Fluid head vs ball head vs gimbal head - I've switched! Sirui Pilot Series Video Tripod Kit CT04/CT5
These days, many cameras are fantastic hybrid cameras, with very capable specs for both stills photography and videography.
As I’ve been dabbling more in birding, and particularly birds in flight, I’ve had a greater need to be able to track my subjects well, and also capture more video footage that I can share on this channel. So if, like me, you’re keen on taking photos and videos, you’re probably looking for a versatile tripod head option that gives you the stability you need to capture crisp images, and also buttery smooth video footage.
The answer is a fluid head. In this video, I’ll give you my top reasons why I’m ditching my ball head and gimbal head in favour of my fluid head, and why I think you should seriously consider making the switch too.
If you're interested in buying either the Sirui Pilot Series CT04/CT5 Video Tripod Kit (as featured in this video) or the larger GT04/GT5 tripod kit, you can do so using this link: sirui-photo.com.au/ref/Valeri...
Any questions, you can also contact via email the sales manager for your region:
Asia-Pacific & UK: sales@sirui-photo.com
EU: soso@siruioptical.eu
India: JasonHu@sirui.com
DE & Austria: yw@siruioptical.eu
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//PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
• Canon EOS R5
• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM
• Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
• Canon RF 1.4x extender
• Shimoda Action X40 v2 starter kit: shimodadesigns.com
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Use this code for a 10% discount when you purchase via Shimoda’s global website here: shimodadesigns.com
• Sirui ST-124 carbon fibre tripod with ST-10X ball head: sirui-photo.com.au/ref/Valeri...
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//VIDEOGRAPHY GEAR
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//MUSIC
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Once I bought a Wimberley I never wanted to use a ball head again. Now I use the Wimberley; and an Acratech pan and tilt LLH on a leveling base. Those cover all my needs! When you lock your ball head, it ALWAYS wiggles a bit. Not so the Wimberley, because you don’t have to lock it! Once balanced your rig can swing freely in to any position and hold dead steady unlocked. Which gives it a nice advantage to a fluid head with long glass. No going back. Both of these act almost identical to a fluid head. And I do use a fluid head from time to time as well. And BTW, if you are handy you can get an Arca Swiss clamp and attach it to a fluid head that doesn’t have one…
Many thanks for your comments 🙏🙂 Thanks for sharing your setup there - looks like you have great, high quality setups that are working for you 👍 Wimberley is a top notch gimbal and your Acratech pan and tilt has your stills covered. How do you find these perform for videos? Cheers.
@@ValerieMisaPhotography It’s funny, I have a cheap camcorder on that Wimberley and it works fabulously. I haven’t tried video on the Acratech yet but it should perform excellently.
Well it looks like you've converted me to a fluid head now Valerie as I've been trying to make my mind up for ages now, thanks for showing the comparisons and thanks for the interesting info. Looking forward to more off great videos this year, happy 2024 😊
Happy New Year Raymond! I'm glad to hear that you've found this video helpful in your decision making. I think the versatility of fluid heads is hard to beat and hope you find the right fluid head for your needs 😊 Many thanks for your comments 🙏📸
I don't do video, but animals and birds. This a monopod to take the weight, and a gimbal so I can swing up and down quickly.
Thanks Patrick, that's a good way to look at it 🙂👍
Excellent video Valerie 👏great explanation of how each tripod head works really appreciate your help 🤝📸
Thanks a lot Simeon, always appreciate your comments and feedback 🙏 Have a great week ahead! 🙂📸
Wow, you’ve sold me!!!! Outstanding and very informative👏🏻👍🏻. Thanks Valerie😀
Thanks Barry, much appreciate your feedback! 🙏 Knowing about the options we have is good and I'm glad this video has been helpful 🙂👍📸
Thanks for a very informative video. Looking forward to seeing you use it in the field.
Thanks a lot Michael 🙏 Looking forward to having it as one of my staples... And brushing up on my videography! 😄 Have a great week.
Thank you very much for the information Valerie, nice and fair comparison and comments.
Thank you for watching and your comments, much appreciated 🙏👍📸
Great video Val! Very informative and great side by side comparisons.
Thanks heaps Pia for watching 🙏 Appreciate your support 😊
Awesome !!!!!!!!!! What a knowledgeable Photographer and great and well presented review! Thanks
Thank you for your comments George, that's very kind of you 🙏 I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Take it easy 🙂📸
A very Happy New Year to you Valerie‼️May it be filled with many pans and tilts✌️🌟📷
Hi Markie, wishing you a very happy New Year also! 😅 Yes, lots of pans and tilts please...and throw in lots of shutter clicks too! I hope the same for you! Keep smilin' and shinin' 😊👍📸
You Nailed it Valerie! I have been running a Manfrotto 502ah fluid head with my heavy Canon 600 lens for the last 3 years. The Manfrotto 438 Compact Leveling Head - Ball Camera Leveler makes it a snap to level it out no matter how uneven the ground is. I started using it and never looked back! I shoot 80% photos and 20% video. smooth as butter and highly adjustable no matter what I am doing. I was shooting 2 years ago in Rocky Mountain Nat. Park, and there were several other photographers beside me locked on a beautiful bull elk. the guy next to me kept looking over with a puzzled look, and finally asked what I was using. I showed him and after he saw what I could do with it, the look and the little smile came, and I got him seriously Thinking about it!!
Thanks a bunch for sharing your comments and experience Vinny 🙏 I know a lot of people who shoot mainly stills are uncertain about fluid heads, so I think they'll find your comment really helpful! I had also thought about getting the same Manfrotto fluid head as yours (it's quite popular!), but the Manfrotto QR system was the main thing holding me back. I'm glad that it's done really well for you. I'm actually looking for an additional levelling base - thanks for your suggestion, will look at it further 🙂 Cheers 👍
Very nice presentation 👍! Subscribed!
Thanks a bunch - I'm glad you enjoyed it and appreciate your support 🙏😊👍📸
such a well made video thank you
Appreciate your comments Ryan, and I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙏😊👍
I totally agree, Valerie. A fluid head gives me the versatility I need when shooting both stills and video. I think if I were shooting just stills, I would prefer a fluid head as well. I like the ease of control better than a ball head. Nice video and clear breakdown on the benefits. 👏
Hey Shaun, yes, being able to control the individual axis is a big plus for me. The versatility it offers for stills and videos seals the deal. Thanks for your comments and I hope you're having a good week 🙏🙂📸
That's a great looking bit of kit! I am considering a fluid head for my setup with my addition of video to my images to make my channel more interesting. Great presentation! Thanks!
I think it's definitely worth considering, especially if you're thinking of using it for videography and for your channel, which I've just popped by 😉 Thanks as always for your comments Jon 🙏 Hope you're having a good week!
@ValerieMisaPhotography Thanks for the sub. I hope that I don't bore you too much with it. I plan to go back to doing some bits to camera to maybe make it more interesting.
@@joncothranphotography9375 😅 not at all Jon! It's nice to see what you've been to to. Unfortunately I'm so time poor at the moment. Keep at it Jon! 👍🙂📸
Great video Valerie! I've been using various sizes of ball heads for my photography and also have a gimble. I have had issues with my smaller ball heads not being able to handle the weight of my telephoto lens so I tried out a gimble and just couldn't get used to carrying it around. The gimble just seemed so bulky and heavy for me when I'm hiking. I have never considered a fluid head for photography as I don't usually shoot video with my camera, but after watching your video, it seems so much more flexible, fluid, compact and light. I'm going to try it out. Excellent suggestion!
I understand exactly what you mean about the gimbal being so cumbersome to carry around - that's how I felt about carrying mine! I think a fluid head could be a good option to explore, even if your focus is stills only. But you'll also need a levelling base to allow you to quickly level your camera. I'm glad the video was helpful and happy New Year Sharyl! 🙏👍🙂📸
Very informative as usual Valerie. You made some good points but, with my style of photography photography I'll stick with my gimbal head for weight and usefulness. I do very little videography. Keep up the great work!
If your gimbal head works for you Mark, definitely stick to it - don't fix what's not broken! But should that be the case one day, fluid heads are worth considering 😉 Always appreciate your comments Mark 🙏
This was great. I had just come to the conclusion that I should look into getting a fluid head rather than a better ball head. I currently have a budget Amazon tripod that came with a reasonably good 36mm ball head. I have the 5D Mark iii and I have a Sigma 160mm 2.8, Tamron 24.70 2.8, and the (drainpipe) 80-200 2.8 L , all of which are heavy, of course not compared to what you are lugging around. It occurred to me that I am using an L bracket and that makes even less sense with a ball head. I have a Platypod and it came with a small Benro ball head and I am impressed with how good that is, one thing it has a knob to release the camera that you can't fiddle around and accidently release it because you have to pull it out also, I can't find a similar feature on others. The cheap one I have has a thing where you have to slide the Arca-Swiss in from one direction but it makes it hard to get the camera off and on quickly. I can\t afford mirrorless, but was thinking of trading in my Mark iii for a Mark iv do you or anyone else have an Idea how much of an upgrade that is? thanks
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts John 🙏 There are a lot of choices out there, and I think there are a lot of pros in a fluid head. But like any gear, they're not all created equal. Having a safety lock or switch is a big pro - I've had my camera fall off a few times thinking my camera was secured in place when it wasn't. I'm not familiar with the 5D mk iii or iv, but I've heard that the iv is a fantastic DSLR and of course, was the predecessor to the R5. I'd highly recommend exploring mirrorless - you can get some great and affordable cameras on the second hand market. In any case, keep enjoying your photography 🙂👍📸
Before seeing this video I'd only just bought myself a Sirui VH-10X fluid head for a Zeiss scope. Excellent piece of kit, very stable.
Hi there, thanks for your comments and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your fluid head. It looks like a quality fluid head 🙂👍
Thanks for the info Valerie, I've always wanted a fluid head for my tripod.. I wonder of one can get the head by itself and fit it on another tripod. I think my K&F tripod has a max height that is a bit higher. Its ball head is OK , but a fluid head would be an improvement! I'll research a bit when I have time, all the best for this year 😊
Happy New Year, Pieter! Unfortunately this fluid head comes as part of the tripod kit. You can mix and match it, but of course, you can also get other standalone fluid heads. Definitely worth researching more when you've got the time! Hope you're having a good week and start to 2024 🙏🙂👍
Thanks Valerie, well wishes for the year!😊
Спасибо за видео. Очень познавательно
Thank you kindly and I'm glad you found it helpful 🙏🙂📸
Great Video I am in the Market for a new Tripod
Many thanks Peter 🙏 and happy researching! 🙂
Valerie great informative video. I have started in wildlife photography and obsessed by it currently. Wondering where in victoria is the Tern colony that you showed in the video. I'll add it to wish list for next time I visit the state. thanks
Hi Shah, thanks for your comments and I'm glad to hear about your obsession! 🙏😁 That tern colony was at The Nobbies at Phillip Island. Best to visit at sunrise as it's incredibly busy with tourists during the day and evening. I visited during early December, when most of the chicks had just hatched and while it was an amazing scene, it was very hard to photograph individual birds because the colony's so crowded! I think late December, when many of the hatchlings have fledged and the birds have moved on, would be much better for photos of those remaining. I'll definitely be back this year! 👍📸
@@ValerieMisaPhotographythanks it’s definitely going on my ToDo list 👏👌👍
I bought now Sirui Video Tripod SH-05. 🇯🇵💪
Hope you enjoy it! 👍
@@ValerieMisaPhotography piece of tripod, my dear Valerie😊
A very good video, looks like a very good tripod, I own 2 Suriu carbon fiber tripods already, the W2204 and a slightly smaller one that has the retrackable spikes. I would prefer screw in spikes to able to put in longer ones. Does the fluid head allow you to put the camera completely vertical please? The other question I have is would you find it very usable without the handle for mirrorless cameras with lenses up to 24-120mm zoom?
Many thanks for your comments Les 🙏 Sirui do make some great carbon fibre tripods and I agree with you - removable leg spikes would be great. Do you mean if it can tilt forward all the way? If so, the forward tilt angle is 90 degrees, and backwards is -60 degrees. So yes, fully vertical forward but not quite backwards. If you mean whether you can put the camera in portrait orientation, you'll need a mounting clamp like the one I had in the video. If you're planning on using if for videos, I'd always recommend using the handle to avoid creating additional camera shake and this will smoothen the movement much more. If you're using your zoom lens for photos, the handle isn't needed. But you'll just need to make sure your total setup weight is within the payload limit of approx 3kgs/6.6lbs. Hope that helps you! Cheers 👍
@@ValerieMisaPhotographythank you very much, I forgot to mention I only shoot stills and occasionally when I am out at night I point the camera directly up in the sky. I think this is a great tripod option and who knows I may shoot video one day. I have always loved Surui.
I’ve not seen a fluid head before and it’s certainly interesting but having just invested in a different tripod it’s going to have to wait a while.
I'm glad you now know a little more about fluid heads, Barry 🙂 If what you have works for you, stick with it! But I think certainly worth thinking about should you ever feel the need. Many thanks for your comments 🙏
I'am a rather small person, like you I suppose? But still, many many years ago I bought a Sachtler fluide head and I'am still carrying it around. It is a very stable and smooth platform and on the other hand you can add just a little bit of resist to control the movement. Furthermore, you can simply let go of the combination without securing it, because you can balance it neatly. Another benefit, it still works great with temperatures of minus twenty degrees Celsius! Tried a Gimbal head ones, but sold it very quickly. It only demands a bigger wallet!!
Hi Jan, 😄 I am a small person! I haven't heard of Satchler before, but it sounds like a quality and durable fluid head you've got there. Glad to hear that it's still performing well for you after all this time - that's exactly what we need from our photography gear! Agree that gimbals can be expensive, but then so too for ball heads and fluid heads I suppose. The beauty of choice 😃 Thanks for your comments 🙏
Great video! Have you any experience with Sirui 7c and VH-10?
Glad you enjoyed the video 🙂🙏 Unfortunately I haven't used either of these fluid heads. The VH-10 has a 4.3 rating on B&H and here in Australia it's also quite well rated. Good luck with your research! 👍
For birds in flight, do you use the camera's image stabilization in conjunction with the fluid head, or do you turn the IS off?
That's a good question. I've heard mixed views about this. One view is that as the IBIS/OIS in the camera/lens always tries to straighten or fix the vertical and horizontal axis, you should turn it off or switch to pan mode for BIFs. Otherwise, you're fighting against your IBIS/OIS and this may impact how quickly it finds focus. I always shoot in pan mode for BIFs when hand holding, and so I do the same with the fluid head. I've heard from others that it doesn't make a big difference at all. I think it also depends on the camera system you have. Eg with Fuji, I could turn stabilisation off separately in camera and on the lens. But with Canon R5, that's all controlled from the lens and I can't turn it off in camera. It's a bit of trial and error to see what gives you the best results!
Think this would work with the Sony 200-600? How do you find it with your telephoto lens? Is it sketchy or solid?
Hi Steven, I think that Sony lens would be too heavy for this fluid head, and you'd struggle to achieve smooth pan and tilt for video. For stills, it probably could handle the +2kgs weight, but I'd recommend a fluid head with a heavier payload. Cheers.
The BV -20 is out of Stock at B&H What do you think of the BV -15 Fluid Head
It looks to me like a smaller version of the BV-20: broadly the same features except for 22lb max payload, fixed counterbalance of 11lb and it's lighter at only 3lb. I suspect the drag and damping adjustments should make it just as smooth to use as the BV-20, so if specs suit your needs, it might be a great option for you. I think Leofoto have done really well with their fluid heads in this range. Scott Keys from Wildlife Inspired has a great review of the BV-20 and other fluid heads in its class if you're interested 🙂 Hopefully that helps!
For landscape shots, I like Geared head much better than fluid head.
Thanks for your comments Danny. Yes, I've heard about the benefits of a geared head, but I'm not familiar with them and I think there's a lot to be said for the versatility of of a fluid head.
A fluid head without levelling base requires a lot of fumbling around with leg length adjustments… at least for videography.
Totally agree with you Thierry 🙂👍
But how do you tilt left and right with a fluid head? Doesn’t seem to work? So you always have a crooked picture, unless your standing on a complete leveled ground....
Hi Niklas, I should have mentioned in the video that you'll need a levelling base to quickly adjust your camera level - much easier than levelling your tripod legs! The levelling base is also really handy for panos and of course, a must for videos. Hopefully that helps! Cheers 👍
How do you get the camera level, side to side?
Hi John, good question and I probably should have included a comment on this. You'll need to either make sure your tripod legs are level, or have a levelling base - which is what I use. Much quicker to level this way and essential for panos and videos 🙂
@@ValerieMisaPhotography The bane of my photographic life. Heads are supposed to eliminate the need for being precise with legs. Ballheads are horrible, they wobble too much. And mostly they pan at the bottom where it's leg-leevel.. A handful also pan at the top. I have been using video heads for a few years, but they are bulky, and they do need a levelling base. I like the idea of geared heads, but they pan at leg-level. Arca Swiss D4 and the Neewer GM38 are exceptions. Nathan Cool's latest video talks about heads. There are panning accessories that go between head and camera. Those sort out the panning problem, if you only want one layer. I'm wondering whether I need a head at all, if I have a good levelling base. Perhaps a cheap one that provides tilt. I do landscapes, not birds.
😅 I hear you. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what else I need to buy to add on, screw in, bolt on etc, to make the equipment work the way that I need it to work. Things really should be a lot simpler! I believe there are tripods that have levelling bases built in, which removes the additional layer I suppose. But they tend to be pricier. I don't mind stacking and adapting things...as long as it's still quite compact and relatively light. It does sound like maybe all you need is a levelling base! Problem solved, ha! I'd be keen to hear how it goes 😀
No third axis adjustment??
Hi there, a levelling base will do this 👍