How to Choose the Right Tripod Head

Choosing the right tripod head your camera can be the difference between getting the image you envision or missing it completely. Since the tripod is the best tool for instantly improving your photography, your choice of tripod head will also likely impact how much you enjoy using said tripod. Let’s look at ball heads, pan-and-tilt heads, tilt heads, geared heads, gimbal heads, and pistol grip tripod heads and discuss the pros and cons of each type so you can make an informed purchasing decision.

Please note that many sets of tripod legs are sold with a head included. Knowing what kind of tripod head you need is critical to the buying process, so if you are reading this article before you purchase your tripod legs, you are doing the right thing. Choose your head and then find a set of legs that are sold with that head—or buy the head and legs separately.

Also note that we will discuss panoramic and time-lapse heads, video considerations, quick-release plates, and load capacity at the end of the article.

What is a Tripod Head?

While you can, theoretically, attach a camera directly to the top of a tripod, a tripod head lets you reposition the camera quickly so you can frame the image you see in your mind’s eye and then hold the camera steady while capturing the image.

As you probably already know, there is more than one way to build this mousetrap, and there are several different types of tripod heads on the market. Let’s get into those types.

The Ball Head

The ball head is the most versatile type of tripod head, and is a relatively recent invention. If you don’t have a need for a specific tripod head (i.e. balancing a huge telephoto lens or doing precision architectural work), then the near-universal ball head is probably the type of head you want.

A ball is enclosed in a housing and a knob tightens the housing around the ball—locking it (and the camera mounted on it) in place. All ball heads feature a primary locking knob, but some have other knobs for controlling different aspects of the ball head’s operation. Some have panning bases with a separate knob to allow and lock the panning movement. Others have adjustable friction knobs.

Many, if not all, ball heads have a single cutout in the housing that allows the camera to be dropped 90° from horizontal orientation. Some feature more than one notch for increased positional versatility.

Pros:

• Relatively small size

• Ease of use

• Quick repositioning of the camera

• Can be used for almost every type of photography

Cons:

• Dirt and sand can cause issues with the mechanism

• Limited load capacity

Common Usage:

• Any type of photography, but this is NOT a case of “jack of all trades; master of none.” The ball head is very, very good for most photographers shooting all kinds of things.

3-Way or Pan-and-Tilt Head

The 3-way or pan-and-tilt head is the most traditional of tripod heads. It features three control arms extending from the head. Each arm allows adjustment on one axis: vertical, horizontal, and panning. To move the camera in one of those axes, you loosen the arm, position the camera, and then tighten the arm. The action is similar to a ball head, but there are three separate adjustments.

Pros:

• More precise than a ball head since you are adjusting one axis at a time

Cons:

• Larger than ball heads because the three arms usually protrude a good distance from the head and, therefore, not as good for travel

• Slower to position than a ball head

Common Usage:

• Landscape photography

• Studio photography

• Macro photography

• General photography

Pistol Grip Heads

The pistol grip head is a fun take on the standard ball head. Instead of removing the friction on the ball using a knob, the pistol grip head has a squeezable lever that allows you to reposition the camera while squeezing the grip. Release the grip and the camera stays put.

Pros:

• Fast repositioning of the camera

• Easy to use

Cons:

• Larger than a ball head due to the grip

• Usually has a lower load capacity than a similarly sized/priced ball or 3-way head

Common Usage:

• Wildlife, sports, and action photographers with non-gigantic lenses

Geared Heads

For photographers who can sacrifice speed for precision positioning, the geared tripod head is the tool of choice. The geared head is a variant of the pan-and-tilt head, allowing you to adjust around one of three axes at a time. The difference is that, instead of having a knob that removes and adds friction, the action is geared—you basically crank the handles until your camera is in position. Many geared tripods come with course and fine adjustments so you can save some time while getting things set up, but the goal is smooth, precise movement to the desired position.

Pros:

• Precision, deliberate positioning of the camera and lens

Cons:

• Usually larger than even comparable 3-way heads

• Generally heavier than other tripod heads

• Not difficult to use, but less intuitive than a ball or 3-way head

• Slow camera positioning

Common Usage:

• Architectural photographers needing precise camera positioning

Gimbal Heads

While their operation is similar to action-camera stabilizing gimbals, the gimbal tripod head is designed for use with large telephoto lenses. When you put a lens on the front of a camera, the center of gravity of the camera/lens combination shifts from that of the camera alone. When you put a large telephoto lens on a camera, the center of gravity shifts noticeably. A gimbal head mounts on the lens’s tripod attachment and allows rapid, yet stabilized movements of the camera and lens around that center of gravity to track fast-moving subjects with the long lens.

Pros:

• For large telephoto lenses, superior to any other type of head

Cons:

• Larger and heavier than other types of heads, but, since they are paired with large lenses, it doesn’t really matter

• Not generally suitable for use with shorter telephoto lenses.

Common Usage:

• Sports and wildlife photographers using large telephoto lenses

Panoramic and Time-Lapse Heads

While they not tripod heads in the traditional sense, photographers use panoramic and time-lapse heads to control movements while capturing multi-image sequences for panoramic images or time-lapse movies. Some of these heads can be used for traditional still photography but may be limited in flexibility when it comes to camera positioning.

Depending on the unit, you could also mount a traditional tripod head atop the panoramic or time-lapse mount.

Considerations for Video

Tripod heads for video capture can be used for still images, but, since they are designed for movement, they aren’t a great solution for maximum stability. On the other hand, ball heads and 3-way heads can be used for stills and video. In today’s multimedia world, if you are doing both kinds of capture, your tripod head decision should reflect this dual-use intent.

Load Capacity

When you're shopping for tripod heads and legs, you will see a specification for “load capacity.” Contrary to the assumptions of many, this is NOT akin to a “safe working load” specification that you would see on a cargo hook or other types of machinery. In this case, the tripod legs or head will not fail spectacularly if they are overloaded during normal use. (Of course, if you land a Boeing 747 on top of your carbon fiber tripod, it will fail.)

The load capacity of a tripod head or tripod legs refers to the maximum weight that the system can keep stabilized under normal conditions. If your tripod head is rated at 10 lb, but if you put 20 lb of gear on top of it, you will likely notice that, for instance, the ball head will not be able to keep your camera and lens in position, regardless of how tightly you turn the friction knob.

When combined with a set of tripod legs, the unit (tripod head or legs) with the lowest load capacity determines the load capacity of the entire rig. For example, if your tripod legs have a load capacity of 35 lb and the head has a capacity of 25 lb, the combination will be rated to 25 lb.

There is a tradeoff. Generally speaking, the larger and heavier the head and/or legs, the higher the load capacity. We all want super-stable rigs, but not all of us want to travel with, or carry, super-heavy gear on holiday or into the field.

One common rule of thumb is to have a tripod-and-head combination that has a capacity at least 2-3 times your heaviest camera/lens setup plus any accessories you might use. And, if you are new to photography, look at the weight of gear you have on your wish list so that you can future-proof your tripod investment.

Quick Releases

Many modern tripod heads have quick-release systems that allow you to mount or dismount your camera or lens quickly, using a plate that locks into a receptacle at the top of the tripod head. In the old days, you would endure the time-consuming practice of threading a screw at the top of the head into the bottom of the camera every time you wanted to use a tripod.

Some manufacturers have proprietary quick-release plates, and they work very well, but the Arca-type compatible dovetail plate is the most widely used in the modern tripod quick-release world. Arca-type compatible plates are easier to find and, if you have an Arca-type-compatible tripod head, your friends with Arca-type plates can use your head and vice-versa.

Which Tripod Head is Best?

That question is best answered with another question: What are you photographing?

For most of us, the ball head is the 98% solution to all our camera-stabilizing needs. If you prefer it, the 3-way head is almost as versatile, but makes travel a bit more difficult. Either way, the ball head or 3-way head will have you covered.

The other heads we discussed above have specific purposes and will not suit general photography as well as a ball head or 3-way head.

If you made it this far into the article and still don’t know which way to go, just get yourself a decent ball head or, ask us all your questions in the Comments section, below.