Pan and tilt heads are typically used for motion video camera but they can be used for still cameras as well. The better ones are fluid filled with ball bearings and rotate smoothly with measured resistance. But by and large the best head for still photo photography is a ball head. A ball head mount allows you to quickly and easily adjust your camera to get the shot without the need to unlock and relock two different handles. The Bogen Manfrotto 322RC2 is just such a ball mount head. Constructed of high-tech magnesium, the 322RC2 is extremely lightweight, yet durable enough to accommodate an 11lb payload. With the ability to rotate 360° around the vertical axis and +/-90° lateral tilt as well as the ease of finding the horizon with a built in bubble spirit level, the 322RC2 offers the precision and control of a standard tripod/ball head combo without sacrificing any speed or reaction time.
With one hand operation you can quickly and easily position the camera for the shot you want. The handle has a squeeze grip that when you squeeze it releases the friction on the ball so you can rotate the mount to any orientation you want. When you let go of the squeeze grip, the brake holds the camera firmly in place. This brake is also adjustable.
Another must feature for any camera mount is a quick release shoe. These shoes allow you to mount and un-mount your camera in a snap. Just leave the shoe bolted to the bottom of your camera. This head has a unique mechanism that locks the lever open until the mount is inserted releasing a pin and the lever then a snap pin prevents the lever from accidentally backing off.
And of course this mount has a bubble level for a horizontal plane level shot.
