A Lightweight, Cheap and Functional Geared Tripod Head?
Tim Parkin
Amateur Photographer who plays with big cameras and film when in between digital photographs.
Balls or Gears? If you're asking about tripod heads this is the main question. There are those of us who prefer the freedom, weight savings and holding power that ballheads can bring or the control and fine tuning that geared heads give you. I've always been a ballhead sort of person but having seen my colleagues subtly tweaking compositions with their Manfrotto 410's and 405's (not to mention the fantastic and fantastically expensive Arca D4's and Cubes) I must admit to a little jealousy. So when I heard that Manfrotto had announced a geared head that was outwardly very similar to the 410 but was only 0.75kg and would supposedly manage a 4kg load - only 1kg less than the old junior head. I ordered one immediately.