As with most things in life, when shopping for a tripod head it’s important to understand there’s no such thing as one size fits all. This isn’t to say you can’t shoot anything and everything with a basic ball head, because you can. However, if your specialty is architecture or birding with longer focal length lenses, you’d be much better off with a geared tripod head for architecture and a gimbal tripod head for birding with longer optics, for reasons of precision (architecture) and speed (birding).
At B&H Photo, we sell more than 3,000 models of tripod heads ranging in price from less than $10 to well over $8,000, which is most likely overkill for your needs, but not necessarily for somebody shooting major motion picture productions. For quicker workflow, many tripod heads feature quick-release mounts, and for leveling the camera when shooting architecture or landscapes, a bubble level. Both of these features are well worth considering when shopping for a tripod head.
Before settling on a tripod head, always make sure the maximum weight load of the head is sturdy enough to support your heaviest camera/lens combination. The following is a breakdown summary of the types of tripod heads we sell at B&H with links to articles that go into more detail on the topic.
Tilt Heads and Pan/Tilt Heads
Tilt heads and pan/tilt heads are the most common tripod heads. The difference between the two is that pan / tilt heads can be rotated at their base up to 360°, while tilt heads do not rotate at their bases.
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Tilt heads are available with single-axis tilt (you can tilt the camera upward or downward), or dual-axis tilt (you can tilt the camera upward, downward, right tilt, or left tilt). One of the big pluses of pan / tilt heads is that they enable you to position the camera one axis at a time.
Ball Heads
Ball heads are among the quickest tripod heads one can use when it comes to positioning a camera and locking it in place. In their simplest form, ball heads consist of a coupled ball and socket with a tripod mount on the bottom and a screw thread and camera plate on top, for mounting a camera. Simpler models feature a single control knob that serves to position and rotate the camera on a 360° axis. Loosen the control knob and you can rotate and swivel the camera into any position and then lock it in place with another twist of the control knob.
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More advanced models offer separate control knobs for positioning the camera and rotating the camera. The best models have three control knobs—one for rotating the camera and lens, a second for angling and positioning the camera, and a third tension-adjustment knob that enables you to make finer adjustments to the camera position.
Ball heads are typically lighter and have smaller form factors than pan/tilt heads, which makes them popular among hikers and travel photographers. The downside of ball heads is that when you release the lock on a ball head, the camera is freed on all axes, which makes it harder to make small adjustments and corrections on a single axis without affecting the other axis’s positioning.
Pistol-Grip Heads
Pistol-grip tripod heads are similar in many ways to ball heads, but instead of a control knob for unlocking and locking the head in place, pistol grips have (you guessed it) a pistol-like grip that you squeeze like a trigger to unlock and release when you have your camera in position, all of which can be performed singlehandedly. When working in a fast-paced environment, pistol grips are, along with ball heads, the quickest heads for the job.
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Geared Heads
When shooting architecture and other subjects that require highly precise leveling and/or camera positioning, you can’t beat a geared tripod head. Unlike conventional pan/tilt heads, which are designed for quick adjustments, the movements on geared heads can be adjusted in small, measured increments. These types of movements can be critical when shooting architecture and other subjects where perspective and subject placement within the frame are critical.
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Depending on the model, some geared heads have dual adjustment controls for panning and tilting the camera—one for quicker, rough camera positioning and a second control knob (or crank) for finer adjustments. To learn more about geared heads, see my Geared Tripod Head Roundup.
Gimbal Heads
The best tripod heads for use with telephoto lenses longer than 300mm is a gimbal head. What makes gimbal heads special is that they enable you to balance the weight of your camera and lens evenly to a point at which they seemingly float effortlessly on their vertical and horizontal axis points. Even the heaviest of long telephoto lenses are easy to maneuver when balanced properly on a gimbal head.
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This is a valuable asset in that it makes it easy to track fast-moving subjects such as birds, athletes, motorsports, and similarly fast-moving subjects. Because they enable smooth panning and tilting, gimbal heads can also be used effectively for shooting video.
Fluid Heads
While gimbal heads might be suitable for video, fluid heads are specifically designed for videography. As the name implies, fluid heads contain fluid chambers that damp vibrations while enabling smoother, jerk-free start, stop, and pan actions.
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Easily identifiable by a single control arm, fluid heads can also be used for still imaging, but because fluid heads are designed specifically for horizontal camera positioning, they do not have the ability to shoot vertical images.
Others
Three heads occupy this category on the B&H website. The Magnus Folding Z-Head, the Velbon PHD-66Q Revolver Head, and the Manfrotto Heavy Telephoto Lens Support with Quick Release Adapter and Plate. The Magnus Folding Z-Head is an unorthodox, though thoughtfully designed compact tripod head that enables you to position your camera via thumbwheel. Best part—it folds down to 0.8" when not in use. Manfrotto’s Heavy Telephoto Lens Support is similar in many ways to a gimbal head and has a weight capacity of 44.1 lb. If your camera bag contains long, heavy optics, this just might be the best head for your needs.
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