range lack (the adjustable, sliding plate, etc.)
Davis and Stanford is owned by Tiffen, makers of the steadicam and also lots of somewhat budget film equipment...if that means anything to anyone.
Without having ever used the mini head you mentioned I'd say it looks flimsy, but maybe I'm wrong, as you've used both I'd value your opinion more on that head if I was OP...but I have had fine luck with the FM-18 head...and it's only $100 for a fluid head that, in my experience, seems to outperform the 501 head (in terms of quality of motion, although probably not in terms of build-quality, adjustability, or maybe even durability.)
Plus it has some features that I think others in it's price range lack (the adjustable, sliding plate, etc.)
Davis and Stanford is owned by Tiffen, makers of the steadicam and also lots of somewhat budget film equipment...if that means anything to anyone.
no its not photoshop!
... on a serious note tho, I'm using a 701HDV with my Gh1
Haha...think we may have some craziness in common. I use the 701HDV too and wanted a quick way to get the GH1 off my sticks and go mobile.
For this rig am using a Manfrotto rapid connect adapter atop an AcraTech leveling base mounted on the Focus gorillapod.
The Zoom H4N is then suspended underneath via a smaller gorillapod.
This thing actually gives a lot of flexibility since it can be easily reconfigured as a tripod or attached to objects like any gorillapod. And the H4N can be quickly detached on its own gorillapod.
BTW, the Focus gorillapod is stiff enough to carry this load in this handle config without bending out of shape.
Attachments
Ben_B
Veteran
Lol that heavy duty gorilla pod looks awesome!
I have this little guy lol....barely supports weight of camera...and then I put my wallet under to keep the lens up (a trick I learned from a friend who uses it with his HVX+35mm adapter....it actually works really well for low shots.)
And no I would not recommend this thing, it doesn't, in the strictest sense...how you say...work. But I didn't exactly expect it to. That said it was cheap, I saw it on the counter at the camera store...and it was so cute, and I had to have it.
I have this little guy lol....barely supports weight of camera...and then I put my wallet under to keep the lens up (a trick I learned from a friend who uses it with his HVX+35mm adapter....it actually works really well for low shots.)
And no I would not recommend this thing, it doesn't, in the strictest sense...how you say...work. But I didn't exactly expect it to. That said it was cheap, I saw it on the counter at the camera store...and it was so cute, and I had to have it.
sammysammy
Well-known member
i just got what i think is a great tripod and fluid hef and dolly from ebay..i bout the ITE T40 ,H40 fluid head, and D40 dolly for 150 shipped ( i think i got a great deal), this is built like a tank , i know its not for every day use, but man, im so very happy with it, today was my first day with it...the head is so smooth..
Any link? Thank you.
simonclivehughes
Well-known member
I'll add another vote for the Libec H22. I'm using it on a Gitzo 1348 MK2 CF legs. I was out on Washington's Olympic Peninsula all last week shooting with this setup and I've got to say that it is a revelation compared to the Manfrotto 701 I had before. Beautiful smooth pans and tilts and the leveling base is so nice!
Cheers,