Tripod head
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The tripod head is what connects the tripod to the camera. There are a number of designs and specifications, suitable for different applications.
The basic requirements of a tripod head are
- Stability — the camera must not move once it is locked
- Adjustability — it should be easy to move the camera to exactly the right orientation
- Strength — it should be able to comfortably bear the weight and torque placed on it
- Calibration — it should be easy to return to a standard position
- Ease of attachment — fitting the camera to the head should be a swift, easy process
The exact way in which these requirements are satisfied depends on the application. Typical applications include
- macro photography
- portrait photography
- landscape photography
- panorama photography
- sports photography
- night photography
- architectural photography
The basic types of head available are
- Pan and tilt head — fitted to most budget tripods, allows precise adjustment but not necessarily intuitive
- Geared head — suitable for heavy loads and precise adjustment, but slow to use
- Ball head — most flexible, but care must be taken that the load is not exceeded
- Sports action grip head — a ball head which is moved by squeezing and set by releasing
- Panoramic head — a head designed for shooting 360˚ panoramas
- Virtual reality head — a development of the panoramic head specification, which allows the finest possible creation of panoramic and spherical pictures. A VR head must ensure that the node point of the camera is over the turning point of the support system.
Some types of head, especially pan and tilt heads, have a particular movement to go from landscape format to portrait format and back again.
Many heads are equipped with a quick release plate, which is fixed to the bottom of the camera, and then clicks into place on the head when required.
