I guess the WF717 Fluid Head Standard 3/8" Mount
The WF717 standard 3/8" mount is Available via Amazon (Click Here)
WF717 Fluid Head Standard (not Bowl) 3/8" Base Mount
And also available via eBay (Click Here).
WF717 Fluid Head Standard (not Bowl) 3/8" Base Mount
Nitsan writes in and shares his YouTube Review for the Fancier 270 Bowl Mount Tripod
Fancier 270A Bowl Mount Tripod - via eBay
For USA customers, you can find one via Amazon for $149 + Free Shipping (here)
FC-270A Professional Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Pan Head Bowl
Vimeo member Jonathan Nicol throws up a review on the Fancier FC-02H video fluid head. I guess this is supposed to be a step above the typical 717 heads. There's some samples at the end of his video review, and the samples do look smooth indeed. I couldn't locate this particular model on eBay, but it looks like the FC-02H head could be mounted on different tripods and coming up with different model numbers.
There's two different version over on Amazon, and from the image appears to be the FC-02H head (75mm Bowl Mount). Although these heads may provide smooth movements, keep in mind that bowl mounts are not the ones that make it easy for you to remove and use on Sliders. These are best used as just straight up fluid head sticks.
Fancierstudio FC-270 Professional Pro Tripod
A more expensive version also exists, it appears to be the same head, but possibly a different Tripod.
Here's my Panasonic GH2 with the Canon 85mm F/1.2L FD lens. Yeah I posted it for sale - didn't meet my reserve price so I didn't sell it. After just using it on the GH2 again, it's here to stay. This lens is just beautiful and focuses much smoother than those damn Panasonic lenses that need to rotate a million times. Sorry enough ranting....moving on.
Ok, just got my hands on the 700RC2 fluid head many have been asking about. It's one of the cheapest Video Fluid heads you can buy, but keep in mind it only supports just over 5 lbs. The head is using the RC2 plate system, so you can find many quick release adapters for this for your sliders, jibs, dollies, etc. It's a true fluid video head, not for photography since there's no vertical (portrait) flip available. The Pan and Tilt are very smooth for cameras under 6lbs. There's no real drag adjustment on here like the more expensive heads, it's either locked in place or loosened.
It's placed on Manfrotto's 190XDB 3 section aluminum tripod which looks very similar to my very expensive Carbon Fiber tripod, with the exception of quick release locks. This 190XDB is all aluminum so it's still pretty light weight. It's rated to support up to 11 lbs, so plenty for this type of camera. The legs can be adjusted to a FULL 90 degrees, so it can lay completely flat on the ground (with the exception of the neck). This is not just a 'video' tripod, as the neck can be flipped upside down normally used for very low Macro (flowers, bugs) type photography. You can also use this upside down feature for video and then just flip it in post.
Although you can purchase these items seperately, this is one of the cheapest special bundles over at B&HPhotoVideo.com
Manfrotto 700RC2 + 190XDB Aluminum 3 Section Tripod
I think the concept is pretty self explanatory. You're looking for a solid Video head with smooth movements for video, but you're also shooting stills and need the Vertical (portrait) position. Hybrid cameras require a Hybrid stabilizer. This new Manfrotto MH055M8-Q5 a.k.a 'Q5' Photo-Movie tripod head gives you the best of both worlds. It's a more professional video head designed to support a bit of weight, so it's not something for the average light weight point and shoot photo/video camera. But if you want to save on the amount of gear you travel with and still have professional results for both Photography and Cinema, it's something to consider (if you can get over the odd look).
Manfrotto Q5 Hybrid Photo-Movie Head
For you Amazon junkies it will be available via Prime Shipping below
Manfrotto Q5 Photo-Movie Head
There she is. She's my Eleanor. That mystical Unicorn. The legendary beast that constantly eludes me from capturing her as my own. (Referencing 'Gone is 60 Seconds'). Anyways, that's the Manfrotto 504HD Fluid Video Head. It looks good and works awesome, but the fluid head alone will run you $399. Grab a set of legs with it and you're running yourself close to $900 dollars. Sure i'd love to have every single tripod in my stash to be the best, but the truth of the matter is, it wouldn't be practical. At least, not for what I do right now. For bigger projects where you think you'll need the best of the best, you can always rent. (Check out BorrowLenses.com)
Last minute, we decided to do a live shoot with different camera angles, and we wanted a shot that was done in one take all the way through. I needed a few more tripods to station cameras around the subject. In a small studio space I don't need to have every single tripod to be an expensive one. I'm finding that many times we set the camera in it's position, start the recording, and forget it. There may be some light rack focusing involved and slow pans, but we're not chasing fast moving athletes. So for the many stationary cameras, I decided to order a few of the FT-717 Tripods + Fluid Head combo kits. It's exactly the same as the WF-717 re-branded. This fluid head is almost the same as the 717AH I use for the DIY Slider, except that it is ball mounts. If you're not familiar with the ball mounts, it's basically a super fast simple way to get that final adjustment into leveling your camera.
WF-717 Ball Mount Video Fluid Head + Three Stage Aluminum Tripod + Travel Bag
This is a three stage Tripod that has a very wide rail design common for Video tripods, and also has a center brace for extra sturdiness. Three stages of adjustments means that it can collapse shorter to make traveling easier. I've seen some monopods with 5 stages that allows it to collapse down to less than 16" for traveling and cheaper tripods may only come in 2 stages. Once the tripod is extended to your liking, leveling the camera is fast with a simple turn of the knob at the ball head. This particular design is also available in plastic if weight is a concern, but I opted for the metal version mainly for durability.
WF-717 Ball Mount Video Fluid Head + Three Stage Aluminum Tripod + Travel Bag
I have several different tripods, and one is a beast which can extend to 7ft high. If this WF-717 / FT-717 would be your only tripod, there's some things to keep in mind. Getting the camera to eye level is important for some shots, and because this is a ball mount head, there's no adjustable center neck with this particular tripod. You'll lose about 1 ft compared to the other types of tripods. With the legs fully extended the base of the camera will sit at 53" inches. Bringing the legs close together and 'cheating' a bit, you'll gain maybe 2-3 inches of additional height. This type of tripod is perfect if you're elevated, shooting low shots, if you're at a distance from your subject, or if your subject is seated.
Panning horizontally was a bit stiff right out of the box, but performed very smoothly after working them in. I believe it's because there is just random fluid thrown into the head before shipping. Once you've worked it in, it's very very smooth, especially when adding the weight of your camera and lens. A few nice additions too. The WF-717 Ball Head + Tripod also has a built in retractable bungee hook used to wrap it up and keep the legs from opening up as you carry it. It also ships with a pretty nice travel bag that includes a sling strap for hands-free carry. It's no Eleanor, but I was able to grab three of these for about the price of a single Bogen 504HD Fluid head.
WF-717 Ball Mount Video Fluid Head + Three Stage Aluminum Tripod + Travel Bag
