SmallRig Tripod Fluid Head Pan Tilt Head with Quick Release Plate for Arca Swiss for Compact Video Cameras and DSLR Cameras -3259B

Very well made; selected mainly because of low weight (for travel). Fully assembled (and without plate) it is 252 grams; and with arm, and wrench removed it goes to sensational 172 grams which is almost surreal for the head with 3 kilos support. It is very smooth, and so far the only potential (!) negative thing is plastic knobs on locking nuts -- can work fine for decades, but can be broken accidentally or deteriorate due to the material fatigue -- time will tell. After trying it on a tripod, I purchased another one for the monopod to avoid switching between two. Great product, thank you.

The price for what you get is worth more then you think. It weighs very little and preforms. Sure there are much better fluid heads out there with the price to match them. This fluidhead is great for my binos and spotter. It's built very well and higher quality then expected. The upgrade from the ballhead to this unit is worth way more then the price I payed. I would buy again but don't think I will need to pretty sure it will be around for years. I love this one and have no need to upgrade. End of the day I got this one right on my purchasing decision.

Love this head. It is tiny but I have my 80 mm spotting scope (3 lbs) mounted on it with no problems. Very smooth in both directions and you can adjust the drag in both directions with the knobs (although they are a little sensitive for this). Rock solid when locked. My only concern is that the knobs are plastic and I wonder about their durability. Wish they were metal but I think the rest of the head is metal. I don't baby my equipment so I will know after a while how durable it is. Will update as necessary. Until then I have achieved a big weight reduction over my old head with no compromises that I see yet.

First up this thing is really, really tiny. Probably best for a small camera. I am using it with a window mount for mounting 10x42 binoculars for wildlife viewing.Lightweight and still feels very solid. Hard to beat for the price. Nice enough that I will also see what the next step up in size is for a tripod.Only knock is diminutive size. Everything else is A+

Works great with Large spotting scope. These things are a bargain for what they provide. Smooth.

Videography is my profession, and hunting is my passion.For the videographers - this head is small and lightweight. It goes on my travel tripod. When I'm in the field for hours with a small tripod attached to my camera bag, it's my go-to. The panning and tilting are great. I have a Canon 80D and an R6. Both are sturdy with small zoom lenses and just about any prime lenses. I don't think I would use it with my 70-200mm Tamron.For hunters - this pairs great with my lightweight Sirui tripod. It's exponentially better then the ball head that came with it. The head works perfectly with my binos and my 65 mm spotting scope. An 80mm spotter should do fine. The head is smooth enough that I can make small adjustments. Only question I have with it is durability. It should do fine in most applications, but if you are in the backcountry, take care not smack it on any rocks.

This is my all-time favorite light tripod head for light scopes. If you have a scope that weighs something like 1-2 Kg, and a light tripod, this is the ideal head -- short, light, well damped. I use it with 50mm-60mm birding scopes, and a Velbon tripod. Very much recommended.Yes, I have a heavier and better tripod head that I use with my rather heavy Gitzo tripod for my 77m scope, but -- then you have to carry the weight.This head is very well made. Surprisingly so given the price.

Updated review (April 20, 2022)Warning. Test any other Arca Swiss Plates with this! I used other name brand plates and have not had any issues with any other clamps. On this, camera fell off and cracked a lens (Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 repair cost was $300 -- ugh); weight was under limit. Arca Swiss is standardize or supposedly to work interchangeably via different manufacturers. Well, not exactly. I am diligent in ensuring all knobs are tightened since I am using it in a run-n-gun environment and on the move. Using another Arca Swiss plate was the demise. After taking out a digital caliper, the clamp lip on this is about 2.4mm and the over hang is about 1.75mm. Most of the clamps I have used in the past are between 2.75 and 3mm for the height and 2.5mm and 3mm for the overhang. What does that mean? More surface area to clamp onto. I tested using various plates with this, tightened the Arca Swiss clamp, and tried bending the plate out. A bunch of them came out. The plate that came with this did not. Why? The angle of the plate edge connecting to the clamp lip is at a sharper angle and the clamp lip aligns with that angle, so less material is needed overall and holds. Good way to save money manufacturing this - less metal to use. So, use the plate that comes with this and if you use another brand test it before trusting this. My gripe is Arca Swiss is supposed to be interchangeable. SmallRig is expanding their reach with lower cost products. I am becoming more skeptical of some of their newer product lines. Just disappointed. 3 stars.Original review (October 19, 2021)I had high hopes for this fluid head because of the size and payload capacity. It somewhat delivers. To start, I have a lot of SmallRig components and expect the highest quality with solid metal materials, but I am now questioning whether they are compromising to attract a slightly different audience. The form factor of this fluid head is great because of the size. I use it with a iFootage Cobra 2 monopod and it is sleek, better than a regular fluid head size-wise. The pan and tilt were acceptable for what I need, but the knobs are plastic. Not a big deal when tightening/loosening the resistance, but they are the adjustable ratchet-style so you can reposition the knobs and after a while, they will start to slip since the internal mold will wear down since it is plastic; metal will last longer. Thus you will need to replace the knobs if you want to continue to use this long-term. Under the Arca-Swiss plate, there is a bubble level, and useless unless you have a baseline of the tilt being level. There are no markings for a level tilt, so I used a silver Sharpie to establish what is level for the tilt. Now whenever I use that bubble level as a reference, I first align the tilt with the markings so when I pan, it is actually level. Knob for locking the Arca-Swiss plate is solid and works, but for some with big fingers it can be a little challenging since the base and two screws of the arm may get in the way when tightening/loosening. Overall, I give it 3.5 stars since it could be great and it's decently priced, but I would have paid more for using quality metal components like I am used to with other SmallRig products.