Price, weight

Long-term usability

This head worked really well for a little over a year, but has recently developed a problem whereby the head cannot be securely locked into place. A problem that I've come to discover plagues a lot Giottos heads. Apparently the low cost is made possible by using several plastic (versus metal) internal components that eventually fail.

Similar Products Used:

Arca Swiss

Cheap and big. Good for looking.

Not strong enough to hold more then 5kg. But rated power is 10kg.

Cheap. But cheap thing never good. The ball is not perfect roung. This head cannot support over 5kg.

cheap,solid.

Occasionally difficult to lock down but I`ve had no problems with shake/sharpness with a Bronica Etrsi and 150+teleconverter

A great ballhead for peanuts.

solid platform solid construction 1/4 the price of other PRO ballheads

none that I know of..

I just got this ballhead a few days ago and I am telling you guys, this is the best bang for the buck ballhead that I have tried. This baby is strong!!! I''m using my F5 mated with the 80-200(tripod collar) and it is rock steady. If your a beginner and would want to get a nice ballhead for your tripod, this is it! It has convertible screws for 1/4" and 3/8" threads. This is the ballhead for us people that can''t afford the "other" ballhead. (just remember not to exceed the specified weight)

Customer Service

none..hope I don''t have to use it.

Similar Products Used:

Bogen

Low price, tensioning knob, better pan lock than my Gitzo, good firm lockdown, again, with less effort than my Gitzo.

Spongy top plate.

Before this head I used the magnesium Gitzo ball head, a Gitzo pan head, and the cheap head that comes with the Davis and Sanford tripod. I like the Giottos the best. Some have complained about a shift when tightening the lock, but I keep some tension on my lock knob during final adjustments and get no movement at all when doing the final lock down. I was never successful getting such good results with the Gitzo. I agree that the spongy top plate leaves something to be desired, but I am going to do like another reviewer and take it off, directly coupling the shaft to my quick release plate. I find the lockdown also very secure, when I firmly tighten the know, no way it is going to move! Ovarall, I am impressed with the product, even not considering the low price.

Customer Service

Not tried.

Similar Products Used:

Gitzo ball head, Gitzo pan head.

Decent price.:

Not the smoothest. I tested six before I found one I liked. It still gets a little chaulky when it''s been sitting around for a while. No instructions.

Best of the "cheap ballheads" if you want a separate tension adjuster and calibrated panning ability. One has to fiddle a lot to get the right tension setting so that the ball doesn''t shift when you lock it down.´

Customer Service

While working out of the country in July, the panning knob came loose from being bounced around in the trunk and got lost (luckily, I had a backup ballhead so all was not lost). On returning to the US

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Several Manfrotto ballheads.

weight capacity size overall weight separate tension control separate panoramic control angle of operation build quality

only weakness I have encountered is the fact that there is a (1/16") shift after locking the ball-head. With experience this can be easily compensated for.

I have had the Giotto MH-1000 for a month now and I am loving it. This head has managed to cut my composition time by 80% over the previous head I was using. Bang for buck can''t be matched.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Gitzo, Manfrotto and Kirk

Good solid ballhead with varible tension controls. Interchangable camera plates.
Price.

Ball action is not as smooth as it could be, but this is a new head and will undoubtably need "breaking in"

This is an excellent head, particularly for the money. It copes with my 35mm and 645 gear extreamly well. A top buy.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Arco Swiss - nice but pricy. Bogen/Manfrotto -clumsey operation. Benbo - no tension controls.

Compact size
Tension control
Degrees of circle marked on base

Knobs too small
No instruction manual
See Summary

When I bought this head, I was very excited as it was my first ball head and I bought it for my Canon EOS system. Boy was I dissapointed when I discovered that it wouldn't even hold up my Canon. Something wasn't right. Like every self-respecting male, instead of calling for help, I took it apart to see what the problem was. I discovered that they had assembled it wrong. The tension knob and the locking knob were assembled backwards so I had to reverse the threaded parts to make it lock correctly. It did lock much better after that but it still will only work for 35mm. My 645 system slips every time no matter how hard I lock it down. The whole locking process could be improved with bigger knobs which would mean you could apply more torque to the lock and make it much easier to use. I seriously doubt this could ever support the rated 22 lbs. Try quartering that and you might be closer. I can still use it but I would never buy another product from this company

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Bogen 3038
Bogen 3057

seems well made for the price

numbers on tension scale seem backwards.I think mine is one of a few specimens where the knob is engraved backwards

I think the movement is easily controlled and it locks solid when you want. I have a minolta 300 2.8. The collar is very near the camera end and as a result the lens is very front end heavy on a tripod head. The Giotto head will hold it easily even when pointing at a downward angle.I think this is good performance from a ball head that can be had for around 100 dollars.The only complaint I have with the head is the spongy rubber padding of the camera platform would allow the camera to flex in the vertical position but the rubber base plate pads that my Maxxum 9 and 9xi may contribute to this.The solution for me was to remove the padding from the head and install a bogen compact quick release assembly. I selected the Bogen QR over the QR offered by Giotto for uniform compatbility with equipment I already owned.

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Bogen pro ball 308 RC