Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Large Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release System - Supports 25 lbs (11.3 kg)

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

I bought this ball head because it has a locking knob for taking panoramic photos. Based on price and other reviews from B&H it was a very good buy. Has worked great so far.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

This ballhead hold my 7D very securely. I'm not sure I prefer the screw slamp over the lever clamp, but the screw clamp on this head does have great holding power. The QR bracket's corners are a little sharp, but the little red 'feet' on top keep the it from rotating on the camera.

Overall I am very pleased.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

I like everything about this head. It matches my Manfrotto 055XProB tripod well and holds a Canon 5D with 70-200mm lens without sagging.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

No more wobbling, tippy, dangerous camera risk for me! After a disaster on Mt. Ranier with a less expensive, yet very professional and quite pricey, tripod and ballhead, I was thrilled with this upgrade. Totally secure, stable and safe.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

It is a great addition to my Carbon fiber tripod. Excellent built quality. Very stable platform with nikon d7000 and nikon 70-200 VRii.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

Exelent product, exelent precision.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

This is a great ball head. It is a bit heavy, but the weight was clearly noted in the specs. I mounted it on my carbon fiber tripod but may put it on my larger Manfrotto studio tripod and buy a 1302 to mount on the carbon tripod for hiking expeditions.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

This is a smooth operating ball head. I have a number of larger lenses, including the new Nikon 200-400 VR II. The head works with them all and supports them firmly. There is only one groove in the ball head body, so you have to plan ahead a bit in regards to movement, but each control knob is a different size, so you can get used to operating them all fairly easily.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

I use it with a Canon 5D. It's a good solid head. I've been testing the recent Giottos equipment lately and they have improved their quality.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

This is a solidly built ballhead for tripod mount. Everything works great, but for one minor detail. The horizontal level bubble is located under the slide in Quick realease plate, thus not enabling photographer to see how horizontal the camera is in real time. One must slide off the plate to observe the level.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

This is my first tripod head I've purchased as I am very interested in food photography. I wanted one that wouldn't be too expensive, but also great quality and this is it. It is very solid and fairly easy to adjust. I also like the turning knobs rather than having a long handle in the way. The only thing it doens't have quite as much angled range as I would like. I would buy this one again in a heartbeat!

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

Excellent value. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there is still a little camera movement with their "reversible flanged edge". To use an Arca-Swiss type QR plate, you have to remove the retaining pin (easy to do). It is otherwise a very good product. Highly recommended.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

This is by far the best value in ball heads that I have found. It operates smooothly and can be fully broken down for tweaking/fixing which mine needed after panning alot. I was able to take it apart tighten what needed it and put it all back together with a small slotted screw driver. It locks securely and is easy to operate without looking because all of the knobs are different sizes. Great buy.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

I do outdoor portrait, equestrian and some landscape work. It is very solid, very well built. If i were to do it again, i would get a different quick release. The slide-in quick release is stable, but i frequently release the camera from the ballhead and it is kind of a pain to line up the slide to reconnect each time. I would suggest using the lever quick release (652C), and may still do that. I didn't think I would use the bubble levels that much, but I find that I use them all the time. I'm glad I didn't spend twice as much for a more expensive ballhead. This has everything and, I think, is built just as well.

Comments about Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release:

My last tripod was a Slik Pro 340DX Tripod It was a great Beginner Tripod. But for panorama's it was more guesswork than precision.

I wanted a more versatile and stable solution. I bought this head with the Giottos MTL9360B Professional Aluminum Tripod Legs and I couldn't be more happy. Its super stable, the build quality is fantastic, and the levels help tons shooting panorama's.

I use this with a 5D MK II and a 24-70L lens, its a lot more stable at full height than my silk. Sometimes you need to shoot over a rail or something and this makes it a lot easier.