Pan head thread

[Samson7x]

What recommendation do you all have for a lighter weight head for glassing. At the moment I'm using RRS cinch with binos so arca adapter is a plus. It will be going on a 634 so as light as possible is also a plus.

Thanks for your assistance.

 

[nobody]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C89QPR6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

There's been a ton of talk about this one on here and youtube and other forums, lots of good things. Huntin' Fool did a video and compared it to other heads for 85mm spotters and they picked it for best bang for the buck, if that means anything to you.

I picked one up middle of the season and have used it some, so far I'm impressed. I've been using a Slik SVH-501 Fluid Head that was good for awhile, but it's developed some wobble and slop this season. I ordered this head as a replacement and would buy it again without hesitation OVER the Slik head.

But hey, I'm just some random guy on the internet...

 

[atmat]

The SmallRig posted above is supposed to be great from folks feedback here.

That said, I went with Wiser Precision Nighthawk. It’s super lightweight and is very nice; I run it on my Slik. S&S Archery has a YouTube video reviewing it that’s worth your time. The flip side is that it’s expensive.

 

[willfrye027]

I have the Smallrig, va5, and a few other ball heads.

My Smallrig froze up in Montana and would not pan. It would barely tilt and that was after working it in my hands to loosen it up. Granted it was very cold (0 degrees that morning), but my va5 was flawless during the same weather/hunt. Otherwise it seems like a decent lighter weight budget option. You do get what you pay for with these things.

 

[ljalberta]

I have the Outdoorsman Micro Pan. It’s excellent, but, that Wiser sure has me intrigued.

 

[atmat]

I have the Outdoorsman Micro Pan. It’s excellent, but, that Wiser sure has me intrigued.

The Wiser is great! I use it for my 65 spotter. A bigger spotter might start to be too much.

I like that it’s Arca Swiss. I hate that Outdoorsman uses their own system.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

The weight penalty of the Monfrotto 410JR is offset by it's stability in wind and the ability to macro/micro dial horizontally and vertically with absolute precision for working a grid thoroughly. For those glassing for long periods, this is an ideal head for heavier scopes.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

VA5 is my favorite pan head. I've ran them for 3-4 years I would say and haven't had any issues. they hold my btx95. though not ideal it works fine.

 

[BBob]

My favorites are the Outdoorsmans Pan and Fluid heads. The pan is a great in between head, not too light, not too heavy and handles larger optics fairly well if your're looking to cut weight. The Fluid head IMO is by far the best head for heavy optics I've tried and I've tried a a few. I have a VA-5, it would be my budget favorite for an all around head. It's on the always in the truck tripod. An honorable mention would be my Jim White pan head. I used it for 20 years give or take. The new ARCA compatible could be a great choice.

 

[twall13]

I've always gotten by with ball heads as most of my glassing is with Binos and then getting a closer look with the little Kowa 553. This year I went on a few hunts where I felt under scoped and decided to purchase a bigger spotting scope (88mm Kowa). I knew the ball heads I have weren't going to cut it anymore. I ordered a couple of fluid heads to try out and came away surprised. I picked up a Slik SVH-501 and a much cheaper Ulanzi U190 (both use Arca plates). I saw some YouTube videos on the Smallrig mentioned above, and somehow that led me to comparisons that put the Ulanzi above the Smallrig in most uses so I gave it a try. I've played around with both the Slik and Ulanzi to compare and I strongly prefer the Ulanzi. It's much smoother, especially with the tilt. It's a bonus that it's more compact, lighter and way less money.

That said, I haven't put it through it's paces in the field so there's always the chance that it freezes up (like the Smallrig mentioned above), falls apart or has some other issue in the field. If it doesn't prove durable in the field I'll likely end up with a Sirui VA-5. I just happened to find great deals on these two heads so I thought I'd try them before going to the proven VA-5. Having now used a fluid head, I think it would be hard to go back to a ball head for glassing. I think I'd love a Wiser precision Nighthawk for my binos and small spotter, but I fear it wouldn't quite cut it with the bigger 88mm. The Ulanzi isn't much heavier but it sure supports a lot more weight.

I'd certainly be curious to hear if anyone with experience with the VA-5 or Outdoorsman's heads has tried out a Ulanzi and how it compares. I'm impressed so far but I obviously haven't had much experience with quality fluid pan heads.


Ulanzi U-190