Pan or Ball head for bino tripod?

[kyle m]

What is your preference and why?

 

[realunlucky]

Ball head is lighter but prefer a pan head if going to use a spotter also

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[pyroducksx3]

Pan head, I can't imagine using a ball head to grid a hillside

 

[RyanC]

What pyroducsx3 said!! Pan head all the way for tearing apart that hillside.

 

[kyle m]

Thanks guys! I ordered a Vortex Summit SS panhead tonight along with some 12x50 Vortex Viper HDs. I hope that's a good combo to accompany my Vortex Viper 15-45x65 spotter. Thoughts?

 

[AndyB]

Well my experience is only with the vortex ssp, I primarily use it with vortex viper hd's15x50, I use an outdoorsman bino adapter and its a breeze to change between my 15x and my 8x slc's as I got a stud for both. Using your bino's on a tripod is night and day from free hand. I don't think you will be disappointed. I could see an issue maybe if you are using the heaviest spotters and full exstension of the legs but for my set up it works great.

 

[5MilesBack]

Pan head, I can't imagine using a ball head to grid a hillside

My Sirui ball head has a panning knob that I can loosen and pan left and right easily. And the ball is so smooth I can tighten it down to whatever tension I want and still be able to smoothly move it whatever direction I want.

 

[dotman]

I prefer a pan head for everything, just never liked the ball heads.

 

[5MilesBack]

I prefer a pan head for everything, just never liked the ball heads.

I haven't found a pan head that I like yet. None of the ones I've tried ever stay where I put them. I tighten it down and it's all moved. Hate that. If the ball head didn't work out I was going to try the Outdoorsman's, but so far so good with the ball head.

 

[DEW0341]

I have a ball head only because I got it with my tripod and i will definitely be buying a pan head


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[johnandersonm777]

I prefer ball heads because it's lighter than pan heads.

 

[dotman]

I haven't found a pan head that I like yet. None of the ones I've tried ever stay where I put them. I tighten it down and it's all moved. Hate that. If the ball head didn't work out I was going to try the Outdoorsman's, but so far so good with the ball head.

Get an outdoorsmans and you won't have that problem, I really like mine. I had the same problem you had with both inexpensive ball and pan heads.

 

[dotman]

I prefer ball heads because it's lighter than pan heads.

My pan head weighs exactly 7.5oz.

 

[MattB]

For binoculars, which I take to mean gridding, pan head for sure. There's not even a debate to be had. A ball head is lighter and I can see using one on a sheep hunt for a spotter, but not for glassing with binoculars where small, smooth, repeatable adjustments are required.

 

[snowcamoman]

I prefer the panhead. I tried to make the Sirui ball head compete with the Outdoorsman's, but there's no comparison between the two when I put them head to head.

 

[Browninglover1]

I prefer the panhead. I tried to make the Sirui ball head compete with the Outdoorsman's, but there's no comparison between the two when I put them head to head.

Which Sirui head were you using?

 

[snowcamoman]

That was with the C-10S that came on my T-025X tripod. It was a really nice ball head, but it just did not have the smoothness and ability to hold position easily like the Outdoorsman's can.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

I like the Pan head as it seems smoother with my Binos and spotter. Once you get passed the "break in" of the pan head it feels really good with both but I think it is more personal preference.

 

[PJ321]

For binoculars, which I take to mean gridding, pan head for sure. There's not even a debate to be had. A ball head is lighter and I can see using one on a sheep hunt for a spotter, but not for glassing with binoculars where small, smooth, repeatable adjustments are required.

Exactly, good luck picking up/out game, in open spaces, with a ball head and bino's you will loose you're last reference very quickly with a ball head. Been through those frustrations before, picked up a cheap $65 SLIK fluid pan head with horizontal and vertical tick marks on it and never went back www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/376531-REG/Slik_618_504_504QF_II_Video_Head.html
I have a $200 Manfrotto ball head that sits in my pack that gets used for my DSLR and my Iphone sometimes.