Ball head with panning option?

[bphillips330]

I am going to be buying a nice tripod. The tri-pod i am using right now is a best buy thing and is crap. I am looking for a good tripod that the legs are not locked together like cheap tri pods. The question is actually about a ball head

A while ago I was at a local photo store. I have a 70-200 f2.8 and eventually wanting to get a 100-400. I need a tripod and head that can support that.

There were two types of heads I saw. One with a trigger type adjustment, and one with a simple lever to unlock head and lock it down. Trigger release is more expensive. How useful is this?

Also, I was wandering, how easy is it to pan with a ball head. I think I saw one that had a panning option on it. Is that an option. Where it would hold camera in it orientation, but be able to pan.

[simwells]

You don't want a trigger system with heavyweight lenses.

It's very easy to pan providing you have a ballhead with a seperate pan release, such as the manfrotto 488RC2

[Sasquatch41]

The Manfrotto 488 has the panning option, the 486 does not have a separate panning feature. I have two of the 488 rc2 heads, love them. I started with 3 way pan heads, and MUCH prefer the ball heads. BUT remember that is a personal preference.

[René Damkot]

How useful is this?
Useless IMO. Then again, personal preference comes into play, so YMMV.
I'd get a 488RC2.

[condyk]

Bang per buck 488RC2 and does fine with the 100-400. If you want more pricey then the Manfrotto 468 hydrostatic or Markins M10.