Regardless of whether you use a tripod for photography or videography, choosing the right one is essential. Tripods are usually large and bulky, so it can be easy to feel overwhelmed when figuring out what type to buy. Knowing the different types of tripod heads available for use and what they can help you choose a tripod that meets your needs as well as your budget.
Different styles of the tripod head
Tripods or “tripods heads” are essential accessories to any camera, whether a point-and-shoot or a full-blown SLR. But it is much more than just a way to attach your camera to a tripod. There are many different styles, and each type of head serves a different purpose.
Ball heads
Ball heads are by far the most popular type of head, being easily found as an accessory for virtually every camera. They have a ball that you spin to adjust the camera’s position; this usually has 1 or 2 adjustment levels for fine-tuning. The ball head can rotate 360 degrees around the tripod’s axis, and the ball can rotate freely. They are quite versatile and can be used for almost any photography shooting style.
Ball heads are one of the most popular camera tripod heads. They allow you to move your camera in any direction, and you can adjust the tilt of your camera. They work well for photographs, but not videos, as they can cause vibrations, making them look blurry. On the other hand, a fluid head is outfitted with a fluid panning system, which allows smooth movement in all directions.
Pan and tilt heads
A pan and tilt head can move the camera left to right and up and down. Conversely, the geared head can move the camera from left to right but can’t move up and down. They are either geared for heavy or light cameras, with heavier tripods being geared for heavier cameras. Geared heads allow for less movement but allow for smoother panning and tilting.
An essential accessory for photographers, tripod heads allow the camera to rotate 360 degrees, allowing you to take perfectly level landscape shots or capture the perfect selfie. The most popular tripod heads are the pan and tilt heads. They allow the camera to pan (move from left to right) and tilt (move up and down) and have two knobs. One knob is for pan/tilt (for moving the camera left and right), and the second knob is for controlling the speed of the tilt and pan.
Gimbal heads
A gimbal head, also known as a gimbal, is a rotating head that is used to pan, tilt or rotate a camera. The head has a variety of controls that can change the angle of the camera, pan, tilt, and shift. It is typically used when filming while moving but can also be used in any situation that requires extra stability. Gimbal heads are well known for the smooth, fluid motions they achieve. The movement of the head is achieved through gimbals, which are specially designed-bearings that allow the head to move in any direction.
Gimbal heads, also known as fluid heads or panning heads, allow a smooth movement along the horizon. It is the most commonly used type of tripod head. A panning head moves horizontally along the edges of its panning axis. So, for example, if panning left, the head moves to the left. The movement stops if the camera is fully tilted to the left. The movement of the panning axis is controlled by a knob on the tripod.