STEP By STEP / The basic functions of a tripod head

1 Affix the footplate

Every head comes with a footplate, and this is the part that affixes your Nikon body (or lens) to the head. Some come with a screw thread on the bottom where you use a coin to fix it on, whereas others have an in-built wing that folds out. Make sure this is tightly screwed to avoid any movement once mounted.

3 Tilting

Tilting refers to the both vertical ‘pitch’ and sideways ‘roll’ movement of the head. Some heads offer the ability to lock off these movements, and can prove useful for subjects with height, such as architecture. Other heads do not lock and therefore the tripod legs must be levelled before attempting shots like vertoramas.

2 Panning the head

Panning refers to the horizontal ‘yaw’ movement of the head. Some heads have dedicated panning controls, which allow the camera full range of movement in 360 degrees in the horizontal plane. This is useful for tracking action-packed sports or movement in wildlife photography where vertical movement is limited.

4 Level headed

Most heads come with spirit bubbles that show if your tripod head is aligned correctly. If your head isn’t level your composition will be wonky (i.e. the horizon won’t be level) when panning. If your tripod head doesn’t have built-in levels, you can buy hotshoe-mounted levels or display a Virtual Horizon on you Nikon’s rear screen.