Comments about Giottos Giottos MH-1302 Pro Series II Socket & Ball Head with 1/4 x 20 Camera Mount - Max Load: 18 Lbs.:

I bought this to use with my Giottos MT-8340 tripod. I intended to put a 1.75" Kirk clamp on it, but I had to really screw the knobs tight to avoid lens droop. I [...] got a Photo Clam PC-36. The Photo Clam is more expensive, but well worth the money, as it's more nicely machined and holds tight without my having to really crank down the knobs.

Comments about Giottos Giottos MH-1302 Pro Series II Socket & Ball Head with 1/4 x 20 Camera Mount - Max Load: 18 Lbs.:

I'm just getting into still photography, I'm a professional video cameraman during the day. This means I probably spend more money than I should on quality equipment, as I don't like cheap plasticy gear.

This ball head fitted to my Manfrotto 190CXPRO4, but only just. If Manfrotto move the locking screws another 16th of an inch out, they will fail to connect with the base of the head. You'll have to find another way of locking the head in place once screwed onto the main spigot.

I had hoped connecting to the camera would be easy with the circular thing on the top. This can be done quickly, but between the cork on the widget, and the rubber on the bottom of my D300, the connection never tightens to a point when you think "that's tight and snug," This is further evidenced by the way the lens droops when I move the camera to the portrait orientation. I'm now looking for a QR plate of some sort.

the lock and friction controls are too similar but they do roughly the same thing. The friction that can be added is very controllable and reminds me far more of the fluid damped system in my £4K video tripod head than most friction systems. Rotational lock is great for panoramics you intend to stitch. Tightening the control does turn the head very slightly. This can be corrected by bedding in the control. lightly tighten the control and the main body around against the resistance. make additional quarter turns. the control beds in and does not rotate.

If my tripod and head were stolen, I would buy the same head again. I would also buy the unit with the QR plate though. I feel this item is generally well made and offers robust functionality. I would like a better unit, but I don't feel I would get that for much less than three times the cost of this one.

Comments about Giottos Giottos MH-1302 Pro Series II Socket & Ball Head with 1/4 x 20 Camera Mount - Max Load: 18 Lbs.:

I purchased the MH-1302 to go along with the Giottos MT-8361 tripod legs. The ball head looks a little small atop this tripod, but it is rated to hold almost as much weight as the tripod legs, so I decided that it would be large enough. My camera is fairly light, so I can't comment on the capacity of the head.

What I can say is that this is a precision machine. Fit and finish are exceptional. The ball and all of the controls operate very smoothly. The three knobs give control over ball position, panning, and the 'tightness' of the ball, which helps the head adjust easily with a camera/lens of any weight. I replaced the MH-210C camera platform with the Giottos MH-652 Quick Release platform for added flexibility; it's also a very good product.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the 1302. It equals or betters the quality of competing ball heads at a much lower price. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of 5 is that when the panning control is tightened, the head tends to rotate ever so slightly to the right. Just a small quibble with an otherwise outstanding product.