The saving grace to an otherwise poor purchase decision.
Written: Apr 21 '09
Product Rating:
Pros: Inexpensive, well made, durable, compatible with most legs.
Cons: Quirks with release plate, a little tall.
The Bottom Line: The only surving part from my Slik PRO 780DX, but its the one part that made it a worthwhile purchase. Precise framing, and built like a tank.
ncphototrekker's Full Review: Slik 618-807 SH-807E 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head
My first "real" tripod purchase was a Slik PRO 780DX unit that came with the SH-807E 3-Way pan/tilt head. I'll be totally honest here, the purchase was made based more on money and convenience than anything else. The whole unit cost less than the legs offered by the more well known brands, which would still leave me needing a head of some sort which would double the price of the legs.
I liked the idea of having a pan/tilt head as that was what I was used to, and preferred having the ability to adjust the camera's position one axis at a time. The Slik offered a quick release plate, as well as spirit levels. The legs had some great features as well, and for the price, I just couldn't pass it up.
However, early in the Slik's career with me, a bushing broke within one of the legs rendering the leg lock useless. The tripod was now worthless to me, and even though it came with a warranty, I just didn't feel comfortable with the design. I decided to replace the tripod with a Manfrotto 055-MF3 unit which came without a head. The mounting point was a standard screw mount and was compatible with pretty much any head on the market.
To avoid the initial cost of ownership of the new tripod, I thought I would try the SH-807E pan/tilt head to see if it would work on the Manfrotto. This was a nice touch that Slik built into their tripod...the removable head. I'm sure it was designed to make it possible to switch to a ball head, but in my case it made it a cinch to switch legs.
Build Quality...
This head (unlike the tripod it came on) is built like a tank. This is both a blessing and a curse. The solid metal design of the head makes it nearly indestructible, however, it also makes it heavy. It weighs in at approximately 2.2LBS which is enough to alter the balance of a lightweight tripod. However, the consolation prize for the added weight is a bit of stability that would not be present with a lighter head.
There is very little plastic used in this product which was why I decided to keep using it after the original legs failed prematurely. It is rated at being able to support 15LBS which is plenty for most 35mm/DSLR users. I have been able to support a Canon 40D with the vertical battery grip attached, while using a (heavy) EF 28-70mm f/2.8L and 580EXII speedlight in portrait orientation. To be fair, you do have to make sure everything is locked down tight, but it will hold the rig at 90 degrees without any slipping.
The quick release plate is also metal, and uses a metal thumbscrew to secure the plate to the camera. Mine has endured many mountings without a hiccup. The top is a cork surface to prevent any shifting once mounted to the camera/tripod collar. The plate will only mount to the tripod head one way, so be sure and index it properly on your equipment.
The top surface houses three different spirit levels that will aid you in camera positioning. The one along the rear helps you keep the horizon straight in your landscape shots, while the long one on the right side is there help you avoid perspective distortion when shooting architecture. For the times that You want to flip the camera on its side for a portrait orientation, there is a single bubble level that will do all of the above, but with a smaller range of movement.
The top section is mounted to the main head assembly via a front rotation joint. The joint is marked in degrees so you can fairly precisely position the camera at a variety of angles. This is how you will flip the camera from horizontal to portrait orientation. There is a twist lock lever that allows you to flip the camera. It is well dampened, and will allow smooth adjustments in either horizontal or vertical orientations. Unlike many 3-way heads, this one does not stop at 90 degrees, and allows you to overshoot on both ends of its range to take into account an unlevel tripod.
The main body houses the next rotation joint, which is also marked in degrees for the tilt of the lens. The lever is worked the same as the upper lever and will allow tilting of the lens in a loose or friction dampened fashion. This is great for minute adjustments to your composition. The handles are a nice quality rubber, and they are ribbed so they can be operated with gloves on, or with wet hands.
One nice feature of these handles is that one can be stored inside the other. How this works is, you would unscrew the top lever, and insert it into the threaded end of the lower one. This helps to keep the head compact enough to store mounted to the legs inside a tripod bag.
There is a knob on the right side of the base that controls the tension on the mounting neck. When tight, it stays rigid and will not turn. However, when you release the tension on the knob, you can rotate the head without obstruction. Again, the base is marked with degrees so that you can return to previous settings, or keep a stitched panorama in equal sections.
In the field...
As I mentioned, I really like the way a pan/tilt head works when it comes to landscape photography. I realize that I am in the minority here, but I think that my reasoning is sound. With a ball head (the accepted standard) when you release the lock, you are able to move the camera all around on each axis at once. I agree that this is the fastest way to compose a shot using a tripod. However, I like the precise framing possible by adjusting each axis individually. Once I get the horizon straight, I don't have to worry about it again as I pan or tilt the camera.
The handles work very well, and take no time at all to learn to use. It take about a 1/4 turn to release the tension so that fluid movement is possible. There is enough friction at this point to allow you to release the camera without it moving from your setting. This is handy at times, but I would always recommend tightening the handle before letting go...just in case.
I have no problem mounting any combination that I have on this head. Even with the relatively huge and heavy 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L attached this head is rock steady. It is so sturdy that I trust it over my shoulder with my camera still attached as I hike through the woods. After using this head for nearly two years now, I have not noticed any change in the staying power of the rotation joints. I don't think there is much to wear out with this head. That might just be why they list this as a heavy duty head.
At just under six inches, this is a tall head, and might pose problems for those that like to get down low. Depending on the minimum tripod height, this head may or may not be an issue for you. If your tripod is like my Manfrotto, be aware that if you mount this head on a horizontal mounted center section, you will become frustrated as the controls don't quite work like you remember. The handles will also start to get in the way.
Another problem that I have noticed with this head is that with the vertical battery grip attached to my 40D, I find it impossible to mount a lens mounted tripod ring to the head. The quick release lever opens wide in the rear and it makes contact with the battery grip body. I imagine that the same would be an issue on the bodies with the vertical grip made into the body like the Canon 1Ds Mark III, or Nikon D3. An easy work around for this is to rotate the camera in the ring to portrait orientation (vertical) so that the lower part of the body is moved out of the way. I have gotten in the habit of storing all my long lenses in this fashion and have not had a problem mounting them up quickly.
Final Thoughts...
As I started out saying, this head came attached to a set of legs that were only used a couple of times. The complete unit cost me about $177 which was an outstanding price for all that I got. I was a little upset when the tripod went south, but when you figure that a new head for my Manfrotto would set me back over $200, I realized that I hadn't wasted any money at all. The SH-807E was selling for around $150 all by itself. Having used the head for about two years, it has earned its keep in my book. Based on the build quality, I don't see any reason why I would have to replace it any time soon either.
For those photographers that like using a pan/tilt head over a ball head, this Slik head is worth a look. In addition to getting them new, there are also many used ones on the market since they come with so many Slik tripods. It seems that one of the first thing that owners do is strip the heads off and replace them with more expensive ball heads. This could be beneficial for those willing to shop a bit.
Is this the best tripod head out there? I doubt it very seriously. However, when you factor in the price compared to the construction, it does rise well above where it would normally fall. For me, it works very well, and I have not had any real desire to replace it at all. It has its quirks, and those prevent me from giving it a five star review, but I really feel that this is a four star product all the way.
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