Advice on tripod head

[KKB]

I just purchased a Promaster SystemPRO Carbon Fiber T525P tripod. I have a Nikon D7000 with Nikon 70-200 (2.8) VRll. I am interested in wildlife photography and travel with my equipment. any suggestions on the head? I have to be able to pan smoothly.

[mjs1973]

You have tons of choices and it's going to come down to personal taste, and budget.

First of all, do you want a pan/tilt head, or a ball head? Most wildlife/outdoor photographers I know prefer a ball head because of the simple, fast operation. One knob to deal with instead of 3 can be a big time saver.

Another option you have to consider is what, if any type of quick release system you want. Bogen/Manfrotto offers a few different style quick release plates and there is also an Arca Swiss style system. I'm sure there are others as well, but these are the only ones I'm familiar with. I have a Bogen QR2 system, and it's OK. If I had it to do over again, I would go with the Arca Swiss style system, but it's much more expensive, but seems to be better designed.

As far as brands of heads, I would take a good look at the Really Right Stuff. Bogen/Manfrotto also makes some really nice heads as does Arca Swiss, Kirk and several others.

Note: Arca Swiss is both a brand and a style of quick release system. The company Arca Swiss makes very nice products, but you don't need an Arca Swiss brand head to get the Arca Swiss style quick release system.