Benro WH15 Long Lens Wildlife Head

Expensive, but worth it

I am a bird photographer who, like many of us, is branching out into video. There are excellent tripod heads for still wildlife photography, including various gimbals and also spring-loaded ballheads that simulate the weightless performance of a gimbal. For me, the problem has been that video requires smooth panning, and this is difficult to achieve with tripod heads designed for still cameras. For video one can use a fluid head, but these lack the counterbalance feature that allows the camera/lens rig to stay put without tightening the head. Enter the Benro WH15. It has a variable, dial-it-in counterbalance feature that allows weightless performance, while also exhibiting the smoothness of a fluid head. Hence, the Benro H15 is a tripod head that is close to ideal for both still and video wildlife photography. The Arca-type tripod mount rotates 360 degrees so you can use the head either for long lenses or for an on-camera mounting plate. It also has a (partly) retractable handle, which is helpful for smooth movement when shooting video. The one thing it will not do is allow full three-dimensional instead of just two-axis pan-tilt movement. If you can live with this limitation, plus also its three pound weight and its hefty price tag, it is a nearly ideal tripod head for wildlife photography and videography. It's beautifully made and claims a 33 pound plus weight capacity. I think it's a terrific product, and I expect it will inspire competing products of its type over the next few years.