Libec RHP75 Fluid Head with PH-8B Extendable Pan Handles

I upgraded from the infamous Manfrotto 502. This head blows it out of the water. Super smooth and crisp a little on the heavy side. I had to buy a manfrotto 501 pl adapter plate for it as Libec has their own plate style. I use mine with an FS5, Sony Z90, and occasionally Sony mirrorless bodies. Be mindful of the minimum weight for the counterbalance its 1.8kg/4lbs. For the smaller light weight cameras you will need to add some weight if you plan to use the heads counterbalance.

I will admit up front that I generally like Libec products. I have a Swift Jib 50 and Remo 30 as well as a H38 fluid head and TC-70 tripod combination. I bought the RH25R to go on top of a Induro IFB 75 short tripod that I mounted to a board and then clamped to a rail overlooking our gym for our live webcasts of our basketball games. We've just done one broadcast, but I liked using RH25R as it was able to do the swift panning required of sports action, yet was smooth throughout the pan range. It holds my Sony EX3 very well and remained balanced. I would definitely recommend this fluid head.

I upgraded to this head from the Libec LX7 because my camera operators were having a hard time keeping their shot smooth. This head adds 2 steps of resistance control and adjustable counterbalance so now things are much smoother. I use this for videoing our church's services. My only negative about this head is that it only has two steps of resistance.

I have a RH25R that I purchased from in December 2014. I believe its the same as the RH25D. I bought the RH25 to replace a less expensive Libec fluid head that was difficult to tilt with my camcorder setup (Panasonic HVX200A with a 7 monitor mounted on top). I am VERY pleased with the RH25. The most difficult motion, very slow pans, are very smooth with virtually no kickback at the end. Kickback is not noticeable in the viewfinder with the lens at wide angle. There is only a VERY tiny amount detectable with the lens zoomed all the way and by observing a vertical line (like the edge of a wall) against a vertical reference line in the viewfinder--if viewing just the image, it would be almost impossible to see. And this kind of kickback doesnt always occur. You have to do very small and slow pans of only a few degrees to get it. In normal operation I can say there isnt any kickback. Also, its not fair comparing a400 head against a4000 Sachtler or Vinton in regards to kickback. No1000 fluid head has zero kickback or perfectly smooth slow pans. The tilt mechanism is excellent and the counterbalance adjustment works very well, too. I can get my rig to stay put when I tilt it up +-30 degrees. You just have to adjust the camcorder position and get the balance right. As for customer support, my first Libec fluid head, an H38, developed a very tiny bump when panning very slow at a specific location. I called up Libec and since I live in the L.A. area, I drove to the Libec Sales of America office in Torrance. The manager set up my fluid head and it took him a while to find the tiny bump. At which time, he pulled a new in the box H38 out and tried it out. It panned perfectly smooth and then he gave the new one to me. Now thats professional customer service! So I really like Libec both in terms of their products and their service. I dont want to bad mouth other brands, but my first video tripod fluid head rig was from a very well known European brand. It was an entry model but the pan and tilt motions were just awful, not nearly as good as the H38 and not even in the same universe as the RH25. I think that Libec is a very overlooked and underrated company. You wont find a better fluid head anywhere near this price point.

2-speed options for panning and tilt, both flow very smoothly for crisp, professional shots. Very easy to slide camera on/off. Very happy with purchase!