Subject: Pistol grip vs. fluid head tripod mount
Date: Jul 4 10:13:36 2001
From: Ned McGarry - nmcgarry at gte.net


Not to beat a dead horse on this . . . but . . .

I have both Bogen/Manfrotto tripod mounts. The pistol grip (3265) was what
I got years ago for using a 35mm camera on a tripod . . . and eventually a
video camera. For still photos it's fine, but even at the loosest setting,
it has proved jerky/amateur when trying to do any panning with a small video
camera. It's also clunky to have to squeeze the grip to move when panning
or making small motions . . . . but very convenient when you want to make
one quick repositioning that could include up/down, left/right, or adjusting
the angle of view (like you would with a still camera, tilting 90 degrees,
etc . . .).

I just got a spotting scope in the past year, and any panning or small
incremental motions would be very difficult with the pistol grip. Further,
if you spend the day squeezing that grip, I imagine you'd have a pretty
tired hand. I got the micro-fluid head 3130 for use with the scope, and it
is far and away (yes, in my humble opinion) superior to the pistol grip for
use with a scope and video camera. You don't have the tilting option, but
left/right and up/down motion can be as precise and effortless as you like.

For me, the choice is crystal clear depending on application.

And oh yes . . . be sure to get the quick-release heads. They're very
convenient!

================================
Ned McGarry
nmcgarry at gte.net