Vanguard GH-200 Pistol Grip Ball Head Review

Getting the right head to go with your tripod is incredibly important. There are two main types for stills photography – three-way heads or ball heads. Three-way heads offer very precise positioning, while ball heads on the other hand are more compact and quicker to use. A variation on the ball head is the pistol grip head, and the GH-200 is the latest offering from Vanguard.

Designed to support a load of up to 6kg, the GH-200 weighs in at 0.8kg. The position of the head is locked in place by the pistol grip – clench it to move and position the head to the angle you want, before releasing your grasp to lock it in position. There’s a Friction Control System that allows you to tighten or loosen the friction of the grip depending on the weight of your equipment, while the angle of the handle can also be altered via the Grip Position Release System.

The GH-200 head allows your camera to be positioned pretty much anywhere you like – it can be turned 360° in a panning movement, -32° to +90° side-to-side tilt, and -8° to +90° back to front tilt. On top of that, there’s a 72-click point panorama, moving the camera 5° per click to ensure smooth joins, while there’s a quick release system to allow you to attach and remove your camera quickly when shooting.

The GH-200 is very well made and is very easy to use. We supported a Nikon D800 and pro-lens on the head and the locking mechanism held the camera in place nicely, while the 72-click panorama is a nice touch.

www.vanguardworld.com

Verdict

By design it’s a little on the cumbersome side, so you may prefer a more compact ball head option instead. That said, if you’re looking for a good compromise between a compact ball head and a three-way head, then you won’t go far wrong with the GH-200.