Tripod head

[Will83]

Trying to find a good lightweight tripod head that won't break the bank. I'm not super familiar with the different types, but want it for western mountain hunting. Any suggestions? Specific ones or even specific types are appreciated.

 

[yobuck]

Fluid heads will be smoother than most of the non fluid ones.
For glassing, a smooth working head is far nicer than a herky jerky one. Ive bought lots of good used tripods and heads very reasonably on Ebay.
Bogen/Monfrotto offers lots of options for both.
Some of the handles are a bit long, but they can be shortened, much depends upon what your placing on top of them as for weight.

 

[Plinker147]

If you want a ball head look at leofoto. They have all sizes with pan feature that is good for glassing and they are affordable.

 

[waveslayer]

Good old standard is 055 head by Leofroto. Not light.
Save up and get the Anvil 30

 

[yobuck]

Can somebody explain the advantage a ball head mount has over a non ball head mount for glassing?
Or anything for that matter?
Mind you, all of the many good mounts that ive seen and used have the ability to level the glasses, or whatever is placed upon them.
And you can use the adjustable tripod legs for leveling as well.

 

[waveslayer]

I prefer a ball head for the ease of moving the glass around. I have a head that I use strictly for glassing if I'm near a transport vehicle, lugging it around sucks!! I have a handle so I don't need to strain my neck moving it all around. I hardly use it these days because I'm usually hiking and use my RRS stuff with a spotter or bino mounted.

 

[Plinker147]

Ball heads are better if you shooting off of them. You can glass with the pan features but only side to side. If you move up and down they are jerking unless you get the high end. Ball heads you can make level when tripods on uneven or sloped surface

The fluid heads/ pan heads are better for glassing you can smoothly pan side to side and up and down. Not good for shooting since you only have two directions they can move.

I use a ball head so I don't have to carry 2 tripods, I can shoot and glass off the same one with the arca Swiss set up

 

[yobuck]

I prefer a ball head for the ease of moving the glass around. I have a head that I use strictly for glassing if I'm near a transport vehicle, lugging it around sucks!! I have a handle so I don't need to strain my neck moving it all around. I hardly use it these days because I'm usually hiking and use my RRS stuff with a spotter or bino mounted.

Well as for smooth, ive been glassing for finding game using large and very large glasses for more than 50 years.
And the smoothest tripods ive ever used had no head at all.
Simply a roughly 1/2" diameter stud sticking straight up from the tripod about 3".
And a corresponding piece on the bottom of the glasses themselves that fits over that stud. And a simple wing nut for locking them in place, both horizontal and verticle.
When adjusted properly, you can move the very large and heavy glasses in all directions with just the bridge of your nose, while your hands are in your pockets keeping warm.
But with a ball head, what happens to the glasses or the rifle, when you loosen the ball head adjustment knob?