Fluid head for landscapes

I have experience of using several of the heads which Hudson Henry demonstrates in his excellent video.

I used to have the same Manfrotto fluid head (called a 'video' head IIRC) but didn't know about how you can convert the clamp profile to Arca-Swiss and so I got fed up with changing plates and much prefer the security of a replacement lens foot on a big telephoto lens. Everything he says about it is true and makes good sense and it's not as heavy as it looks but it is bulky and cumbersome to pack (depending what and where you are shooting of course).

I have also owned the same Acratech ballhead and still have my Wimberley Sidekick (which I ought to sell) and the combo, as he describes, is not as good as a full-blooded gimbal head. But Acratech products are excellent quality.

I now have a Gitzo Fluid Gimbal Head which I mount either on a Skimmer (looks like a frisby) or a Gitzo Systematic 3 carbon tripod depending where I am shooting. But for walkabout I prefer my FlexLine Pro levelling double ballhead and use a RRS Quick Release lever Arca-Swiss clamp (which can pan) mounted on the FlexLine. The action on the FlexLine is like a fluid head but it is much more compact and lighter weight - I mount this setup on a Gitzo GT2545T tripod which is light but strong and stable enough (very stable indeed) to support a Canon EF 500mm II + 2x + 1DX-2 as my heaviest combo.

In summary, in my experience as a wildlife photographer I highly rate fluid heads. I do not shoot any video.

Here are some links to further info here on TP which include my comments and with photos :

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/flexline-flexline-pro-anyone-got-and-given-review.681313/

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/so-who-is-getting-the-new-gitzo-gimbal-fluid-head.671248/

[Please note that I am rarely in agreement with sk66!]
 
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