[Leo.G (Leo)]

Thanks JA!
Main use will be still photography and an occasional light weight original Megrez SD 80mm refractor.

I have a smaller Manfrotto tripod I got used here some time back, it has a small head with very short levers and takes the 200PL plate. I'm not overly fond of the plate system as used on that particular head. It's a funny thing that doesn't look to sit flat and I've nearly dropped the camera a few times when I thought it was on (I always have the strap around my neck when mounting it).
That's not the fault of the plate or the head, that's probably more on my crappy sight and my other quick change plates on cheaper tripods sat flat.
Once my camera is set correctly in the head (on the plate) it's very secure. However I've used the Arca plate system on a friends 5D MK4 with his Gitzo equivalent CF tripod and didn't mind the ease of use of the plate.


My current Manfrotto has trouble reaching the zenith. I've found ways of reversing the camera and other strange ideas which I don't remember but worked on the night, all astro related. Though it's a 4Kg limit.

I'm not so fond of the ball head for astro, repeatability is not an option I've found but they are cheaper than the fluid heads.
Sadly unless I were to travel to Sydney (or outskirts) the chances of trying a head are slim.
I also have a pistol grip ball head here I'm quite fond of but it too has a 4Kg load limit. My D810 and old (91) 80-200 f2.8ED is just on the limit. The pistol grip isn't bad because the grip gives me a level of control but as I said, repeatability with ball heads for Milky Way shots is close enough to non existent.


Edit: Looking at the video heads they all seem to have rather large base diameters. I understand why (I have some old camcorders here (possibly even a full size VHS unit but I may have thrown that one out)) but it does limit me a little, either fluid video type head with 6-8Kg capacity or ball head with minimum 10Kg limit and correct size base (58 mm base but I will go to a 60mm head).