What tripod head??

I just picked up a Manfrotto 055XB Tripod almost new for $100 a bargain I must say. The guy i bought it from didn't like it and said it was too flimsy. Rubbish i say, it looks like a beauty.
Now i just need to get a head for it, but i am not sure what to go for.
The biggest lens i will put on it is the Bigma (if it ever arrives) which i will use for bird and other wildlife shots.
And i plan on doing a few family portraits also. It will not get a huge amount of use
So do i go for a ball head or a pan and tilt head. Any recommendations : Cheers

I've used one of these - a Slik AF2100 head for the last 15+ years.

Couldn't be simpler to use, and it's lasted brilliantly. Whatever it is that grips it tight when you let go of the handle is just as good now as it ever was. It'll support the entire weight of my tripod at an angle of 90 degrees to the vertical.

To answer your question we'd need to know the total weight of the heaviest combination you are likely to want to support.

I use a Manfrotto 488RC2 mostly. It's good for up to 8Kg but it won't hold my SMC Pentax 135-600mm zoom steady. That's more to do with the positioning of the tripod mount on the lens than my tripod or head though.

Wow thats a fancy looking head, never seen its like before
What do they go for, are they expensive. Excuse me if i sound dumb but is the Slik head compatible with the Manfrotto legs. :

Just looking at the Pic again does the pistol grip interfere when you are trying to look through the viewfinder :

I think it's about 80 quid now - I saw it advertised somewhere recently for about that. I bought it for 50 quid many years ago, and thought it was expensive then... but in retrospect, it's probably one of the best accessories I've ever bought. Fantastic value for the use I've had out of it.

I'm just as dumb - I have no idea !!

And the grip doesn't interfere at all, whether upright, or turned to portrait. There's a slot in the body that lets it rotate sideways.

I'll take some pics if you like...

The Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip head seems similar. It'll only support up to 5Kg though. Maybe not strong enough for the Sigma 50-500mm lens + camera body + grip etc.

No its ok, I am having a look to see if its available here in Aust first, and if so it should have some pics i'm sure. Cheers

Mannesty the heaviest setup i would put on it would be around 3.5kgs
edit: i didnt take into account the grip so lets say 4kgs.
The Bigma is only 1.9kgs on its own

With a max of 3.5Kgs (I'd double that at least for future requirements) you have plenty of choice. Personally, I love Manfrotto gear. It's rock solid and will last a lifetime so buy wisely. If you didn't get them with the tripod, I'd get the spiked feet for the legs too. Even the standard rubber cups can allow movement when you have a big lens fitted.

I meant of how it attaches, so that you can see if it's similar to the top of your tripod. Let me know if you change your mind.
The AF2100 is perfectly fine with the K10D and the Pentax SMC-A 400mm, which is quite a beast.

Weight isn't so much the issue, I would have thought - it would take a lot to actually bend the legs. More a case of balance perhaps...

Most heads have a 3/8" thread which would be just right for your Manfrotto Clarky.

Dan

Chris: The Slik head is compatible with the Manfrotto, they both have 3/8 mounts. It will hold over 10LBs it says. Whats that in KGs.
They go for about $200 here.

I found the Manfrotto 322RC2 that Mannesty mentioned on E-Bay currently at $80 with a couple of days to run.
I will keep looking thanks for the suggestions.

2.2 lbs per kg - so 10 lbs is a touch over 4.5 kgs...

10Lbs is about 4.5Kg.

As you're interested in your macro stuff, I wonder how easy it is to use this sort of head when really close to something. If, for instance, you wanted to tip the camera forward a little, you'd actually have to move it a fair distance forward (the radius of movement is quite large compared to a standard ball head). This would throw your focus way out, and you'd then have to move your whole tripod backwards to compensate.

Even with a ballhead like the 488RC2 that Mannesty and I use, this can sometimes be a problem.

Dan

I think it fairly true to say that if you balanced a 50Kg static load on top of any modern tripod, the legs would not break.

It's also true to say that with a 3.5Kg static load, the legs of some tripods would certainly bend, if only by a small amount.

In my case, I have a Manfrotto 055PROB + 822RC2 ball head which is a fairly well respected combination.

It's torsional stiffness is very good, but it will not stop my 135-600mm zoom (4.5Kg on its own) from waving about unless I am very careful. That's probably worst case scenario becasue the lens + camera combo is very front heavy and very long.

For me, lens & camera balance + tripod torsional stiffness up to about 10Kg are the most important.

Just seen the 322RC2 is the one with the sideways grip, so it shouldn't be such a problem as with the Slik one.

Dan