Pentaxian Registered: July, 2017 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,585 | | Review Date: March 18, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $24.99
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sturdy Build , Good Load Rating , Low Cost | | Cons: | Pan handle a little short , Base Pan screw must be loose to smoothly Pan | |
I bought this from Amazon to accommodate my 2 Takumar 300mm f4 lenses.
I needed tilt and pan movement on a head , that would stay fixed upright , and not have a tendency to flop over during use.
There are several different Manufacturer names this China made head is sold under , but they are the same.
Handle is a little short , but it clears my K-3II and K-1 bodies while fully rotating on the collar.
Build is on the more heavy duty side , and that is a big plus for heavy lenses like the Takumars.
The included Swiss-Arca style plate is slightly elongated with stops , and it fits both Takumar tripod collars perfectly with a 1/4" screw.
One thing I didn't like was if only slightly loosening the Pan knob , the head catches and grinds really bad. Panning wouldn't be smooth at all , and largely unusable. However....if the knob is loosened 1 turn , the Pan action is smooth as silk , and very useable for panning with video.
Everything locks down firmly , and I no longer have to worry about the possibility of my rig flopping over.
The base is nice and wide at over 2.25" and fills my Bogen/Manfrotto round mounting plate right to the edge of the center column. I also screwed down the center column 3 mounting screws tightly , so the head isn't going to unscrew accidentally.
I'm very pleased with this generic ,China made head , and will be ordering another for an extra Tripod that has been hiding in my closet.
I consider it a very well spent $25 dollars that filled a specific need , Yet has me covered for any camera without breaking the bank.
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