Want a better fluid head

L

Lee Saxon

Well-known member
I currently use a Manfrotto 504HD and I wish I had a little more drag and the pan/tilt (tilt especially) locks aren't strong enough.

However, I'm pretty satisfied with the smoothness of the movement, so I don't need to go WAY up-market (and I can't afford to, aiming at ~$800-1200).

Needs to support ~16-18lbs, can be 75mm or 100mm.

Any suggestions on what to look at, what to avoid?
 
That head only supports 16-17 pounds. I always try to buy a head that can support a few extra pounds to give it better performance. The 516 supports 22 pounds (4 to spare) and cost 513. The whole kit with legs is 1109. I'd check out b&h and limit your head search to over 22 pounds. I always try and leave 4 extra pounds aside form my super lightweight pods i ship.
 
It's been years since I researched this, but I found then that fluid heads, most tripod heads really, were capacity rated using a flat steel plate. If your camera's center of gravity is higher than a flat steel plate, the camera can't be as heavy as the plate they used for the rating. Small increases in height raise loads on the head fast. Most of the cameras I have used over the years have been 3" to 4" center of gravity, including the camera shoe/quick release.

Armed with this information, I have chosen heads rated about twice the capacity of the camera/rig weight. Counterbalance weights were based on the same flat plates.
 
gstrother said:
Armed with this information, I have chosen heads rated about twice the capacity of the camera/rig weight. Counterbalance weights were based on the same flat plates.
Click to expand...

Great info, thanks for sharing. I did not now that, but it makes totally sense.

Frank
 
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