Ball head or geared head for a 4x5 camera?

[Anil Kalagatla]

Hi

I just bought a Toyo 45AX and am looking to upgrade my current tripod for it - I currently have a Gitzo 1542T with a PhotoClam ballhead. Do people prefer one kind of head over the other (ballhead vs geared head)?

Thanks
Anil

[mihag]

Hi Anil, of course there are preferences in choosing a head, which also means there is no definite answer to your question; I went for a levelling pan/tilt head, but then again my camera is quite heavy to begin with.

[Ron-D]

Hi Anil. I agree with mihag, a pan/tilt head has served me well. I have the Toyo 45A and use the Manfrotto 029 head with its quick release plates. I also have a Burke & James (wooden) 8x10, and the same head works fine for that too.

Ron

[Anil Kalagatla]

Thanks mihag and Ron, I had not considered a PT head. It probably makes sense, given the wider base of LF cameras (compared with a DSLR etc.).

Anil

Hi Anil, of course there are preferences in choosing a head, which also means there is no definite answer to your question; I went for a levelling pan/tilt head, but then again my camera is quite heavy to begin with.

[djdister]

I have both the Manfrotto 410 Jr. Geared head and the Gitzo G1570M pan tilt head with the large platform. I typically use the 410 head with my 4x5 and sometimes with my lightweight 5x7 (Rittreck View), and the Gitzo P/T head with my large 5x7 (Canham traditional).

[Kirk Gittings]

I own a heavy duty ball head but don't use it. I prefer sometning much more delberate that moves the camera one axis at a time for both DSLRs and 4x5. I use a Bogen/Manfrotto 410 geared head.

[Peter De Smidt]

I have a Toyo AX. I prefer to use a Manfrotto 410 with it. Like Dan, I use a Gitzo G1570M for bigger cameras.

[mike rosenlof]

I have a nice ballhead that I like with my Wista SP. I think the ballhead works well with a camera of that size, like your Toyo. It's a Cambo (I think) with a relatively large size ball and locks tightly.

With my monorail, (Arca, usually 8x10 lately) if I'm working with the rail at or close to horizontal, I mount the rail directly to the tripod with no head, or use a panoramic rotating clamp (arca type clamp).

[C. D. Keth]

I own a heavy duty ball head but don't use it. I prefer sometning much more delberate that moves the camera one axis at a time for both DSLRs and 4x5. I use a Bogen/Manfrotto 410 geared head.

I like geared and pans-tilt heads for the same reason as Kirk. I hate getting close to the composition I want and then having to unlock everything. I'd rather be able to set each axis and get it right.

[mdarnton]

Here, no to ball heads, for anything. The geared head looks nice, but I'm also very happy with my Bogen 3057 pan tilt head, because I'm left handed and the tilt knob is on the left. It's a monster, though--I have it on my big tripod, where it goes better than on a small one.