Tripod heads explained

Jason Parnell-brookes shows you how to set up your tripod head correctly and explains the pros and cons of different types

Ball, pistol grip, three-way, pano or gimbal? Let us help you!

Following on from last issue’s project on setting your tripod up correctly, in this tutorial we’ll be covering the basics of tripod head use and the different kinds you might run into.

A tripod, as most people think of it, has two main sections: the legs and the head. The legs spread out and elevate the mount for your Nikon, but the head is responsible for the movement of the DSLR once it’s fixed to the legs. This is an integral part of the tripod that you won’t want to skip on, because this is how you’ll compose your image, only using the legs for stability and levelling. There’s no one-head-fits-all solution, as they all have a specific use. Some tripods come with heads as part of the package, but others come as just legs and the head is a separate purchase.

Very cheap tripods don’t give you the option to change the head, and if you want to up your photography game, these are best avoided. There are many different types of tripod heads, but we’ll go over five common types you’re likely to encounter.

The aim of the head is to provide a panning movement (horizontal ‘yaw’), tilting movements (both vertical ‘pitch’ and sideways ‘roll’), should you not be able to get the tripod legs level. They all have different payloads (weight limits) and some are designed for very heavy loads, like the gimbal head. So let’s take a look at the basic controls and which head you might need for your next adventure…

There’s no one-head-fits-all solution, as they all have a specific use