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View Full Version : Is a good tripod head needed in photograph



zhiyukang
17-11-2010, 5:13pm
Hello every,
I'm new in photograph and know litter about photograph. I want to know is all of you have tripod and how to choose a good tropod heads. How much money you will pay for a good tripod heads. Thank you.

maccaroneski
17-11-2010, 5:35pm
Hiya.. I guess the question is "it depends".

Mainly on what sort of camera you have - you will get a very different answer if you have a point and shoot from if you have a D3 and 70-200 f2.8 lens :) You might also tell us about what you like to shoot or what sort of shooting you would like to use the tripod for and in what sort of conditons. Again, the recommendation might be different if you are in the studio versus you wanting to climb a mountain with it strapped to your back :).

And I suspect that we here in Australia would pay far, far more than you in China.

Scotty72
17-11-2010, 7:27pm
I agree with Tony but, would add that a good head allows for fine adjustments to be made far more easily. With a poor quality head, its stickiness may become a major source of frustration.


Scotty


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ricktas
18-11-2010, 6:36am
Agree with Tony..depends on genre, and a lot of other factors, but you will find most photographers end up with a tripod as part of their kit.

johndom
19-11-2010, 3:28pm
I would totally recommend getting a good tripod.
I paid 300 for a 2nd hand manfrotto 8 years ago, and i only use it about 5% of the time, but when i need it, its really essential.
My gripe is with its weight- but the head is smooth and accurate.
How to choose one? think about what you would use it for, go to shops and try them out.
look for a 2nd hand one, dont be afraid to buy and sell until you get one you like.

tomdi
30-11-2010, 10:45pm
Goto seller website and compare with others ......
You will get exact idea......

OzzieTraveller
01-12-2010, 7:44am
G'day zhiyukang

As well as the above comments, may I add another thought

I find it very disturbing that nearly all "consumer-level" tripods sold today have plastic moulded heads and controls, and they are breaking or failing in some way after only a few months of use. I now advise my students to NOT buy a tripod where the head is moulded plastic

I see adjusting screws [say, for the 90degree swing to a vertical format] pulling out the metal threads from the plastic body ... thus making vertical images impossible
I see cracking of the circular 'grip' for up-and-down tilting caused by over-tightening of the handle, over-tightening needed as the plastic body would not securely grip the tripod internals, thus allowing the camera to 'slide' up or down a bit during exposures
I see too many quick-release-heads coming loose while the camera is screwed to the quick release, thus allowing the camera to rotate on the tripod-screw-thread

Hope this helps a bit
Regards, Phil