theuerkorn's Full Review: Giotto's Pro Ball Head with 621 Quick Release Plat...
A good pair of legs is only as good as the head that sits on it. While this may apply to normal life as well, it's especially true for tripods, and in semi- and professional ranges one is often tasked with having to configure both to your needs rather than getting a packaged deal.
IN A NUTSHELL
The Giotto's MH7 series ball head is labelled "Pro" but the fine print reveals it to be an economic solution and the $65 street price confirms that. Configuration doesn't stop at picking a head itself, but it consists of a base (with the ball swivel) and a camera plate (adapter). So in this case the "MH7001" stands for a ball head with 6 kg load capacity (13 lbs) and the "-621" for the included camera mount (standard size with dual bubble level).
Overall, the ball head is a good entry level for those that leave the consumer grade behind and are ready for a bit more serious equipment without spending the money on really professional support. So for me that's about right as I don't use tripods all the time.
The Giotto's MH7001-621 in particular is a good solution which holds my EOS5D MkII securely in all positions. It's not as precise or flexible as some more expensive heads, and the ball head in general has some ambiguity between set position and where the camera ends up settling. Yet, for the money it's a good solution.
DETAILS
Size: [***--] The MH7001-621 adds about 113 mm (~4.5".) to the height of your tripod legs, which brings most 60some inch tripods in very comfortable height for most users. The weight adder of 591 g (1.3 lbs) is significant and that heft is certainly felt when hauling the tripod around. It also makes especially very light-weight legs (Carbon fiber) a bit top heavy. That's nothing outrageous but still to be considered. Of course it does return the favor by securely holding up to 6 kg (13 lbs).
Design: [***--] The -621 doesn't sport the convenient quick release of the -652, and it takes two actions to "quickly" remove the adapter plate from the head, but it still beats having to screw it on and off. In fact, the second step is there for good reasons as it provides security from having the plate simply slide off when loosened -- camera and all. Otherwise, the ball head is of fairly standard construction with a single split clamp squeezing the ball and providing "instant" locking of both axis'. A "brake" for adjusting friction is not available. Of course the slot in the clamp provides both guidance (for normal use) and restriction (for free alignment). The included bubbles are geared towards landscape orientation (unless used with an L bracket), and the head itself does not provide panning.
Camera Mount: [***--] While larger lenses often mount through a dedicated ring to the tripod for better weight distribution, smaller ones typically rely on the camera itself to be mounted. Depending on the weight of your lens, it's very important to have a good solid connection between the adapter plate and the camera. Compared to the -658 plate, the -621 falls a bit short in guaranteeing that the camera won't twist on the plate. (The -658 sports a flange that mechanically holds the camera in place.) Relying only on friction, the rubber pads provide reasonable resistance and in most cases (especially landscape) that's fine for my typical EOS 5D MkII w/ EF24-150 lens. "Oddly" enough, the much heavier EF70-200 lens is less prone to twist on the plate since it utilizes a mount ring to distribute the weight better.
Panning: [*----] A ball head in general isn't a great panning head (i.e. for panoramas), and the MH-7001 base relies completely on the tripod legs to provide that kind of functionality. Naturally the high degree of freedom when loosening the ball, is not suitable to hold a consistent camera orientation isolated to just panning in one plane.
Macro: [****-] The -621 camera mount offers a sliding plate that especially helps with making minor camera position adjustments in Macro mode. Since the DOF is so small and camera position very important, it helps to not have to reposition the tripod as much. That takes out a great amount of hassle in high magnification setups. Unfortunately it's a pure sliding action with clamp and not the comfort of a gear drive to position more securely. Further, it's missing a scale to judge your movement. For greater travel range consider the -631 which provides a longer camera mount slide (MH-611 appears to be interchangeable).
Portrait: [***--] The levelling bubbles are effective for landscape orientation only, and the -621 relies completely on the legs to be properly oriented. With that in place, the head swivels 90 degree to a hard stop and the portrait positioning is somewhat repeatable within the constraints of the adapter plate. The rigidity of the head is fairly well done, though for enthusiasts an L bracket may still be the better option.
Value: [****-] At $65 this head provides reasonable rigidity and position feedback. The Macro fine adjustment (sliding plate) is not common in this price range and certainly a recommendation. Overall positioning is pretty average for a ball head and bears all the advantages and compromises of the concept (without damping etc.). Yet, overall, it's a very usable head ... until you save enough money for a more powerful head. Then again, if you already know you're going to be serious about it and have an additional $150 "laying around", the MH-3300-657 or -658 is a much better design that will keep you happy longer. (The MH-1300-658 is slightly cheaper, but also a solid recommendation and in my future plans.)
Professional Heavy Duty Ball and Quick Release Horizontal adjustable moving quick Release plate Interchangeable 1/4" and 3/8" camera fixing screw 1/4"...More at Amazon Marketplace
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