Ball head or 3 way Pan?

[mknabster]

I can't decided on whether o go with either types of heads. I'm going to be getting a Giottos, since that's right in my price range. I was looking on their website and both heads that they sell look really good, and what's more, i can't figure out if, with whichever one i choose, should i go with a fixed or quick release plate for either ball or 3 way pan head. Any suggestions?

[René Damkot]

QR for sure.
I'd go for a ball head, but that is personal preference (of a lot of people).

[philbyuk]

well definately the QR , and make sure you get a head that can accomadate the weight of your body/lens, (also any lens that you may buy in future), im looking at a new head now to support my new 100-400L as my old ball head was a amall one, and not really big enough to support the 100-400.
As for the ball/3way pan head, like stated b4 its a personal choice although for sports/animals etc i think a ball head would be better, and for portraits/weddings/landscapes id opt for the 3 way pan.
just make sure that what you get is what you need for now and the future. ie support weight, functions ie panning etc.
good luck in whichever you buy

[Wilt]

Walk into a store, mount your camera, and try each type of head (you might need to imagine shooting sports vs. landscapes vs. individual/group portraits) It is a verry subjective thing, not unlike one person's preference of one car's comfort and control placement over another!

[PacAce]

I can't decided on whether o go with either types of heads. I'm going to be getting a Giottos, since that's right in my price range. I was looking on their website and both heads that they sell look really good, and what's more, i can't figure out if, with whichever one i choose, should i go with a fixed or quick release plate for either ball or 3 way pan head. Any suggestions?

The type of head you get will depend on how you intend to use the head. Are you going to be doing a lot of panning and pitching of the camera on the tripod? If so, then the 3-way would be the best choice of you (actually, the gimbal type head would be the bset but that wasn't one of the options presented here). That is the reason 3-ways are very popoular for video camera use.

If you are going to set the camera on the tripod and keep it locked in one position most of the time, like when doing landscape shots, than the ball-head would be the better option.. Although 3-ways can be used for this purpose, too, a ball-head will be a lot quicker to set up and lock.

[sjafari]

regardless of the whether it is a ball head or 3-way, get quick release for sure.. as mentioned above, make sure it supports enough weight. I have both 3-way and ball head, and each is used depending on the type of work. the 3-way is great for shooting macro and studio stuff, just to be able to shift on one axis w/o moving the whole camera. I like the ball head for pretty much everything else.. great for landscapes and such. Ball heads just tend to be quicker, so if speed and efficiency is an issue, go w/ a ball head and QR plate.

[JohnJ80]

QR and ballhead.

95% of photographers benefit from a ballhead over panning head.

j.

[mknabster]

I think i'm set on a ball head now. Would this one be good? Or would it not allow me as ush freedom, because, to me, it looks like the ball is blocked sort of, but that may just be the angle of the picture. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=318565&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

[Wilt]

I think i'm set on a ball head now. Would this one be good? Or would it not allow me as ush freedom, because, to me, it looks like the ball is blocked sort of, but that may just be the angle of the picture. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=318565&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

That unit does not appear to have a pan adjustment. That might not matter to you. But the unit also has a 3.5" x 2.2" bottom plate that is really made for use with its macro sliding capability of the QR. Mounted on your camera for macro use, it permits the camera to slide forward and backward for macro focusing using the camera position, so it inherently sticks out fore and aft on the camera. If you mounted it sideways on your camera to reduce how much it sticks out, it still is 2.2" deep...so it probably still sticks out enough to bang into the bridge of your nose when you look thru the viewfinder!