Benro HD2A 3-Way Tripod Panhead

This is a nice tripod head with a smooth movement and firm locking. I couldn't detect any play in the structure, which is brilliant because I bought it for macrophotography. I've bolted the head directly to a heavy baseboard on which I can place and illuminate subjects. I used the set-up for the first time yesterday for focus-stacking with a rail, and there was no evidence of movement anywhere.

The angular scales look like a handy feature, but I'm not convinced they do anything useful. Photographers take subjects that they line up visually; they don't need angles to help compose a shot.

One minor gripe: it would be great if the pan-and-tilt handles retracted to create a bit more space for movement in a tight corner. But that small oversight isn't enough to detract from a five-star rating.

Benro tripods are the business: excellent quality and great value for money. I usually used their ball head but sometimes I need the extra control that a pan and tilt offers. This head very secure and smooth in action. I can't fault it!

Having read reviews of this head, I have no regrets having purchased it. Used for landscape photography, it provides better stability than a ball head, especially when positioning the camera to frame the shot. It enables minor corrections in any plane, as opposed to a ball head - which, when released to move the camera, will move the camera in all directions. I use this with a 3-Legged Thing Winston tripod, and it's a great match. It's sturdy, well made (as you would expect), and suits the landscape genre perfectly. It is slightly heavier than a ball head, but the weight trade off for stability is well worth it. I use this head with Canon 5d MkIII and Canon 6D, with wide and standard Canon L lenses, as well as a Canon 70-200 f2.8, and Sigma 150-600mm C, and it is well up to the job. I would recommend considering this head to any landscape photographer. And Harrison Cameras were great to use.