Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

great for macro-awkward spots, little effort to lock in position "like a vice"

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I teamed this head with a new Gitzo GT2541EX 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod. Smooth is how I would characterize the operation of the head and the tripod.
Well engineered and precise.
My comment about the tripod being a good investment, not an expense, applies equally to the Gitzo GH2750 Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I bought this along with a new Gitzo tripod. I like the tripod but am VERY UNHAPPY with the ballhead. The issue is that it uses the GS5370B Quick Release Plate. Everything works fine until you turn it to the portrait/vertical position. Then it is terrible. Even with a light lens mounted on my Nikon D700 the camera creeps down as it spins around the center support screw. I have mounted the plate in both directions and have the same problem. I have torqued down the screw as hard as possible and the camera still will creep down. I have tried the vertical position on the left and right side of the ballhead and still have the same problem. The creep is so bad you can not even bracket shots for composites because it will not even hold still for even a short period of time but droops down as soon as it is mounted. So long exposures are completely out of the question. In addition as another review noted the padding on top of the quick release plate moves around and bunches up. I emailed Gitzo about the problem and they have not even responded. So...stay away from this product if you at all plan on shooting any vertical/portrait shots.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

The engineering brain I have keep me wondering about the quick release system. NO Problem solid as a rock !

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

This head is unusual in that it is possible to point the camera in any direction at all. It makes macro photography of an object below the tripod much easier. I chose it because of that feature. I use it with a Gitzo 2541 tripod. It is stable, but also small and light enough for travel.

This head supports about 11 lbs, more than my needs but smaller than some competitors. It comes with a quick release plate, which worked very well with my D700 and lenses. Once set, I saw no creep at all in portrait mode or any other direction.

On the plus side, the head is solidly made, light, fairly small, and compact, as well as stable and easy to use. Because of the offset design, it is very easy to cover a very large angle of view from a single tripod placement.

On the minus side, there is just a small bit of droop in camera target focus as the ball is tightened, but overall, once tightened, the focus is stable and solid. Another minus comes from the lack of inclusion of bubble levels. You'll need a separate bubble level here.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

This was a great head for sometime until the tilt knob became so hard to turn. I tried to use it yesterday and it has become impossible to turn even after over 24 hours of WD40! Did I tighten it so much? No. The darn thing just became stacked.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

Thank god I've got a brilliant ballhead. After years of not having a respectable tripod, I decided for my trip to Utah now would be the time. I regret not having purchased one sooner. I hope this lasts a lifetime of infrequent use ;-)

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I've never had a ball head before so it took some getting used to, but I like it. It's compact and lightweight. The only thing that I don't like is that the base sometimes begins to unthread from the tripod (a sort of pseudo-pan), but there's really nothing to do about that. I've learned to periodically check that the threads are tight and that seems to have mostly eliminated the trouble.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I am an amateur photographer. I've never used a tripod before and only recently (two years ago) upgraded to a Canon 5D Mark II. I joined a camera club to upgrade my skills and it soon became evident that a good tripod is essential. I did a lot of research online and attended an industry show with many vendors. Frankly I found it confusing. I knew I wanted quality. I wanted as little weight as possible. A friend who is a pro gave me his recommendation for a tripod (a Gitzo), a tripod head, and a quick release, from three different manufacturers. The quick release he recommended was hard to find. In the end, B&H made it easy by offering a combo deal, all Gitzo, with a Gitzo head that includes a quick release. So far, I've used it on three different photo outings. The head is solid. The quick release works easily. In short, the Gitzo combo works well for me.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I bought this head to do Macro work. It is very solid and flexible

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I've had this item for over a year now. I find it easy to set up and quite stable. A D300 w battery pack and a 70-200 2.8 no problem very steady. This one is well built and finished well.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I LOVE this Ballhead. I got it for my Gitzo Tripod and it works wonderfully. The Knobs are big and easy to work, every thing about it is VERY SMOOTH. I like it much better than the head I used to have with the handles that stuck out on the side. The quick release plate is very solid when engaged.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

The primary purpose of a tripod is to hold the camera stationary and this one does not do that.

The rubber (cork in earlier versions) on the plate slides and will not hold the camera stationary. In horizontal positions the head works OK. In anything near vertical the rubber (which is attached with a viscoelastic adhesive) slides. You absolutely can not do multiple exposures or long exposures with the camera held vertically.

The off center design is great for allowing variations in camera position.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

Its perfect for a camera like 5D Mark II with a 24-70mm or 70-200.
This tool can handle these combinations like nothing.

WHAT ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR ?? Go and GET ONE

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I bought this tripod head and a matching tripod a few weeks ago. As soon as I started to use the head with the quick release plate, the camera started to move while it was locked in place, and I could not figure out why. When I removed the quick release plate, I noticed that the rubber base which the camera sits on was peeling apart, in other words the glue keeping the rubber in place was melting away, and wouldn't help keep the camera still. At this time I don't know whether the plate can be replaced but I will call BH and see. Recommend? Perhaps you should buy a head without the need of a plate. My previous tripod didn't have one. Who knew?

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

It's very versatile and reliable. It can hold my 80-400VR Nikkor without a counterweight in various positions. The two issues I have, are it's difficult to bevel and pan (no bubble), and it has knobs instead of rods making it more difficult to finely adjust.

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

My use - close-ups, landscapes, and with a sidearm.
What's great - The novel orientation. Most ball-heads are vertical, but this one is horizontal, so attached to a sidearm, it's kind of "normal".
What's not so great - Makes me think "out of the box".

Comments about Gitzo GH2750QR Series 2 Off Center Magnesium Ballhead:

I bought this with the GT2540 tripod, which is fantastic. But I had to replace this awful head.

It's big, heavy, awkward and poorly made.

First the latch spring came lose and was lost. Then the pin from the camera part of the quick release fell out. Then some sort of oil began to seep from the quick release mechanism.

I replaced this contraption with the much smaller, lighter and less expensive Gitzo G1077M. While this one won't hold as much weight, it's fantastic for my 5D with a 24-105L lens. I'll look for a bigger ball head for larger lenses, but will stay away from this off-center device. Clearly an experimental product.