Lightweight fluid head for travel

E

emeticmedic

Member
I'm looking for a lightweight fluid head to pair with Gitzo carbon fiber 3530LS legs to mount on a backpack for traveling and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions of heads they are happy with. I have a 75mm bowl adapter, which allows me to put my Sachtler DV6sb head on the Gitzos, but it's a bit heavier than I'd like. From the specs I've looked at, the Libec LS-38 is one of the lighter ones I've found at around 4 lbs. Although I know it's not in the same league as the Sachtler, for travel I'm willing to sacrifice somewhat in smoothness to save in weight. I saw that the Miller DS-10 is even lighter, but at 3 times the cost. Not sure it's worth it for a head I'll only use once in a while. I looked into the Vinten Vision Blue, which is about 5 lbs. and in between those two on cost. Any thoughts or experience with other solutions?
 
I use a DV4 head from Sachtler on a Fiesol Tournament Tripod for my HMC150 when the job calls for lightweight. But I have no experience with the DS10 or Vinten Blue. I also have a very small (fits in the Fiesol tripod bag) Gitzo G2180 Series 1 Fluid Head with Quick Release for extreme light work, though it is rated for over 8 pounds, it takes some work to get the "smooth" out. But I don't use it that often and that could be a big part of the problem. It mounts to a 75mm bowl adapter for the Fiesol.
 
I'm interested in the little Gitzo (the 2180 that Brian mentioned), on either Gitzo Series 0 or Benro Carbon Travel Angel legs, as an ultralight fluid tripod for long hikes. All I'll be supporting is a GH2 and a lens (often the 14-42, but sometimes the 100-300). I'm thinking about hikes in the range of 5-2200 (the Appalachian Trail) miles, so a 5-6 lb (or more) tripod is simply unrealistic. That Gitzo head and either legset gets under 3 lbs... Can anybody think of other options for a video/still combo tripod and head in the under 3 lb range? An all-Gitzo rig is around $750, with the Benro option being a bit cheaper.
 
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