Ball or Tilt Pan head???

[BigSteveG]

Finally ordered my Field Camera. Should have it in a days. Already have the new Feisol Tournament 'pod. Now I need a head. I know ball heads are smaller, lighter weight and generally cheaper than tilt/pans. I cant get away from thinking that a geared tilt/pan would be more precise and easy to work with. Any suggestions on the issue? Camera weight is 6.5 lbs w/o lens.

[Vaughn]

I've used all three. And liked all three.

The ballhead was a Gitzo #2 and I used it with a Rolie TLR, a Gowland 4x5 pocket View and a Deardorff Special w/ 5x7 back. I got very use to it, but I see where they would be more probmatic with a heavy 8x10. The new Gitzo ballheads look sweet in the Calumet ads. Having a separate panning control is good to have.

The gearhead is a Majestic -- really only geared in one direction and I have used it with my 8x10. I set the camera on it so that the geared movement controlled the horizon. It is sweet to just crank it a bit and have the horizon just where I want it. A gearhead that was geared in multiple directions seems like it would be a pleasure to use...except for the weight and cost.

The tilt-pan heads (such as the Bogen 3-way) are fine, but I found them to be the most hassle of the three basic types. Handles stick out all over the place -- a lot of tightening all the time.

I am now using a Ries double tilt A-250 head for my 8x10, which I also like...but they are way over-kill for a 4x5.

Vaughn

[Brian Ellis]

I don't care for ball heads for LF photography, I use one (Really Right Stuff now, Arca Swiss B1 before that) only when hiking and then I consider it a compromise to save weight. But generally the big camera just seems to do too much flopping around getting into position on a ball head for my tastes. Either a pan-tilt or a geared head is better for me.

The geared head I use (Bogen 410) is pretty heavy and IMHO the precision it offers isn't necessary for landscape. I bought mine mainly for architecture though now that I have it I also use it for landscape. I like pan-tilt heads fine, I've had a bunch of different ones, the only one I still have is a Bogen 3047 that I don't use, mainly because the geared head works about as well. However, despite the fact that the gears on the 410 can be released when you want to make a big movement so that it can kind of function as a pan-tilt head, it isn't really quite as easy to use in that situation as a pan-tilt head. Those little knobs sometimes are very hard to turn as they get close to their maximum in either direction.

[Daniel_Buck]

I agree with Brian. A ball head and a large format camera makes a very awkward combination, at least for me anyway. I've tried it a few times, but always to back to a simpler single-tilt ries head.

[Renato Tonelli]

I'll chime in my agreement with Brian and Daniel. Two years ago I spend good money for a good ball head (Linhof). Too much "flopping around" and it took forever to fine tune a composition. Never got the hang of it and went back to the Manfrotto pan/tilt.

[Alan Davenport]

IMO, ball heads are the worst choice for LF cameras. Pan/tilt heads are OK, but geared heads are the ultimate.

[BigSteveG]

So what's the difference w/ the Ries tilt heads? are they capable of all movements of a pan head as well?

[Ole Tjugen]

Just to be contrary, I prefer ball heads.

I use a medium-size Giottos head for up to 4x5" - sometimes 5x7" too - and a huge Unilock head for bigger cameras.

[Frank Petronio]

With a ballhead you merely have to develop the habit of keeping a hand on the camera when you loosen it. A bad/cheap/dirty ballhead would be the one that requires both hands to operate... Some ballheads like the Arca, RRS, etc. have adjustable tension which you can tighten enough that the camera doesn't flop, but you still want to have a firm hold onto the camera whenever you're using a ballhead.

You will also want to match the right size head to your tripod. Why not just buy one of the Feisol heads and keep it simple?

You could also try a #2 or #3 series Gitzo pan-tilt or maybe a less expensive Bogen 3-way. Remember you can always unload anything decent in the for sale section of this forum, so you probably could try both styles of heads for a few weeks and sell the one you like the least (for maybe 80% of what you paid). Once you adopt this philosophy you can "rent" gear to try it out, flipping whatever doesn't work for you.

The problem with a lot of the heads is that they all use different quick release plates which are a pain in the ass and expensive. Most of the classic Gitzos still use the traditional 1/4-20 screws and are much more versatile.

I use a Linhof 3-way head that has very compact levers instead of long handles -- it is the best head I've ever used (and I've tried all the major brands and types). Like a ballhead I still need to hold onto the camera. The only problem is that even used it would still cost more than your tripod.

Someone will now extol the virtues of the universal Arca-Swiss quick release plates.... ;-) Don't believe them. Everything I say is the absolute last word and flawless.

[Brian K]

The choice of head type is a series of compromises usually involving weight and size as the determining factors. The best head for a view camera is a geared head. It allows precise controlled moves and can be rock solid, however this comes at the serious expense of weight, these can be quite heavy. A regular pan tilt type head is lighter but usually has longish arms that always seem to be in the way when you're trying to stow the tripod. Lastly you have ballheads. This is what I use with my Linhof MT and for field cameras can work quite well as long as you ALWAYS keep one hand on the camera as you adjust. However they can be a little slow to critically compose as they tend to require a certain amount of back and forth until you hit exactly the right spot and if you are trying to get perfect verticals and horizontals it will take a little longer with a ball head.

As for Arca quick release, I must extol the virtues of them when used with the appropriate camera. For a field camera or a lightweight 4x5 they are super convenient. I would not use them with anything larger than a 5x7" though. And while everything that Franks says is usually the absolute last word and flawless (after all he is the absolute master of getting skinny tattooed girls to take their clothes off ), in this case he's wrong and needs immediate punishment. Maybe two weeks of shooting a ball bearing catalog?