after like, quite a few experiences here and there and my fair share of using both ballheads and pan-tilt heads, i think i'll be happier with a panballhead.
it isn't that i dislike pan-tilt heads. i love them immensely, it's just that they can be a bit restrictive when it comes to composing portrait format shots and i always want to kill myself when i'm doing it. either i am missing out on how to do it easily, or it is because the giottos mh5001 that i am using (as wonderful as it is) doesn't seem to allow me to go beyond 90 degrees. so instead of just adjusting the head, i have to adjust the legs. i think the last pan tilt head on the slik sprint 3-way that i got to use actually allowed for beyond-90-degree adjustments, which made it a lot less painful.
so i'm looking at panballheads like series II from giottos as well:
the problem with picking up panos is that you want to have the ability to do panoramic photography quickly and easily. this seems like a viable option - the flexibility of a ballhead, along with the ability to do panos quickly - no, i don't need a nodal ninja or anything like that.
as for making sure that the head is level, it's easy, my giottos legs have a spirit level as well, thank goodness, i just checked.
anyone have any good suggestions for such? i remember daredevil123 saying that giottos is not readily available in singapore. come to think of it, this seems to be true. if this is inaccurate, please enlighten me, else i might consider buying series II from the uk.
no, i do not need something like markins, gitzo, etc. something below $200 please.
thanks in advance for your kind suggestions and time.
it isn't that i dislike pan-tilt heads. i love them immensely, it's just that they can be a bit restrictive when it comes to composing portrait format shots and i always want to kill myself when i'm doing it. either i am missing out on how to do it easily, or it is because the giottos mh5001 that i am using (as wonderful as it is) doesn't seem to allow me to go beyond 90 degrees. so instead of just adjusting the head, i have to adjust the legs. i think the last pan tilt head on the slik sprint 3-way that i got to use actually allowed for beyond-90-degree adjustments, which made it a lot less painful.
so i'm looking at panballheads like series II from giottos as well:
the problem with picking up panos is that you want to have the ability to do panoramic photography quickly and easily. this seems like a viable option - the flexibility of a ballhead, along with the ability to do panos quickly - no, i don't need a nodal ninja or anything like that.
as for making sure that the head is level, it's easy, my giottos legs have a spirit level as well, thank goodness, i just checked.
anyone have any good suggestions for such? i remember daredevil123 saying that giottos is not readily available in singapore. come to think of it, this seems to be true. if this is inaccurate, please enlighten me, else i might consider buying series II from the uk.
no, i do not need something like markins, gitzo, etc. something below $200 please.
thanks in advance for your kind suggestions and time.
