tripod head type - pan vs pistol grip

[videovillageidiot]

i've been researching tripods. i've seen some prior threads on the subject, but have a question about the head type.

best buy has 2 different carbon fiber 'pods...the rocketfish model has a 3-way fluid pan head. and the sunpak carbon fiber version has a pistol grip.

question...which type is better? will each work for video and stills equally well?

sidenote...the rocketfish weighs 5.8 pounds and the sunpak weighs 4 pounds (which may be a factor in my decision, but right now i'm trying to figure out the difference in functionality of the heads). and neither is well within my price range...rocketfish is 149.99 and the sunpak is regularly 199.99, but is currently 149.99 - goodness! what am i thinking?! still, what good is a cheap tripod if it's no good?

any inexpensive, lightweight, reliable alternatives would be nice, but i probably need something from best buy so i can take advantage of their longterm payment option.

thanks all!!

[Bob]

There are two main types of tripod heads, ball and pan. Ball heads have a round ball in a socket (much like your shoulder joint) that can be quickly pointed in the desired direction and locked by a single lever or screw. Ball heads are favored by still photographers. They can be used with a camcorder, but they are not designed for panning. Pan heads, on the other hand, have independent pivots for each rotation axis (horizontal, vertical, and tilt). They take a little longer to setup, but the independent axis pivots allow you to pan smoothly horizontally or vertically. This is what most people think of when they think of tripods. They can be used for both still and motion photography. Tripods for movie cameras are almost always a variation of a pan head.

The Sunpak is a ball head tripod. The pistol grip is both the mechanism for pointing the camera and locking the position -- pull the trigger, point, and release the trigger to lock.

The Rocketfish is a pan head tripod.

If you go into the store to compare them, take a look at the Manfrotto pan head tripod they carry (3.7 pounds). I'm not familiar with this specific model, so I can't recommend for or against, but the Manfrotto brand is highly regarded. Doesn't hurt to look. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Manfrotto+-+56.3%22+Tripod/9358081.p?id=1218090589604&skuId=9358081

You should actually get your hands on the tripods at the store to assess how sturdy they are and how fluid and smooth the actions are.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

You should actually get your hands on the tripods at the store to assess how sturdy they are and how fluid and smooth the actions are.

Amen to that. A rickity legged tripod is as bad as no tripod at all. Tripods having this type of leg are likely to be the most stable.

tripod legs.jpg

[videovillageidiot]

Thanks Bob and John for your input. i checked the Manfrotto and found the legs to be awfully spindly. Also, it did not have the legs connected - I'm guessing that design allows it to open really wide for those low to the ground shots.

for now i went with the sunpak, though i haven't had time to actually mount the new SLR on it and give it a try. though its legs are not connected either, they are sturdier looking than the manfrotto. unfortunately it does have just the pistol grip head, but I've seen a version of the sunpak at b&h that is sold as a kit - with the pan/tilt head and the pistol grip. It's about $30 more than the bestbuy version, and then there's the shipping, but it seems it would suit both still and video needs. if i only had the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Shucks - if i'd killed my still camera a few weeks earlier i could have entered the video of its demise in the contest..."how to get a new camera without even trying"...if i'd won a prize it would partly offset the tripod cost.

again thanks for the advice!!

[Bob]

i checked the Manfrotto and found the legs to be awfully spindly.

I was concerned that might be the case given the light weight. Even a good company can make a bad tripod.