Avella V501 Video Camera Tripod Fluid Drag Pan Head for Canon Nikon Sony Olympus Panasonic DSLR Camera,Tripods with 3/8" and 1/4" Mounting Screw

I got this to add to a Dolica tripod to support an Athlon spotting scope. It is to replace a shaky ball-head that was difficult to adjust and wouldn't really stay put with a heavy scope. This really did the trick. Easy to replace the original... a 2 minute job at most. I'm getting the hang of it. The change to this head was a very easy with a slight learning curve. It is very smooth and very stable and supports well. I like the abilty with the long handle to pan smoothly and also move vertically with ease and smoothness. So far, so good. Easy on the pocket, and good for what I wanted... a low cost, easy to use scope mount.Edit: I have very much enjoyed learning to use this as a spotting scope mount. I'm getting very quick at getting it set up and it really pans and tilts smoothly. I'm not doing video work with it so I can't speak to that but for a spotting scope mount it is very enjoyable. I did upgrade my tripod to a heavier slik 700dx and that has also made a great deal of difference. A nice head on a shaky tripod wasn't working.

I don't have experience with more expensive heads, so this is my perspective comparing it to ball heads, I think the build and materials are good and will last, it securely holds the camera in place, panning is acceptably smooth, complaints I've seen about balance are not reasonable, of course the camera needs to be balanced or it will dip when not tightened down. This isn't the fault of the head, but the users. I bought this very cheap, and I imagine most getting this are on a budget, so I would say it is a very good deal if you get it on sale, it will last me a long while. That said, some of the machining of the boom arm hole was rough and I needed to remove metal that should have been cleaned up before it shipped, a QC issue, not a design flaw. Just make sure the threads are clear, I don't imagine this is an issue on must units, one of the two holes did need attention on mine. But all said, this will last and work well for me.

This is easily the best value video fluid head available. My Konova fluid head was slipping with every pan or tilt and became unusable. I was quickly looking for a replacement. I couldn't find a video review for this fluid head anywhere but decided to try it out anyway. The build quality is truly great, somewhat similar to Manfrotto. The head is pretty small though so I would recommend only using it with a large DSLR, at most. While it claims to support up to 11 lbs, the small design isn't suitable for something large or bulky.On that note, the biggest weakness of the head is its counterbalance feature. The head, without anything on it, tilts downward at about a 20-25 degree angle. This makes it impossible to keep the camera balanced without using a longer camera plate to offset the camera further back. I sent my first one back because the tilt was too aggressive, the second one is still bad but not as much. I intend to keep it anyway because it works well: panning and tilting is very smooth and the build quality is excellent.Pros:- smooth pan and tilt- excellent build quality- amazing value for the price- the handle has a texturized rubber gripCon- head tilts forward in its resting position, makes balancing the camera difficult- there is no friction control for tilting- camera plate doesn't slide in and out as smoothly as it should

My intended purpose for this Video Camera Tripod Fluid Drag Pan Head was to improve my hobby of video recording missile launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base. After receiving the pan head, I immediately realized I could use it for the rifle that I use for preditor night hunting.As mentioned in other reviews, the pan head 360-degree turning was not smooth and felt a bit jerky. However, I was able to eliminate that problem, and now it is pretty smooth if not perfect. However, I never handled another name brand to compare it with.The 360-degree turning pan head fix. During watching a one-hour TV show, I would tighten the pan locking lever as tight as possible, without feeling I was going to break it, in multiple positions. By the end of the TV show, the jerky feeling was completely gone. I am delighted with my purchase, and I don't think I'd be any better off with a more expensive brand.The Quick Release Plate Locking Lever has been improved. It only requires about 1/4 turn to lock the plate in place.The other feature that came in handy was the inclusion of the 3/8 inch Extended Interface. The threaded mounting hole made it possible to attach a light mounting bracket. I created it to attach my Predator Tactics Coyote Reaper Predator Hunting XXL Rifle Light to.I recommend this product.

Very sturdy, decent price for fluid head with a bubble on. It I mounted it on an old tripod. I had worked just perfect.