The base of the head has at the bottom of two different diameters, viewed from the side, the base is constructed virtually in two stages. The smaller location further down diameter can be clamped securely Gitzo Systematic tripods in Series 3, the above location, slightly wider collar fits into the receiving Gitzo Systematic tripods in Series. 5
The selling of mine head has firmly installed a recording for de GITZO quick-change system (QR = Quick Release) to fit into the GITZO quick release plates with the profile form "C". The head is also available without the QR version (GH5380S) with normal 1/4 "camera screw.
Striking is the low profile of the head, which significantly reduced by shorter lever arms the occurrence of vibrations. This advantage is even greater extent into play when the head mounted on a tripod GITZO systematics and thus "sunk" quasi in the tripod is. In favor of the stability is the area in which the head can be tilted to all sides, limited to 28 °. The range of applications for which this head has been designed is the use of long focal lengths. Especially as long focal length telephoto lenses have a tripod mount that permits rotation of the camera and lens for portrait shots, the limited to +/- 28 ° tilt range is to get over well without a device for a 90 ° tilt of the head. In return you get greater stability.
If you own a GITZO Systematic tripod can be the way through the extreme inward fold of a single tripod leg of the tripod base, thereby greatly tilt your head to one side, which greatly expands the range of adjustment in upward direction - see below [...] or [...] (however, the figures show another tripod head!).
The quick release system is easy to operate and works reliably, much less "fiddly" as the design of Schwellwechsel-clamping, as it comes z. B. in GITZO head GH2780QR used. After opening the clamping accidentally slipping out of the lens / camera is not possible to remove a lateral release has yet to be pressed.
Impressive is the quality and precision of the clamping of the head, which is achieved by rotating a large, grippy wheel with perforated surface. With little effort and short rotational path an impressively stable clamping is achieved. This is achieved by a planetary gear mechanism inside the head, which acts on a hydraulic system. When tightening a very small change in ball position ("Walking in the viewfinder image") is observed.
A stop limit of the adjustment range of the clamp wheel can be DELIMI, enabling the clamping force in the "ball freely" to adjust z. B. avoid accidental tipping of the head due to insufficient clamping. The shape of the ball is slightly aspherical, which means that with increasing tilting of the clamping force increases slightly to an accidental tipping of the camera to set an increasingly greater resistance.
The exact position of the stop limit set is a bit "fiddly" and requires a bit of practice, you have to set the desired degree of clamping the bottom stop.
Since cameras are usually triggered by the right hand is resting his left hand on the lens or on the operation of the head on the adjusting. It may happen that with the left hand the adjustment button for the stop limit is accidentally. This can easily be circumvented by rotating the quick-change recording 180 degrees - then this button is on the right side of the head and can not be easily adjusted with the left hand.
In practical operation, the head offers high precision, rapid and highly secure terminals and ultimately very low vibration / vibration also when using long focal lengths. This takes its toll by a weight of 720 g and a, in my opinion, however, reasonable sales price!