theuerkorn's Full Review: Giottos Mh 1300 Pro Series Ii Ballhead With Mh 657...
A good pair of legs is only as good as the head that sits on it. I established that before when reviewing my MH-7001. It still applies to humans as well, but the difference of the MH-1300 to mentioned MH-7001 makes it clear: Tripods require a good head if you use them a lot and fiddling around is not your idea of fun. Either way, my older MT-9360 tripod (of two) needed a new, more precise head, and the MH-1300 seemed like the right tool for the job along with the desire for an upgrade from the previous experience with the budget version not too long ago.
IN A NUTSHELL
The Giotto's MH1 series ball head is labeled sold as a "Pro" unit and both features and price reflect that. The included camera adapter plate provides the desired scale and the needed anti-rotation features the (much cheaper) -621 plate didn't offer. The "MH1300" stands for a ball head with a massive 15 kg load capacity with fine adjustment and panning; and the "-657" for the included camera mount (standard size with dual spirit levels).
The extra $100 for the MH1300-657 compared to the MH7001-621 buy a much higher load capacity but also a lot of features improving the usability. Tension adjustment allows to smoothly adjust the camera, while a panning base helps out to get "perfect" panorama shots. The camera adapter shows excellent attention to detail and both the added scale (for macro) and the anti-rotation tabs are very helpful in many situations. (In fact I was yearning the of sorts when dealing with the cheaper models.)
Overall, at a price for the head alone that exceeds many complete tripods in the consumer and even "prosumer" range, one can expect good performance and durability. The MH1300-657 filled that void that was left by the respectable but somewhat lacking budget model mentioned before.
My EOS5D MkII found an equal companion in the Giotto's MH1300-657 which not only holds the equipment even with the heaviest lens securely in all positions. It's much more precise and flexible and added features like panning and anti-rotation plate make it much less frustrating to work with. Of course you have to care that much in order to make it worth the investment of $160 (plus tripod legs).
DETAILS
Size: [****-] The MH1300-657 adds about 121 mm (~4.6".) to the height of your tripod legs, which brings most 60some inch tripods in very comfortable height for most users. The weight adder of 740 g (~1.6 lbs) is a force to be reckoned with, literally. 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 15 kg (33 lbs). In general, the larger the ball the more moment arm the clamps have, resulting in higher load capacity.
Design: [*****] Construction is significantly different from budget heads which typically deploy clamp halves without a tension setting. The MH1300 base uses wedge clamps that are activated by thumb screws and fine pitch makes it easy to lock despite the small moment arm. A separate pre-tension screw sets the friction and therefor how easily the head moves around. This makes it easy to adjust tension according to the weight of the camera and lens and allow for smooth and balanced motion. The base also includes a panning feature which is more precise than typical features achieved by the tripod legs and is on par with panning heads. Overall design is well laid out with good access for fingers (due to the smallish buttons), and scales makes it easy to judge placement where applicable.
Camera Mount: [****-] The -657 alone costs as a spare part roughly $60 which is certainly not cheap. Nevertheless it offers an innovative anti-rotation tab which keeps the camera more secure in portrait mode. A heavy lens mounted through the camera quickly makes this feature very desirable. Of course really big lenses are typically mounted through a more balanced ring than at the camera mount. The scale isn't mandatory, but it sure helps to judge how much adjustment you just made in order to get the plate in focus range.
Panning: [****-] A ball head itself isn't a great panning head (i.e. for panoramas), and the MH-1300 adds a swivel base to provide that kind of functionality independent from the ball joint. The scale helps to judge relative motion and a clamp holds it in the desired position, or simply locks it when not needed. The used bearing shows virtually no play, which allows for little variation as the camera is being panned (i.e. for panorama shots). Of course, today's software can compensate, but the cleaner your input files the more resolution and sharpness is maintained for the output -- Especially when combining stitching and HDR.
Macro: [****-] The -657 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. The scale is helpful to judge motion and position when adjusting. Of course it's still purely dove-tail guided with a friction clamp, which isn't ideal for very precise movement. It's still easy to accomplish the last bit in camera (where it belongs). The plate is secured by a quick release mechanism that makes sure the camera doesn't slide off when releasing the clamp.
Portrait: [****-] There is no real substitute for "L" brackets, but the -657 provides a very useful flange which can engage with the camera's back (or front) to provide more resistance against twisting on the camera adapter, as the friction pads aren't always enough to maintain position. There is some flexibility in this solution and it sure doesn't work too well with heavily rounded camera bodies, but it works great for my 5D.
Value: [****-] Taiwanese Giotto's appears to be mandating prices and it's virtually impossible to find any bargain. At $164.90 this head is significantly more expensive than the economy HM-7xxx series. The extra $100, however, buy significant (!) improvement in both rigidity and adjustment. The extra weight is noticeable, but worth the investment. The MH-3300-657 requires another $50 and the difference to the MH-1300 is minor in normal use, but the 3300 is almost twice as heavy.
Note: Giotto's is a pure-breed Taiwanese company with production in China, and has no ties to Italy despite the admittedly Italian sounding name. Further, it's not easy to determine the correct spelling as the logo and most internet listings suggest "Giottos", but the company's website typically uses Giotto's as the most frequent version. visit www.giottos.com
Giotto's Pro II ball head series features a light and extra large ball with ball hollowed structure designed and manufactured to precisely position th...More at Adorama
Shipping from $6.35. Giottos MH-1300 Pro Series II Large Ballhead with MH-657 Quick Release System - Supports 25 lbs (11.3 kg)More at B&H Photo-Video-Pro Audio
Giotto s Pro II ball head series features a light and extra large ball with ball hollowed structure designed and manufactured to precisely position th...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.