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75mm vs 100mm Head

Ryan Chapman

Ryan Chapman

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Hi everyone, quick question:

What's the quality difference between 100mm and 75mm ball heads? I've been looking for a while now and can't find anyone really talking much about the issue. Are the 100mm heads just a little more stable/smoother? I'm about to buy either a Miller Compass 20 or an Arrow 25, and would like to know peoples thoughts on justifying the extra $1000 to get the 100mm Arrow, and I'm kind of in a time crunch because the Compass is on sale right now and I'd imagine it will end by this weekend.

Thanks in advance!
 
I think you may find a 75mm ball mount will slip in the tripod mount with a camera set up size of Scarlet or Epic. We use 100mm or 150mm bowl mounts. Mostly 75mm heads are lightweight and arnt engineered for the weight of camera set ups by the time you have the camera package assembled. Its a good point you raise though as Epic and Scarlet are lighter than previous generation cameras so lighter heads can be used, I just feel 75mm is much too small.
 
100mm is the minimum size you should use for professional use. You can get away with a 75mm bowl for lightweight applications but for normal production its way to small.
If you plan on adding large lenses and AKS even a 100mm setup can be too small.
 
To add to whats been said. If you wanted an ideal set up Id probably check out Sachtler Carbon legs and a Ronford 2003 (100mm) or 2004 (150mm) or O'cconor 1030 head.
 
Okay thanks everyone, I'll go with a 100mm. Is the Arrow 25 anywhere near the same performance level as an O'Connor 1030? I'll be shooting mostly narrative (low budget, though, and with smaller setups), so the O'Connor is looking increasingly appealing.
 
Ryan Chapman said:
Okay thanks everyone, I'll go with a 100mm. Is the Arrow 25 anywhere near the same performance level as an O'Connor 1030? I'll be shooting mostly narrative (low budget, though, and with smaller setups), so the O'Connor is looking increasingly appealing.
Click to expand...

I use an Arrow 25 and are extremely happy with it (well built, strong, fluid movements, highly adjustable and with light on the level ball), I've heard it's just as good, if not better than O'connor alternative, but I'm not sure, as I have no first hand experience with 1030.
 
I use both Miller and Oconnor heads. They are very close in performance and durability. Millers are the most bang for the buck you
can find, in my opinion. Miller does not have the set prestige, but that's not what you need or are looking for. You can't go wrong
with either. And both are very viable used. Definitely 100mm. Much more stable. And much greater choice of heads as well.
 
Can anyone make any more recommendations for 100mm sticks? Are Miller Solo sticks viable for narrative, or would they not be stable enough? Going 8" from the ground would be an amazing perk. I'm also looking at the O'Connor 25L and 35L. Does anyone know the difference between the two? I have about $750 - $1000 budget for the sticks, used is fine.
 
you could have a look at the larger compass (i believe the 25 is 100mm). i own a 1030 and love it, but i've been very happy with miller in the past. as for sticks, i actually got a pair of miller solo legs for a feature i shot in italy...didn't have much in the way of crew and couldn't take babies and a hi-hat over, much less bulkier sticks. the 1030/solo combo was pretty great (though 95% of the film was handheld, so take that opinion with a grain of salt), at least in terms of keeping things light/compact/versatile. it can be a little tedious to raise and lower the camera compared to a more traditional setup, and you won't have spreaders, but if you're mostly doing it yourself (i.e. not as rental business) and you're fine working with them, then more power to you. i found that they were pretty damn stable for a camera as light as epic with small primes. if you're going to be working with the 18-85 or other large lenses, you may want something beefier for a tripod anyway...and if you're ever renting larger zooms, well, you can rent a head and sticks. if 95% of your work and camera setups will be light and without a full crew, you may be happy to have the lighter tripod setup. hope this helps...
 
Thanks Clint. Thanks for being the height adjustment to my attention. I think I would rather have heavier sticks that are easier to adjust height, than lights sticks that are a pain to raise and lower, which is making the Solo sticks look much less appealing. Is there another thread on 100mm sticks around this price range? I haven't been able to find one that goes into much detail.
 
Oconnor 35L have a cool function where you can raise/lower the legs with one switch at the top near the bowl. I might be interested in selling mine... Been looking at the sachtler ENG 2 CF HD lately....
 
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