Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release System - Supports 20 lbs (9 kg)

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

I haven't used this head much and the rubber grips wrapped around the knobs are splitting and falling off. 8 months old. Surprising due to the lack of use and gentle care. Wrote to Giottos about it. We'll see what they say. Good Head. It's strong and holds my 70-200 f/4 and my 7D no problem.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Best head I have ever used, very smooth,easy lock and doesn't creep with heavier lenses and speedflash attached...I would highly recommend

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Great ballhead and the quick release is great. I love the levels included that allows for leveling the tripod.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

It is a very sturdy ballhead. I use it on my monopod, and because of it's size and weight rating, I'm able to support heavy glass without the floppy feeling of other monopods. It also gives me quite a bit of room to maneuver. I chose this head because I could also use it on a tripod, as opposed to buying a simple tilt head for my monopod.

The arca type release system is great, but it does take a bit of getting used to. My only gripe is that the plate is a bit short, but you can always get the MH-657 for a longer plate.

It is extremely sturdy, and consequently a bit heavy but I have much more confidence in the head when I put my equipment on it.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

terrible product, the fasten handle breaks!!!
I have never met such a problem before.
Cheap made product. keep away.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Primarily for my 150-500MM Lens I like how well the Lock and Friction control work. The quick release is great. The only con is the plate can be somewhat tricky to attach to the ballhead.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Perfect setup for what i got...5d with 24-70 and 70-200 lenses. Very stable as easy to use...even with extra long night exposures.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Got this head to use on a Gitzo carbon fiber monopod. My other head is an Acra Tech GV2 on Gitzo tripod. While not in the same class as the GV2, and who would expect it to be, the 1301 operates smoothly and locks tight. Thee have been some complaints about the Giottos mounting plate loosening. All of my cameras have Arca Tech plates attached which fit perfectly and lock tight on the 1301.

At a weight of a little over 1#, the 1301 plus camera and lens on the Gitzo monopod come out a little top heavy. This however, was no surprise and would hardly be a problem on a tripod.

One negative: The 1301 instructions warn that over loosening the friction control can cause a head failure, which will be something to think about when switching from the 1301 to the GV2 and back, as over loosening is not possible on latter. This issue alone, which I view as a design flaw gives the 1301 a 4-star instead of a 5-star.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Works well for outdoor shooting and is easy to set up and use. So far does what it needs to do and is priced well lower than many others that are similar.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

After searching for months I ended up purchasing the MH1301-656 and paired it with the MT-9360 Aluminum Tripod Legs by Giottos. The pair work fantastic together. The 656 is more than enough for what I need and the is smooth, quick, and very stable. It supports my D300 with out a wince. Very well made and built to last.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

For the price, this unit functions wonderfully and seems very well built. It's a little on the heavy side, but with the solid construction, that is to be expected. Currently mated to an Induro aluminum tripod and these two make a great pair.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

Bought this with Giottos MT8350 - my first tripod - which is a bit small for this head.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

This is probably all the ball head most photo hobbyists will need. Ball movement is smooth and the excellent control knobs are solid and lock down tight, even with a heavy set-up. The head itself deserves 4 stars, but the clamp is just adequate and the camera plate is useable but allows some twist. I found a Markins camera specific plate works much better.
Yes, there are better ball heads out there, but I gave the MH-1301 four stars because you won't find a better ball head unless you pay at least twice as much.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

I bought the MH-1301 ballhead to go with a Giottos MT-8361 tripod. It's a good combination and after using it intensively for a month, I have no serious complaints about the MH-1301. I'd buy it again.

The MH-1301 allows standard 3-axis positioning for framing, tension control for how easily the ballhead moves in the socket, and independent horizontal rotation (with degree scale) for panoramas. There's some "break-in" time when first using the MH-1301 as you try to get accustomed to its "feel," but after that, it's easy to use. It supports my Olympus E-3 and 50-200 lens (on the large side) rock steady with no "creep" or shifting at all.

The built-in bull's eye bubble levels are a nice touch, but check how your camera is seated before relying on them exclusively. There is a slight tilt on mine, so I continue to rely on a hot shoe level.

The MH-656 QR plate that came with the MH-1301 was a disappointment. As other reviewers have noted, it did not fasten securely to the camera body, allowing far too much slippage for use in the field. Fortunately, I had ordered a MH-646 QR plate at the same time to use as a spare. The MH-646 does attach very securely to the camera and the QR system itself is simple to operate, so things worked out in the end.

Without the MH-656 QR plate problem, this would be a 5 star review.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

High quality build, adjustments work very smoothly yet holds position well (Nikon D300 with 17-55mm). Ball head provides excellent flexibility for proper framing of shot and this is an extremely well made head.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

It,s more than I expected for the money.Very smooth.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

I purchased this head to use in conjunction with a kirk Bl-90 L plate for my D80. This QR system is quite clumsy to use with that format. I have to place the L bracket in sidewise in the landscape position because of the little safety screw. Holding the camera in my left hand, the loosening knob has to be turned a full two turns to open fully, then I have swith hands to press the little red button with my left hand to to allow the bracket to insert, then switch again to the left hand to hold the camera while I turn the knob two full turns to tighten, and it does not turn easily. It takes as long to do all that as it is taking to write this review. Hopefully, the knob will loosen up, and I will learn to overlook that part. And it may be no problem at all with the QR plate attached to a camera.

Having said all that, it does appear to be built solidly, and doesn't slip after I set the locking knob. That is the biggest pro of all. All three knobs work fine, and hold fast. Only one other head in the price range, also a Giottos, has a lever type QR device, and apparenty it has some slippage problem, so I will just get used to my thing here and learn to love it...

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

I use this on a Giotto monopod. Attachment is was simple enough. The rotational and tilt functions are excellent. They work very smoothly. My only complaint is the quick release plate. It's hard to lock to the camera. It won't grip the bottom of the camera. As a result, the camera starts to rotate relative to the base plate and wiggle. Of course, this defeats the purpose of having a ball head and monopod in the first place.

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

I got this to use with a benro travel angel cause I wanted one that could hold much heavier gear and heard some negative responses about other heads. This one is great!smooth operation and is to adjust!

Comments about Giottos MH-1301 Pro Series II Medium Ballhead with MH-656 Quick Release:

I think this is a great product for the price. I used my Canon 50D with a Sigma 80 to 400 lens on this and it keeps it very stable.

The one thing that I would like improved is the quick release plate. I had no problems with the one that came with the ballhead, but I also bought an extra one. The tripod screw is difficult to turn on the extra one. I really have to crank it in order to get it on my camera. I think this is a QC issue, but overall, I would buy this again because I think it is still a good product.