GH3 What tripod /head for gh3?

S

stefanocps

Well-known member
Hi, i have this situation. I bought separately first a tripod/monopod Triopo me3230x8c, then a video head hdv501. I like the triopo for versatily, even if the system of changing from tripod to monopod it is a bit complicate, i though i could have been easier. also seems not very nice material, talkinb about all the thread and screws parts. Manfrotto head is very good, though seems a bit too big, heavy, and this both for the use with gh3 and for portability, which is something important for me.The problmr is that the 2 don't work together properly.Despite waht i have been told from triopo, the head is never performing ok on that system. So i have to decide what to keep.triopo or manfrotto?triopo would require another head, of which i don't know where to choose, i think an easier one than manfrotto would be still good for me, but don't know what to put and i want to be sure it will works correctly. on the other hand i could keep the head and buying another tripod, a manfrotto one, that will stay within the portability size like triopo asnd possibly not costing a lot. what would you think?suggestions?opionions?some models?thanks
 
Manfrotto 502: much larger compared to 701, but really good actions (comparable to an older pro model from Manfrotto I also owe, 519). Other than its size, a perfect video head for my DSLR gear. To take full advantage of this head, you do need a super stable base (i.e., a nice tripod etc).
 
+1 on the Benro S6, I really like mine. It isn't tiny, but it's not as big as a 501 either. Very nice smooth action, wish it had variable drag for pan but it has it for tilting, as well as a decent counterbalance system. Negatives are that some aspects of its build quality are at about the minimum acceptable level for me personally (plasticy knobs mostly, plate release is a little sticky), but it works. It takes the 501/577 plate, which was important for me, and the price is great.
 
as i mention, i want to keep one of the two, don't want to waste all that money, they are both unused..tripod or head.so i would not get another manfrotto head as i could not use on triopo most probably. instead could be interesting the benro. the problem is, will it work good with triopo?does anyone have experince in that?
 
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TheDingo said:
The Benro S6 head works with any standard tripod with a 3/8 threaded center column. I am using one with a 25 year old Gitzo Studex 320 tripod.
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that's great. why not manfrotto does it?teorically it should, as screw, thread are the same..but in practical no.my worry if you know the triopo, is that screw taht goes in the threaded center column, that never look enough firm.so if something on top is tight no problem.as soon as it is not enough tight it make a slight side movemente(the screw). manfrotto head is made thta will unscrew the screw when pannin anticlock wise, making it trembling. hope i explaned enough clearly
 
Manfrotto tripods are fine. I already owned the Gitzo Studex tripod, so I just added the Benro S6 head to it.

I've never had a problem with video heads coming loose, though I have had the Manfrotto tripod column locking screws jam on two Manfrotto tripods and was forced to drill out the screws in order to remove the video head. ( drilling made a mess of tripod column )
 
just to undesrtand bettermanfrotto.jpg
this is the head from bottom. now when i turn clockwise the head the head keep screwed to the central screw, and can move the plate 1, which is quite hard in his movemente, requires the head to be well tighten. when the head goes anticlockwise, it is easier that the screw get unscrewed instead the plate 1 turn, as unscrew requires less energy than turning the plate. how does the head work? it is impossibile this way to don t get unscrewed, even if i tight the knob 2 it is not enough.just can't undesrtand how can the head turning without unscrewing
 
I have the manfrotto 502 (it has the 75mm bowl attachment thing) and its excellent. However my current sticks aren't sturdy enough so now I'm looking for something stronger. If you see a 502 head for a good price I'd recommend grabbing it up.
 
stefanocps said:
how does the head work? it is impossibile this way to don t get unscrewed, even if i tight the knob 2 it is not enough.just can't undesrtand how can the head turning without unscrewing
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Simply by tightening the head when you attach it. As I stated previously, I've never had a problem with a head unscrewing with these type of heads. ( I've been using these type of heads for professional photography work for more than 25 years, and about 10 years for video work )

What I have had a problem with is the Manfrotto locking screws getting stuck to the point where I had to use a stainless-steel drill to drill out the screws to remove the tripod head, which did some damage to the Manfrotto tripod column when I drilled out the locking screws.
 
as most as i can tight when i go anticlockwise, the screw get unscrewed form the central column, not from the head...this is the problem!
 
David B said:
I have the manfrotto 502 and its excellent
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The problem I have with both the old and the new Manfrotto video heads is their poorly implemented counter-balance mechanism. With a properly counter-balanced camera, you can point your camera in any direction and let go and it will stay pointing where you positioned it without having to lock anything. This was the problem with the older video heads ( 701, 501, 503 ) and the new video heads ( 502, 504 ). They either had no counter-balance, or the counter-balance did not have enough adjustment to properly counter-balance your camera.

This new Benro S6 video head has 4 counter-balance settings, and it works quite well. ( see the Adam Wilt review I listed in an earlier reply )

From what I can see the Manfrotto 502 head has the same problems that the Manfrotto 504 head has...

Manfrotto 504HD Fluid Head Review – Bridge over troubled water

Manfrotto 504 HD Review
 
TheDingo said:
Simply by tightening the head when you attach it. As I stated previously, I've never had a problem with a head unscrewing with these type of heads. ( I've been using these type of heads for professional photography work for more than 25 years, and about 10 years for video work )

What I have had a problem with is the Manfrotto locking screws getting stuck to the point where I had to use a stainless-steel drill to drill out the screws to remove the tripod head, which did some damage to the Manfrotto tripod column when I drilled out the locking screws.
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is the screw of the central column tripo fixed to the column or detachable?
 
Kevin Lee said:
Hey Dingo, do you use the Benro video heads?
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Yes, I use the Benro S6 head on a 25 year-old Gitzo Studex 320 tripod. Leveling is a bit of a pain. The Benro tripod with leveling adjustment or a tripod with a half-bowl for flat-bottom video heads would be better, but this is a cheap $160 head, so you can't expect everything at this price.
 
stefanocps said:
is the screw of the central column tripo fixed to the column or detachable?
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There are usually 3 screws that are built into a non-removable central column, that are used to lock the video head to the column, and they do a good job. But over the course of a couple of years these screws seize ( could be corrosion from the air, or possibly thermal expansion ) and become impossible to remove. Trying brute force only strips the slot where your screw-driver connects to the screw-head, and then you are forced to drill-out the screws to remove the video head from the tripod. This has happened to me three times with Manfrotto tripods. ( the last time I ended up giving away the head for free with the tripod because I could not separate the head from the tripod without damaging either of them )
 
but if i undesrtand one is the main, the other are just to enforce. the hdv501 has only one thred.so the main one is fixed?
 
stefanocps said:
as most as i can tight when i go anticlockwise, the screw get unscrewed form the central column, not from the head...this is the problem!
Click to expand...

I use this Benro S6 head with my 25 year old Gitzo Studex 320 tripod and it's only tightened by hand ( no locking screws ), but I can pan the Benro S6 head in any direction I like and it will stay securely attached to the Gitzo tripod column. Yes, I can still remove the Benro head from the Gitzo tripod column if I put a lot of force on the Benro head while holding the Gitzo tripod, but this would never happen when using it with a camera attached, as the force required to remove the Benro head is significantly larger than what I would apply when panning the Benro head.
 
stefanocps said:
but if i undesrtand one is the main, the other are just to enforce. the hdv501 has only one thred.so the main one is fixed?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can use the Manfrotto HDV501 head without using the tripod's locking screws, but I was stupid enough to keep using the Manfrotto locking screws, which kept causing the problem.

If I was to buy another Manfrotto tripod I would make sure to remove all of the locking screws, so this stuck video head problem never occurs again.
 
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