Gitzo GH1780QR Series 1 Magnesium Center Ball Head with Quick Release, Load Capacity 22.05 lbs.

SKU: GZGH1780QR

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Questions & Answers

Richard R : Is this Arca Swiss comparable?
TIMOTHY C : Which quick-release plate(s) fit this  Gitzo GH1780QR ball head?
Shopper : I have this ball head and it is frozen tight. The ball is extremely hard to move. Any idea how to resolve this problem? BTW, the lock is off.RON G : Never have had this problem. Assuming locks off, only possibility seems to be debris has gotten into ball socket joint, making it hard to rotate.JIANZHANG W : I think there is a tube of lubricant with the purchase, just try it and might help.PAUL E : When you say, 'BTW the lock is off" I assume that you are referring to the round circular locking knob, and that it is free to rotate. If the knob is free to rotate, and the ball (camera platform) does not move freely in the socket assembly (head for tripod), then I wold suggest getting some "Silicone Dry Lube" purchased at a hardware store (it is actually a wet spray, but forms a dry film unlike oil). I would not use light oil or penetrating oil to free it because oil acts like a dirt collector that will eventually make the problem worse. If you have used oil in the past, you may need to flush it out first with a cleaning compound that will not react negatively with dry lube. You can purchase these kinds of compounds and dry lube at WW Grainger, and likely Lowe's or Home Depot. So, try some dry lube. Hopefully that will flush out whatever is causing the ball to stick inside the socket. You may have to work in the dry lube by repeatedly moving it around in all angles for a while. If that does not free it, then I would ask Adorama for a replacement, and give them a copy of this response.Enrico A : So far i never had this problem, could the ball be dirty? If not prob with the lock, if none of this i would contact the manufacturer for warranty.ADRIENNE H : Sorry, have not had this experience, so can't help with resolution. Good luck!JIANG L : I have been using this ball head for two years. It performed very well and didn't have the frozen tight problem at all. I'm satisfied with my. The shopper may try applying a few drops of lubricant or engine oil on the ball surface to see if it improves.JOHN W : I have never had this problem, however if I had I think I would try spraying a small squirt of WD-40 and let it set overnight.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2012-05-06T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Fast and light

Great design and strength to weight ration

STEPHEN W.

2011-09-04T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Built-in levels are great!

I find this ball head to be light weight for its capacity which is important when hiking and the three built-in levels are very convenient. However, Gitzo uses a mounting system that is not Arca compatible, so you'll need adapters for focusing rails, right angle camera brackets, telephoto mounts etc.

Roger B.

2011-02-06T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Nice price only

I am looking for a head without problem , every disappointing , i have vilbon , Manfrotto ,and tow gittzo this and the big one , i complain to my friends about all of them , i found all Quick Release Plate are bad design ( bulky , or sharp , not full tighten )one time hit my head while moving ander tripod ! so i dont like the Quick Release Plate and Release Clamp , yesterday ny friend show me his tripod and ball head , he have really the best in the market it's reallyrightstuff tripod system , while photographing together my gitzo Release Clamp screw lose and i don't have l key in the field , I am really angry

Sultan A.

2010-01-25T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Nice product

High quality product

Larry

2010-01-14T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Very Good Head Unit

Mostly during the night.

tlf c.

2009-09-30T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Excellent tripod head

I mostly use this for landscape/outdoor shooting. I use a long shutter speed when shooting waterfalls and both a sturdy tripod as well as tripod head help accomplish this goal. I received the Gitzo GH1780QR ball head several days ago and have gone out on several daytime hikes with it. What follows are some initial thoughts of the tripod head. The head itself has three spirit bubbles for proper horizontal/vertical alignment. Two of the bubbles duplicate effort, measuring whether the horizon is even or not. A third bubble in the housing that connects to the ball helps to correct for proper tilt angles. One feature I enjoyed on this head that I did not have on the other is the avalability of an independent panorama control. The ball head sits on top of a plate that turns left and right, allowing for trouble-free panorama image-taking possibilities. There is a separate tightening control that will allow you to lock the camera in place after you setup shot-after-shot for a panorama. I don't shoot sports much, but I would assume it would be good for shooting action shots as well given the smooth panning action. The tightening control for the ballhead comes in the form of a very well-built (feels very heavy duty) knob. Clockwise turn tightens the tension and hold the camera very well in place and a counter clockwise turn frees the ballhead to reposition for a new shot. The quick release is well-built, and sticks very well to the camera body, though I did have to use a screwdriver to turn the screw and tighten the plate against the camera body. I attached the plate and tightened initially with only my fingers, put the camera into vertical orientation with the 70 - 200, and the camera body rotated down from the plate's grip. Tightening the plate against the body removed that problem. I have not owned this long enough to say whether or not the tightened plate will get loose over time or not, but thus far, it has been very secure. The head is very light and I do question whether it can hold 22 lbs. as advertised -- It's sort of a moot point as I've paired this head with the Gitzo GT1541 1 series travel legs which Gitzo rates at 15 lbs. Overall however, based on how I shoot and what I shoot with, this should be plenty. The one thing I wish this head did have is the friction control knob within the ballhead tightening knob that the 2870 head has. Realistically though, it's a minor nuance. I'm extremely happy with this head. I'll also be posting a review of the 1541 legs for anyone who might be interested.

Stroodle88

2009-05-03T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Works well.

I use this head on Gitzo legs and I like it. However, when I put my Nikon D700 and a 200mm lens on it, it's around 4.5-5lbs, and that weight seems to compress the rubber top of this head (and the rubbery bottom of the camera) just enough so that when you're precisely lining something up, when you let go of the camera it will sag like 1/4 a frame. This can be annoying, and means you have to guess how much higher to aim the lens as you tighten down the head before letting go so it can "settle" into position. Once it settles, it's rock solid and will stay there forever. Lighter camera/lens combos are rock solid and stay exactly where you point the camera from the start, so it's really just an issue with heavier combos - particularly when you don't use a tripod collar on the lens to center the weight better. It also occasionally comes unscrewed from the legs when I'm in the field and manipulating it a lot between each shot. This is a annoying, but I guess I just need to tighten it better.... It would be nice if there were some kind of "lock" so it wouldn't come loose when you don't want it to.

Steve S.

2009-02-19T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Secure but.....

This product does the job it was designed to do well...the camera is locked in place and secure with nothing to worry about. From a design perspective, however, the knobs are bulky and always seem to get in the way. I usually reach for the wrong knob which to me means that they are not placed in a manner where a user is most likely to reach. May just need some getting used to. But for the price, its hard to beat.

C-Man

About Gitzo GH1780QR

FEATURED REVIEWS

Excellent tripod head

By Stroodle88

I mostly use this for landscape/outdoor shooting. I use a long shutter speed when shooting waterfalls and both a sturdy tripod as well as tripod head help accomplish this goal. I received the Gitzo GH1780QR ball head several days ago and have gone out on several daytime hikes with it. What follows are some initial thoughts of the tripod head. The head itself has three spirit bubbles for proper horizontal/vertical alignment. Two of the bubbles duplicate effort, measuring whether the horizon ...

View full Review

Nice product

By Larry

High quality product

Gitzo GH1780QR is the new generation of Gitzo center ball heads, engineered to be the perfect match to the tripods. These heads are designed to be an extremely balanced product, that not only guarantee a high max load, but that also maximize other key features, too often overlooked by the end users. These features include smoothness, minimized drift angle, lightweight, low gravity center, grater tilt angles, compactness, ergonomics and safety.

This is achieved by means of unique and exclusive technical solutions, such as the hollow "Bubble Ball", the "Spring Assisted Double Lock" (SADL) and the new leveling system. Gitzo center ball heads now feature two newly developed materials for discs and quick release plates that substitute the traditional cork plates. Discs now feature Safe Lock - a special techno polymer that maximises locking torque, eliminates micro movements and cuts vibration.

It is also used on Gitzo tripod upper discs for a better fit between tripod and head. Quick release plates now feature Safe Grip, a high grip material that holds your equipment safely and prevents it from moving or slipping.