I'll being using this for videotaping. How fluid is the pan head?
2047210
I would like to know the answer to this as well. After fishing around for some testimonials on the pan head, multiple people claim that it is overall very smooth, one person even said that it performs better than some $250 tripod. I have only read one review that stated that the motion of the pan head was not smooth.
681243
Unfortunately the action is pretty jerky. I try not to use the tripod for panning. I just use it for stable shots with my DSLR.
1981396
The camera head is brass and 5/8" wide by 3" long. It will fit in a 3/4" diameter circular hole space without resistance , but remember you will need 3" to make a 90 degree +/- turn in a confined space like inside a pipe..
1790140
Probably not the best one for panning since it doesn't have a handle for it, I use mine on a monopod.
1657843
No, this comes with a ball head which, in my opinion, is not very good for video, but you can change the head if you like to a pan/tilt for video.
1238916
I think it's very stiff for a video head. You'll have to apply extra force to get it started from a stationary position, and it has too much resistance to pan smoothly. There isn't any way to reduce the panning friction enough to allow for smooth video panning.
2283703
Manfrotto 504PLONG Long Sliding Video Camera Plate for 504HD Fluid Head will work...
1639213
For video shooting head matters more. I use this tripod with the Manfrotto 701HDV fluid head and it works good.
1193384
That's a good question. I honestly don't know how you would if you are a serious video guy, but if you are an average person doing video, you would probably be just find using one of the knows to turn it. The pan is very easy to turn, but still stiff at the same time.
95468
If you can afford it, this one is great! Manfrotto MVH502A,546BK-1 Professional Fluid Video System with Aluminum Legs and Mid Spreader (Black)
85664
I would not use this for video work. The head is not very fluid so you can not track well.
119806
1. In general, no. It MAY work with some high-end camcorders with LAN-C controls. 2. What "pan feature"? It has a normal 3-way head. You control the pan and tilt with the handle, so it moves as fast as you move the handle. 3. There is little or no noise while the head is moved.
2205323
Part# VCT-VPR1 with UPC# 0027242860490 has these specs:Maximum Height: 57.75 inch Minimum Height: 17.25 inch Load Capacity: 6.63 lb Head Type: Pan/Tilt Head
2022528
I've got a 5D2 and a 70-200 2.8 IS2 on top of a manfrotto fluid head and it slides smoothly end to end. I'm guessing about 5-8lbs at least.
1926246
If you have the room, you can spin this in circles. Pans very smooth and what I do is I hold on to the camera side and do my pans.
107301
We bought the 701HDV model head for this Tripod. It seems to work fine. It is a little choppy, so if you want a fluid head, you may want to look at something else.
1433340
yes it can but a ball head doesn't make much sense for camcorders. you'd be better off buying a pan head for this, they are on sale at dolicas website. also try the video pan head tripod by amazon. quality wise this one is fine but is more suited to stills. stability might be an issue. also depends on the screw mount your camcorder has and the weight of the camcorder. this will be OK with a300-500gm camcorder but not more. also, you will need to buy another head. look for a variant suited for video out with a pan head.