Approaching the Scene 001: Fluid Heads for Stills
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2018
- (Links Below) Please check out my 2020 updated fluid head system and setup video: • Approaching the Scene ... Fluid heads have a great number of advantages over ball heads. If you don't know about fluid heads, this will explain them. If you think they are too complicated, heavy, or expensive, this will debunk that. Here are links the gear in this video: www.hudsonhenry.com/atslinksThis is an update to my earlier videos about why I prefer fluid heads for both still photography and video. After I answer a few viewer-submitted photography questions, I showcase a newer, better way to mount and use your camera on a fluid head with much more ease than a traditional ball head. Try it and you won't go back...
Right now Amazon has my favorite fluid head on sale for $120. I wouldn't trade it for a ball head costing four times as much. Links are here... bit.ly/ATSLinks
Got a photography question for Hudson?
www.hudsonhenry.com/ats 
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Hudson, I was in the market for a high end ball head and came across your video. Not only did I get a much better option, it was cheaper! Literally half the price of a decent ball head! Thank you so much. You should get Manfrotto to pay you to be a spokes person - they have probably sold thousands of fluid heads because of you! By the way I purchased your Panorama tutorial lessons on your website and got some amazing panos thanks to them! You rock! Any one else reading this - you should seriously check out his tutorial videos on his website they are awesome.
Thanks so much for that comment. It makes my day. :-)
Thanks so much. I was so excited when I got my first Manfrotto Ball Head 12 years ago and as the years went on I got more and more frustrated with ball heads, but all the cool kids had them and I stuck with it. It's time to upgrade my camera support set up and while doing recon, I stumbled on to your older video first on fluid heads then this, Now I'm sold. I would never of thought to go this route. THANK YOU!
What can I say, been down the same road you all have it seems, and having stumbled upon Hudson's videos, it has changed my world. I have ordered my first fluid head, with confidence. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!
Cheers Hudson, I learnt a lot watching this, as I usually do! Many thanks and keep going. Stay Safe!
Because of you i now got a Manfrotto MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head and it's awesome !!! Thanks for all your advice
I"m so glad to hear that Tarlak. They rock don't they?
Hudson Henry ho yes so much !!
Yeah, I will be going with the fluid head now. It just seems like the perfect head for all kinds of work. Thanks for these vids. They help in the decision process.
Sweet vid mate, been struggling with the Panoramas and ball head. Fluid head on the way. Thanks for sharing this.
Great presentations Hudson! Your relaxed enthusiasm has won me... along with your great advice of course. Your videos have set me on the right track regarding ‘all’ of the correct tools to get shooting comfortably. Thank you very much! All the best to both you and your family.
Thanks so much Dave! That means a lot.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto- Cheers mate.
Thanks for replying and sharing this setup. I was frustrated with my ball head for the same reason. I got the same head on Friday, I am happy now. Take care!
Cheers! I've used fluid heads on video projects but never really considered them for stills. You make a great argument for fluid heads on still sticks. The amount of frustration I've had with ball heads and pan/tilt heads (which are better, but also bulkier) in general is immeasurable. A flaky ball head dropped my 70-200 with the body while I was carrying it on a hike. Sure, I could've been more careful, but using a fluid head would've still prevented me from having that damn ball head on my sticks : D
I have used Manfrotto fluid heads since I first saw you endorse using a fluid head. Your suggestion has been one of the best I have followed. Hope it works as well for others as it has for me (i.e. solved problems and made photography more fun). Thanks for the suggestion!
So glad to hear that Martin. Thanks for the feedback. It really makes my week.
Thanks so much for this video!
:-) There are more updated Fluid head vids in my feed too. thanks for the feedback
I have the same setup. It makes everything so much easier. I use it more for photography and I can see how useful it would be for video.I don’t even use the “handle” like you also don’t. The fluid head works on a monopod too.
I have bought 3 fluid heads since the last video you made on this subject.
Too cool. 500AH and others?
Thank you
Thanks Hudson I have purchased and love the setup!! The only thing I don't like is not being easily able to adjust the height of the camera if I say want to raise it 5cm I have to adjust all 3 legs.
Is there an adjustable height centre column or some other attachment that will work with the fluid head setup that will allow me to make minor adjustments on the vertical axis?
Thanks 😊
regarding exposure: could use a spot meter. take several shots. one for the brightest spot, one for the darkest, a 3 for the areas in between. then, exposure stack
I used to do exactly that with film, but I find I so rarely need that with the dynamic range in modern sensors. Occasionally I bracket and check my histogram for highlights and shadows (3-5 images, two stops apart) but that's about it.
I'm in the middle of putting my list together to build my fluid head system thanks for the great information! Is there a real difference in brands of fluid head, or does it just boil down to preference?
I have a manfrotto tripod and bought a Black rapid holster on which to hold two cameras. The cameras can be attached directly to the holster with Black Rapid clips fitted to the quick release plate but was told that I could only have a Manfrotto fluid head which takes the BR clip namely RC-2. It also takes the Arca Swiss fitment but I am at a loss as to which fluid heads I can use with this Arca Swiss fitment. I have a Canon 7D ± extender ± 100-400 canon lens so would need a fluid head taking this weight. Do you have any suggestions??
Great tips especially for a hybrid shooter as me! But it seems 500AH Manfrotto head kind of loose on pan side in your video. Have you loosened any bolt to do so? As far as I know that head has fixed drag and I have seen some user complaints that indicates it has very stiff pan action.
Wow. I will consider buying a fluid head. The only drawback appears to be the size and bulk is more than my RR BH-40. Packing gear for travel is always a challenge but the fluid head may be worth the added space. Thanks
It sure is for me! :)
Just discovered your videos, as I am searching for the best setup for my Nikon P1000 (also have D810, but the long lens of the P1000 is what I am currently working with). How does the "balancing" work with the P1000, as the center of gravity changes as it zooms in and out? Does it still work well with your recommended setup?
Hey Hudson, I was looking for the part holpe. Can you please give me a part number so b&h can find the part. Thanks again for a great video.
I’ve been using very cheap video heads for a very long time even for stills. I figured I should get with the program and grab a decent ball head right? Well I’m thinking about it I started wondering about what I like about “video” heads...and you’ve nailed it right here in terms of what I foresee the problems might be when choosing my upgrade. Here’s the thing: most say ball heads are faster. But if I need speed of changing I’m likely not even on the tripod. I bring the tripod for slower and steadier and more precise set-ups. Very helpful discussion here thank you.
To say a ballhead is faster is laughable. It takes about 1 second to level a good fluid head, then every composition you're after is simple and level. Every adjustment with the ballhead requires releveling. It's ridiculous if you've used a fluid head you'll hate it. Trust me. People blindly use ballheads because they don't know better. There's zero advantage.
Hudson Henry Photography makes sense to me!! Thank you for the reply 👍
Hi Hudson, after watching all your fluid head videos you have a convert here in the UK :-). I need your assistance you talk about the last plate that you attached to your 800mm lens. I checked your specs list but not able to ascertain which one you have used/purchased. I assume that it's a Manfrotto original plate as not able to find after market cheaper copy as most are only 40mm wide arca swiss not 50mm, if this is the case what is the model number/code? Really enjoying your Approaching the Scene Videos. Thanks in advance for your assistance look forward to hearing from you.
Right on with Bears's Ears!!! (probably the area richest in cultural artifacts in the U.S.) If you did not already donate footage or pictures to SUWA, they might want them..
Hey Hudson
Does the fluid in the head get frozen in the cold weather?
Which Fluid head is better
Manfrotto 500AH, 502AH or the 504AH?
Also is there any advantage to buying a more expensive one like the RRS 305 ?
Regards, Rick
Fluid viscosity does change in weather, one disadvantage of the 500 head is the drag is fixed and as such will change resistance in weather. It won't freeze per say, but increase in drag. The 502 does have variable drag to compensate, but the head itself is much larger and heavier. In many cases it's just not worth the size and weight for this feature, especially as a hybrid video/photo head
Being a video guy who also does stills every now and then, just for the sake of photography "per se" (hobby), and having been doing this for almost a decade now, I've never been able to get my head around ballheads and why most stills guys love them. I've always used video fluid heads, but the few times I've tried to use a ballhead for still work I just go nuts in a very short period of time, that being around 10 secs or so haha, I find them very impractical.
Yep! I've converted a bunch of folks now and that's the consistent theme... I know I feel the same way. Ball heads are so frustrating if you've used a good fluid head.
Hudson, just watched your landscape video on ON1 and you talked about shooting fast moving subjects, birds etc. and mentioned aperture priority, continuous focus, and auto focus group. The one thing I would ask is which metering mode is best for this shooting situation? Nikon D7500. I'm guessing spot, but would appreciate your feedback. Always look forward to your videos and tutorials. Keep up the great work. Thanks
If it's bright, you're shooting backlit birds in flight and the results look way underexposed, then go for spot, but I find that the matrix metering is so good now that I rarely leave it. It's smart enough to know what's important in the scene 9 times out of 10. For fast subjects though I generally flip to shutter priority not aperture. aperture is for changing light when depth of field is my creative concern. With fast motion, blur is more my concern generally.
Thanks Hudson...makes sense! @@HudsonHenryPhoto
Comparing a fluid head to a ball head the choice is obvious, but you make no mention of more traditional 3-axis heads such as the newer Manfrotto models that include friction controls.and I’m wondering how a fluid head compares to using such a 3-axis head?
Hudson, how often to you have to tighten the bowl clamp? I know you said you tighten it every time you go on a shoot but mine loosened after my camera just sitting on it for a couple days in my house. It just seemed weird. Thanks for your time sir.
Hey Dave, It's reflexive for me. Like checking the arca knob when I attach to the head. I have only found it loose a couple of times though. This video is quite old though. These days I'm using a newer set of legs (ruclips.net/video/fKjchwMSu7Y/видео.html) that are lighter, cheaper and I think even better made that have a safety catch to keep the head in even if the system loosens. It's all in my links. www.hudsonhenry.com/atslinks
Would you advise MVH502 or the MVH500 that you use ?
500 all day long. The 502 is really big and bulky. It's overkill unless you have a really big video rig. The 500AH is light, small and perfect for DSLRs and Mirrorless. It's what it's made for. I've used it with my 400mm and a doubler with no problems.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto thank you!
You mention Panning Clamp/head but there is no link mentioned. Please rectify this if you would. Thanks
Hey Bob, in the description I have these links on every vid: www.hudsonhenry.com/atslinks/ If you would consider using my links I'd highly appreciate it. Thanks!
best ball head ever made: Novoflex MagicBall Free Set
I had a magic ball 20 years ago. I think I still have it in a box somewhere. I found it the most awkward ball head I've owned. It's nearly impossible to mount a good arca clamp to, let alone a leveling clamp for panos. The magic ball looks cool and costs a lot, but it's not a good head. Try a kirk, arca Swiss or RRS BH55 if you must use a ball head, but from experience I can tell you no ball head compares to the much cheaper and way easier to use manfrotto 500ah fluid head I show here. You'll never go back.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto most ball heads don't have the freedom of movement found in magicball. for my photography magicball is the way to go.
@@agostonberko suit yourself. An L bracket let's much better heads get the angles you like though without getting way out off balance out to the side like the magic ball and with much better connection points.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto your setup is huge in weight & poor in portability. and you can't even take a shot in an inclined angle, because the lower ball mount is limiting you after +/-15% sideways... even with L-bracket is not sufficient imho. not universal in my view at all. maybe for you this works and you should try the nitrotech piston version if thats the case, but to recommend fluid head is general for stills photography is misleading. depends on your preferences & willingness to carry the chosen gear setup with you or maybe not... magicball free has 5kg load capacity which is plenty & can be used much easier even on a monopod... try that with a fluid head. for panorama of course you win.
@@agostonberko For monopod a simple angle head is ample. No ball needed. You're funny. My light fluid head setup is 5 lbs total, my heavy is 7 pounds. The magic ball is ancient and was a bad idea then, but if it works for you fine my friend. I've had hundreds of photographers switch to fluid heads and not a single complaint. Nearly 2/3rd of my workshop participants are on them and many many thanks come in via email and social. You can disagree if you wish, but for landscape there's nothing more versatile or better. The 500AH in this video (my heavier setup) is exactly the same weight as a RRS BH55 and takes no more room on the side of my pack. Not sure how you figure I can't angle down. With the head level it will tilt 90 degrees to point straight down. Funny comment, but maybe you just need to actually try one. ;-)
This really annoys me. Walking around with an L bracket plus arca swiss clamp in addition to the tripod plate gets old way to quickly, especially when L brackets can't balance the camera when putting in a table so you end up hand holding the L bracket with the arca swiss clamp and fluid head plate. Now your camera is huge, uncomfortable and gets even tougher to put in a bag. Why don't we say no or NO and force them to make fluid heads with tilt action? Why because of RUclips showing us how to work around short comings and claiming them as advantages.
Everyone has different needs for sure. I personally can't imagine not having an L-bracket on my camera. Since the film days, it's the first thing I order as I get a new body. I must say though, I set mine on the table just fine with L-brackets. Never had a problem with that. I'd rather carry more gear to make my compositions simple to adjust and rock solid. Other's are minimalist. No way is right or wrong.
Fluid heads do all have tilt action though. It's just designed to stay perfectly level and tilt the frame down and up (Not to the side). I can't see how you'd design a fluid head to tilt the camera vertical while still panning and tilting your composition in a level fashion. It seems much simpler to use an L-bracket. I personally never tilted the Ball Heads I used to their side either. It always felt way too off balance that way. I kept them up in a more stable easy to work with position and used L-brackets to go vertical then too.
@@HudsonHenryPhoto I am using an FSB 4 head. I haven't found a single L bracket that doesn't mean that the lens hits the table top. L bracket off and lens sits clear. Old or cheaper heads have a third adjustment. I miss that in pro gear. I wouldn't entertain a ball head at all. The whole L bracket mod though rases the camera a full 2 cm and adds weight. I have been doing this for some time. The complaint I have is that for the sake of 1 screw we add 2 and all the extra baggage. As we accept this we allow it to continue.
It's actually a lot more than that. The old 3 axis video heads have to have a single arm coming up to top platform on just one side. To create a smooth tilting fluid system that way would be much more complex, especially if it has to hinge under the fluid separate from the lower panning fluid section. It's by design also going to be less stable for the same weight. I think you have to pick 3 axis or fluid head. I really don't understand what you mean by the lens hitting the table top. I tend to rest my cameras on the base and lens edge no matter what type of camera and lens I'm using. L-bracket or none. Aside: I have an FSB-6 I love to use in the studio too. Great head!
@@HudsonHenryPhoto Yes with the Sachtler plate my lens doesn't touch the table. No need to "gently rest the lens" No the heads I am talking about don't have anything more than a bolt and lock screw. The bolt is in the hing that holds the quick release plate. This design is not going to interfere with the "fluid" at all. It essentially is just a hinged clamp. It doesn't matter, the work around is ok, just means a touch more hassle and weight. It is just a shame that cheap heads do something very well that no quality head thinks we want and then we end up adding weight to make a less stable connection so that we can do what the head makers think we never use. See why I am annoyed? I am not annoyed at you, but at manufacturers. I actually appreciate your suggestions, but I think RUclips videos influence manufacturers an awful lot, so I just wish that every time someone talks about work arounds that they also say what would be better. This way the world would get much better rather than repeating history over and over and over.
Check out my latest video for an elegant new solution. The manfrotto 500 takes the same plates as the sachtler by the way. I switch them back and forth all the time. Thanks for the kind words my friend. :)