Tripod With Pan Head

[Internal] The Manfrotto tripod is incredibly stable but light. The pan/tilt head is just what I need in the studio.

[Fluid Head] This is not a tripod package for a lightweight camera. So putting just a DSLR, no rails, cage, monitor, FF, Mattebox, etc.., on it is under-kill as this tripod really doesn't start to perform until there is weight upon the head. If your heaviest setup is under 10LBs then find a different tripod as you won't be happy with this as the head will be fighting itself when panning and the legs will lift up. The pan and tilt friction knobs will cause a shudder and squeak if you don't have enough weight upon the head when using them...however when weight of the proper range is put atop the tripod head, and the counterbalance is properly selected, the pan and tilt friction boost knobs do wonders at increasing the smooth motion. A good rule of thumb regarding the counterbalance selection switch is 12. If it's under 12 choose 1, if it's over twelve try 2. The legs seem well made and sturdy. This tripod can go very high and also very low...which is great for those dutch angles. This does very much seem like a tripod system you could take out into the field, forest, mountains and streams and come back happy with.

[39 x 9 x 8"] This tripod / head combination is now a key part of my rig. The quality surpassed my expectations. It is very rugged and stable. It is light enough to carry around with my camera mounted for run and gun situations. Also great for table top filming and photography applications. The only draw back is the head does not have a drag adjustment on the pan axis. However it does have a fluid drag on the tilt axis. The tilt and pan movements are very smooth / fluid.

[Yes] As my cameras got bigger, I had to upgrade my fluid head from really old Manfrotto. I first tried the Miller Air fluid head, but found it did not have the range or resolution for counterbalance adjustment I was looking for. The CX10 is substantially more expensive, but the 16-steps of counterbalance and 5 steps of drag adjustment are just perfect for me. The counterbalance setup is simple: set drag to zero, slide the camera-plate forward/backward to locate the center of mass, then increase the counterbalance to get the best balance over the range planned for the shot. Finally bring-up the drag to get the feel you want. Some reviews of the CX series complain they can not get perfect balance, and experience kick-back and drift at the tails of tilts or pans (especially when using long lenses where the effect is amplified). But I have found that a combination of proper balance setting, higher drag, and user technique can give me perfect starts and stops with zero kick-back. One of the keys is to use a high drag setting and a firm had to initiate the tilt/pan. Then ease-up to the stopping point, and just hold briefly for a second before releasing the handle. This works perfectly for me every time. And by the way, poor tripod torsional stiffness can make even a perfect fluid head appear to have pan-axis kickback, but in reality it is the tripod legs kicking-back, not the head (mount this on the 26 pound Kessler K-pod tripod, and you will see how perfectly it works with an infinitely-stiff tripod). For typical shooting situations, I mount this on a Manfrotto 536 and it is a great combination. This head is tremendously sturdy and solid - really well-made with silky-smooth bearings and absolutely zero play in any axis. I also love the size, grip and feel of the pan bar (handle) - it is big and beefy, feels great in the hand. Now that I have it, I wish I had bought a nice fluid head years ago! Miller has done a great job on this one!

[2.7 lb] I need a rock-solid tripod. I typically zoom to between 2000 mm and 3000 mm to shoot bird portraits. At this magnification any vibration in the tripod results in soft photos. I purchased the FT-6852A because it was designed specifically for extreme strength and stability as an optics platform for long lens photography and similar activities. I have found that it is indeed very sturdy and damps vibration fast. With it, I routinely take tack sharp photos at 3000 mm equivalent. Since I pan the head between shots, I added a FLM leveling base to the top of the center column (under my pan/tilt head). This addition does not affect the features of the center column. The center column (being both separable and reversible) provides two ways to shoot from ground level; and, (being 32 mm in diameter) it also provides a way to quickly change the tripod height without degrading image sharpness. Finally, the tripod comes with a nice padded case that holds the tripod with both my leveling base and pan/tilt head attached.My photos have definitely improved since I bought the FT-6852A. I can transport it easily, set it up quickly, and take sharp photos at very high magnification.

[0.095 lb] To be completely upfront, I purchased this pan head as an inexpensive quality-of-life upgrade for my copy stand, which I use to photographically digitize film negatives and slides. Essentially, it probably won't move very much for the next several years. However, in setting everything up, I noticed a few things: 1. The milling and forming of all the components is excellent. I have significantly more expensive tripod heads that don't feel as substantive or tightly assembled. 2. All of the locking knobs are superb. There's hardly any movement once you have things set and locked down, which, again, I can't say the same for other ball heads I own. 3. Even though I'm not using it for myself, I tested the included quick release plate and found it to be quite excellent. It secures quite nicely, it doesn't foul the tilt/swivel screen on the X-T100 I'm using, and I can't think of many cameras where it would cause a problem. If I weren't making this an explicitly single-use device, I could easily see this as an inexpensive entry for anyone looking to make stitched panoramas, architectural photos, or even as a portable tripod head for video.

[1/8" / 3.5 mm] Using such a versatile tripod head makes all the difference in the world with the ability to pan and rotate with complete silence combined with a smooth picture with no jumping or unnecessary movement. I love it I love it I love it :-)

[Pan & Tilt Head] I have only used it a few times but I find it easy to change positions for set up. The pan is smooth whether using the tripod or the pan on he head. Looking forward to shooting video over the holidays.

[Yes] I already had a Manfrotto fluid pan head, and these tripod legs are the perfect companion to it. It's much lighter than previous tripods I've used, while also being sturdier, quicker to adjust and it looks amazing. Would recommend!

[360°] I bought this item hoping it would make a good swap for the pan head on my tripod. This would allow me to connect my Vortex RIDGEVIEW tripod to a Wimberley Head - Version II gimbal. Along with the Oben 3/8-16 to 1/4-20 Reducer Bushing, it worked like a charm. I can easily get a level base for my long lens, then switch back to the pan head, when I go out with my spotting scope.