Gitzo 1277M

The Gitzo 1277M is a small, economically priced ball head that provides very even and smooth variable tension and holds a lot of weight for its size. The 1277M will not allow you to tilt the camera (without using the slot) as much as some other ball heads.

Distance between the center of the ball and the plate-support surface of the clamp is 1.74”.

• Weight Capacity (Ball Head Alone):
The 1277M will hold lenses smaller (lighter) than a 300mm f/2.8 adequately in all situations.

It will hold 300mm f/2.8 lenses fine under most circumstances, but if you throw the entire rig over your shoulder and walk around, you have to tighten the ball forcefully to keep it from slipping.

The 1277M is generally too small to adequately hold the weight of a 500mm f/4 lens. For static situations (where you are not moving the tripod around a lot) the 1277M will hold the weight of a 500mm F/4 lens, but dynamic loads caused by quick movements of the tripod (e.g. quickly moving the tripod to get a different view of a subject) will probably cause the ball to slip.

Lenses heavier than a 500mm f/4 are too large for the 1277M.

• Using the Sidekick with the 1277M:
The Sidekick works beautifully with the 1277M head, but the same weight concerns above apply when using the Sidekick. Larger lenses (300 f/2.8 and larger) will feel weightless and fluid on the 1277M/Sidekick combo, but you must be sure to tighten the ball and socket joint very securely to make sure that the Sidekick does not creep and become misaligned when you move the tripod.