Fluid head recommendations?

I'm in the market for a new fluid head for my BMPCC4k rig. I'm tired of my Manfrotto 502 and want to be able to pan and tilt smoothly for personal narrative work. My rig is around 12-13 lbs but it would be an added benefit to have the option to go up to ~19-20lbs if I want to rent a vintage cine zoom. My budget is ~1,000-1,500. I have two pairs of Manfrotto sticks, one with a 75mm bowl and another with a 100mm bowl.

So far, I'm interested in:

Miller CX6 (75mm)

Cartoni Focus 10 or 12 (100mm)

used Miller Compass 23 or 25 (100mm)

If I can find any of these in my budget, a used OConnor 515, OConnor DV, or Miller Arrow

used Vinten Vision? not sure which one though

Part of me thinks I shouldn't invest unless I were in the $2-3K range, but for my personal projects I like the idea of being able to get smooth pans and tilts without renting.

What do y'all think?

Really Right Stuff has some lovely fluid heads... RRS and Miller are my first choices due largely to ergonomics. Plus I've been using RRS tripods and ballheads for years; RRS legs are phenomenal, and its ballheads are the best in the biz.

Also check out the Sirui BCH-10. I have one and it's quite good, especially for the price (it was about $550).

So far, I'm interested in:

Miller CX6 (75mm)

Cartoni Focus 10 or 12 (100mm)

used Miller Compass 23 or 25 (100mm)

What do y'all think?

There is a thread on this forum, currently six pages long, that includes the most detailed discussion on the internet of Cartoni and Miller heads in the range that you are talking about: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=105319&hilit=Miller+head

The thread discusses a number of topics in addition to fluid heads. To find what you’re looking for, it may be helpful to know that the main participants in the posts about fluid heads were Rick Lang, Chris Leutger and me. Toward the end of the thread, there are a number of informative posts by Phil Glaser. Glaser was able to test the Miller CX6 and CX10 and the Cartoni Focus 12.

The thread contains several photos of the Miller CX6 that I eventually purchased, used with a Pocket 4K and mounted on a full size Gitzo tripod and a Really Right Stuff ground tripod. Like you, I had previously used a Manfrotto 502.

If you can get a good deal on a Oconnor 515 go for it. I have a 1030HD and it is the best head I've ever used. Beats Sachtler, Miller and anything else. The movements are so buttery smooth and luxurious. It can be bulky at times for smaller jobs, but the head is rather light weight compared to others.

I have a 1030HD ... It can be bulky at times for smaller jobs, but the head is rather light weight compared to others.

I think that the current O’Connor heads are just too heavy for a Pocket 4K camera. Your 1030HD has been discontinued, but O’Connor’s current 1030D weighs 3.9kg (8.7lbs). A Miller CX6 is 2.3kg (5lbs), and a Cartoni Focus 10 is 2kg (4.4lbs).

O’Connor decided years ago that it isn’t going to compete with Miller, Cartoni, Sachtler, etc. in the market for heads that make sense with the lighter cameras now being made. In 2013, O’Connor manager Steve Turner said in a post on an Internet forum that the company stopped making the 515 and DV heads because there wasn’t enough profit in them.

Depending on price, purchasing one of these discontinued heads second-hand might make sense, provided that one factors in the cost of an inspection and possible parts replacement. Realistically, bringing one up to factory spec could be an expensive exercise. Note that after-market refurbisher NovaCam says that a problem with the fluid seal cannot be fixed economically.

I recommend buying good working second hand Vinten Vision 20.

I'll second Will's OConnor recommendation. I got a used 515S, and it's just a joy to use. Mind you, it is a bit heavy.

I recommend buying good working second hand Vinten Vision 20.

For a Pocket 4K?

Vinten Vision 20:
Load capacity: 30kg (66lbs)
Weight: 7kg (15.4lbs)

I'll second Will's OConnor recommendation. I got a used 515S, and it's just a joy to use. Mind you, it is a bit heavy.

According to the NovaCam site, 2.7kg (5.9lbs). That makes it 0.9lbs heavier than a Miller CX6 and 1.5lbs heavier than a Cartoni Focus 10.

I recommend buying good working second hand Vinten Vision 20.

For a Pocket 4K?

Vinten Vision 20:
Load capacity: 30kg (66lbs)
Weight: 7kg (15.4lbs)

Read what the poster said.
"the option to go up to ~19-20lbs"

Load capacity of 30kg is for 45 degrees tilt, if you need 90 degrees its a lot less. You should be looking at half the stated maximum load capacity to be confident the head could take it reliably.

I recommend buying good working second hand Vinten Vision 20.

For a Pocket 4K?

Vinten Vision 20:
Load capacity: 30kg (66lbs)
Weight: 7kg (15.4lbs)

Read what the poster said.
"the option to go up to ~19-20lbs"

Load capacity of 30kg is for 45 degrees tilt, if you need 90 degrees its a lot less. You should be looking at half the stated maximum load capacity to be confident the head could take it reliably.

What he actually said is that this is for personal work and that “My rig is around 12-13 lbs but it would be an added benefit to have the option to go up to ~19-20lbs if I want to rent a vintage cine zoom.”

Based on that, you think that he should buy a head for his Pocket 4K that weighs 7kg/15.4lbs, which is more than three times what a Miller CX6 weighs, just in case he not only rents a heavy vintage zoom, but wants to use it with a 90° tilt. And for good measure, he should pretend that 2 x 20lbs = 66lbs.

Honestly, I don’t think that anyone in his right mind would purchase that head for a Pocket 4K camera. I would have thought that the sensible solution, if one runs into a situation where one’s fluid head might be a bit light due to specific circumstances, is to either plan one’s shots so that the head works out, or rent a heavier duty head for a day or two.

What he actually said is that this is for personal work and that “My rig is around 12-13 lbs but it would be an added benefit to have the option to go up to ~19-20lbs if I want to rent a vintage cine zoom.”

Based on that, you think that he should buy a head for his Pocket 4K that weighs 7kg/15.4lbs, which is more than three times what a Miller CX6 weighs, just in case he not only rents a heavy vintage zoom, but wants to use it with a 90° tilt. And for good measure, he should pretend that 2 x 20lbs = 66lbs.

Honestly, I don’t think that anyone in his right mind would purchase that head for a Pocket 4K camera.

He wanted to invest in a fluid head with the intention of going bigger and heavier than he is shooting at the moment. If he said he only wanted a light weight fluid head just for a BMPCC4k without rig you may have a point but he has plans to upgrade to a bigger unit.

He wanted to invest in a fluid head with the intention of going bigger and heavier than he is shooting at the moment. If he said he only wanted a light weight fluid head just for a BMPCC4k without rig you may have a point but he has plans to upgrade to a bigger unit.

But he doesn’t say anything about “going bigger and heavier”. He says “I'm in the market for a new fluid head for my BMPCC4k rig.” He’s talking about upgrading from a US$179 Manfrotto 502.

There are certainly Vinten heads that would be an option, though.

He wanted to invest in a fluid head with the intention of going bigger and heavier than he is shooting at the moment. If he said he only wanted a light weight fluid head just for a BMPCC4k without rig you may have a point but he has plans to upgrade to a bigger unit.

But he doesn’t say anything about “going bigger and heavier”. He says “I'm in the market for a new fluid head for my BMPCC4k rig.” He’s talking about upgrading from a US$179 Manfrotto 502.

He said he want an option to go up to ~19-20lbs if I want to rent a vintage cine zoom. Adding a long heavy zoom can put extra demands on counter balance than merely adding weight to the center therefore you need a higher capacity head to deal with that.
I don't know why you have problems with the Vinten Vision 20 since the O'Connor 1030D and HD has been mentioned.

Go fish. The minimum weight for the counterbalance to function properly on a Vision 20 is ~22lbs. I couldn't tell you definitively because the tripod is so ancient there's hardly any info on the internet. The 20 was replaced by the 22, which was replaced by the 250 way back in '98. Any used Vinten 20 is minimum 35 years old and unserviceable.

Good Luck

And yet they are selling for greater than $2,000 in multiple places on the internet.

Any used Vinten 20 is ... unserviceable.

Although the O'Connor 515 heads have an excellent reputation, this is also an issue with them. Perhaps Iain Bason, who says above that he has a 515S, can comment. NovaCam, which runs an independent repair operation, says that O'Connor no longer has parts for the 515 heads. NovaCam machines its own parts, which I don't imagine are cheap, to carry out repairs. As mentioned above, it also says that fixing a problem with the fluid seal is uneconomic.

If I was prepared to deal with the additional weight of a 515 over, for example, a Miller or Cartoni, I would happily consider one if the vendor is a weekend filmmaker who bought his 515 new. Otherwise, I'd want to do a fair amount of due diligence before handing over my money.

Personally, I decided to go with a Miller CX6 in part because it's a current product and Miller has a service and repair facility, staffed by people who actually answer the phone and respond to e-mails, where I live. Both times that I've ordered accessories, I've received them in the mail the following day. They also dissuaded me from purchasing an accessory that would have cost US$300, and steered me to an alternative that cost $60. Finally, they've made it fairly clear that if I run into a real problem, they have units that they can lend me.

For North Americans, it's worth considering that Miller's warehouse, sales and service operation is just outside New York, and that Cartoni has a distributor and repair operation in Los Angeles.

And yet they [Vinten Vision 20] are selling for greater than $2,000 in multiple places on the internet.

If Howard Roll is right, surely the minimum camera weight of about 10kg/22lbs is the end of any discussion about purchasing this head for use with a Pocket 4K

It's perhaps worth noting that Vinten's lightweight heads in the load class that we are talking about, unlike those of Cartoni, Miller and, if I recall, Sachtler, also require minimum camera weights. This may not be an issue for everyone, but it was one of the reasons why I struck Vinten fluid heads off my list of options. I do mount my Pocket 4K, bare with just a Leica M-mount prime lens, on a Miller CX6. I just wasn't prepared to spend time testing a Vinten, pre-purchase, to find out how it would handle this kind of setup. Also, given what competitors are doing, the message that I got is that Vinten is not spending a whole lot of money on product development.

Also check out the Sirui BCH-10. I have one and it's quite good, especially for the price (it was about $550).

Half the cost of a Miller CX2 and $400 less than a Cartoni Focus 10, although only $125 less than a Cartoni Focus 8.

Worth noting that I have no doubt, based on a discussion with a Miller manager, that the Miller CX2 and CX6 are the same head, just with different load capacity enabled internally. The two heads are exactly the same size and exactly the same weight and have exactly the same features, except for maximum load.

Also, Cartoni's U.S. distributor has told me that there is no difference in build quality between the Focus 8 and Focus 10, and that a decision on which to purchase should be made only on the basis of required load capacity.

Any used Vinten 20 is ... unserviceable.

Although the O'Connor 515 heads have an excellent reputation, this is also an issue with them. Perhaps Iain Bason, who says above that he has a 515S, can comment.

The seller said that the head had just been refurbished, and it certainly seems to operate like new. These things are built to last (hence the weight).

Since I rarely have the chance to use a tripod at all, this was definitely not a calculated investment for me. I mostly just wanted to see what it's like to use a really good fluid head. But now that I've tried it I'm keeping it. One nice thing about the O'Connor heads from the past few decades is their infinite counterbalance down to zero, so that it works just fine even with a light camera like the 4k.

But yes, the end of service life for these heads was quite a long time ago, so I'd definitely be careful to make sure it can be returned if it isn't working properly.

Go fish. The minimum weight for the counterbalance to function properly on a Vision 20 is ~22lbs. I couldn't tell you definitively because the tripod is so ancient there's hardly any info on the internet. The 20 was replaced by the 22, which was replaced by the 250 way back in '98. Any used Vinten 20 is minimum 35 years old and unserviceable.

Good Luck

I have spoken with Vinten product manager and was told the Vision 20 was replaced around 1993. They only stopped servincing them 16yrs ago. The BBC is still using them at major sporting events, that how reliable they are. I was also told that the Vision 20 and its sucessor the 22 is so well made it cost too much to make that Vinten decide to simplify its design for the 250 that require more routine service. I know of a few place that does servicing but the fluid which Vinten sells are a trade secret and cost £300 or more.

I bought my Vision 20 for £400 and it does not need servicing untill its breaks and it has long lifespan.
I also have the O'Connor 1030D and Vitech owned by Vinten want to charge me £1200 for a routine service and they recommend I get it serviced every few years. I guess thats how top fluid head manufacturers likes to keep themselves in business these days by making heads that needed routine servicing like garages that service and MOT cars. No point making reliable heads that goes on for decades and it seems Vinten have learnt that lesson.

[
If Howard Roll is right, surely the minimum camera weight of about 10kg/22lbs is the end of any discussion about purchasing this head for use with a Pocket 4K

Minimum weight capacity for Vision 20 is just 3kg. Topic in discussion is a rigged camera that potentially wlll be 20lbs and weight distribution more horizontal then central. Lets not keep going on its just a Pocket 4k

The seller said that the head [OConnor 515S] had just been refurbished, and it certainly seems to operate like new. These things are built to last (hence the weight).

Since I rarely have the chance to use a tripod at all, this was definitely not a calculated investment for me. I mostly just wanted to see what it's like to use a really good fluid head. But now that I've tried it I'm keeping it. One nice thing about the O'Connor heads from the past few decades is their infinite counterbalance down to zero, so that it works just fine even with a light camera like the 4k.

But yes, the end of service life for these heads was quite a long time ago, so I'd definitely be careful to make sure it can be returned if it isn't working properly.

You’ve got me intrigued enough that I’d like to try one. I checked Sharegrid, none in the New York area, but I’ll keep an eye out.

Here are some smartphone pictures of my Pocket 4K mounted on a Miller CX6. The photos show the Miller on a full size tripod (Gitzo G1325 Mk2, discontinued), on a ground tripod (RRS TVC-32G) and on the ground tripod plus a monopod (Gitzo GM4542). The last setup requires removal of the Miller's bottom stud, which in turn requires breaking the Blue Loctite seal that the Miller factory applies. That's a Sachtler Ace base plate between the camera and the Miller.

The Walkstool (third photo) came in very handy at the height of Covid-19, when there were long, slow moving lines to get into my local grocery store

Post #4 of this thread has a link to the thread where these and additional photos are from.

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And yet they are selling for greater than $2,000 in multiple places on the internet.

A bargain is always around the corner all for $350

This is mint condition can imagine it was put away and forgotten soon after it was bought and never saw action. I would guess this setup would have cost $7.5k 27yrs ago

https://cinematography.com/index.php?/topic/83616-fs-vinten-vision-20-tripod-w-dolly/

Old Vinten heads are great if they have been set up properly and used by people who have been shown how to set them up properly. Personalty I would think twice unless I knew who I was buying one from.
I was very impressed by Miller especially after getting some for a school and seeing just how well they lasted and kept working in the hands of those students.

I have an Oconner 515 available for sale. I'm in South Africa so not sure it will be worth it with shipping but DM me if interested.

I was very impressed by Miller especially after getting some for a school and seeing just how well they lasted and kept working in the hands of those students.

After several months of use, I'm very happy with the build and performance of the Miller CX6. That said, the head is not idiot proof. It takes practice.

I should note that my decision to go with Miller over Cartoni was not based on a comparative test. At the time, I could get a CX6. The new Cartoni Focus 10 had been announced and was imminent, but was not yet available. The old head was only being offered at full price, although this is somewhat understandable given that the two heads are said to differ only cosmetically.

Here are three photos in addition to the ones three posts above...

I also purchased a 15cm (6") riser. This can be used to extend the height of the ground tripod.

Also, when the tripod is low, using the riser is an alternative to removing the head's bottom stud, assuming that a 6" increase in camera height works for the shot. The third photo shows the camera and tripod at its lowest height, without the head altogether.

This particular riser is very rigid and is made by a U.S. company called Pro Media Gear. I ordered it directly from the company, although B&H also sells it: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _bowl.html

I think that a ground tripod is more flexible and more practical than a traditional hi-hat, but if desired the riser can be screwed down to a piece of plywood to make one.

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Want to test how good your fluid head spring?

With your camera setup, on minimum drag setting, tilt your fluid head down to -90 degrees, wait for a few seconds and then tilt upward to -45 degrees and see if the head stays rock solid or does it drop?

Just interested if you have ideas how to use something like this.

A couple ways the idea is currently implemented.

https://www.rossvideo.com/products-serv ... e-cameras/

https://www.prg.com/uk/en/our-technolog ... pot-system

Good Luck

You can do that on the Ronin S, its call "The Force".

Sorry but could not resist, we build many years ago this, a remote control fluid head prototype.


This one was fully 1 to 1 movement and repeats exactly. The

Thinking now putting maybe some effort to this, to have also other rations than 1 to 1 movement, camera and lens control etc.

Just interested if you have ideas how to use something like this.

I think that there might be interest in a robotically controlled geared head. In this YouTube video, Michael Walsh, who teaches film in Florida, demonstrates what a geared head does and how one works. This particular geared head is made in Vancouver, Canada. A robotic version would be pretty interesting, especially if it was more compact and lighter.

Have a look at Freefly’s products. They are a market leader in robotic camera movement, both in the air and on the ground: https://freeflysystems.com/

It’s necessary to click through to watch this video:

The Libra controls are setup to mimic the controls of a geared head, precise.

https://camerarevolution.com/equipment/wheels/

Good Luck

The Libra controls are setup to mimic the controls of a geared head, precise.

https://camerarevolution.com/equipment/wheels/

Camera Revolution deals in Libra, Freefly, etc. Over time, I’ve watched a lot of demos of this kind of gear, but I’ve never seen one that shows the precision of a geared head. Looking at the Libra Mini, there’s an accessory that they say will do pans and tilts, but what about more complex moves, starting with basic diagonals? There’s a Libra video showing it doing a nice job of tracking a moving motorcycle, but that’s not the same thing.

In addition to the video above, here’s one showing an Arri Geared Head 2 in use (costs a mere US$45,000):

Bears a striking resemblance to a game of Etch-A-Sketch.

Good Luck

If someone made a geared head that was compact and light enough that a single operator could use it with a camera like a Pocket 4K, I’d be very interested. In another thread, Rick Lang and I talked about the Proaim Orion geared head in the video five posts up. He has a reason to use one, and I’m still waiting for him to take the ferry over to Vancouver, where it’s made, to try it out

At US$2,000, the price is very good if it’s well-built, but it’s just too big and heavy for regular use outside a studio.

Bears a striking resemblance to a game of Etch-A-Sketch.

Yup! I imagine that it took awhile for the gentleman in the video to become that proficient. Looking at other videos, it appears that people typically use a laser pointer, as he does in the demonstration, to learn how to control one of these heads.

I would love to play around with one for a few days.

This is pretty cool. Re the video five posts up showing the operation of an Arri geared head ...

In Comments, someone asked this question:

Q. Hello!!! I’m a operator camera and I try lo learn gear head ..I have to...
Any advice to begin with ??
Thanks a lot
I have small gear head in my home …

That got this response, it appears from the man in the video:

A. Ok, I divided the gear head operation exercise into three parts.

You need to do some preparatory work before starting the exercise.

1、Find a clean wall in your living room or bedroom and place the gear head about 5 meters from the wall.

2、Place the laser pointer in the center of the gear head, just like in the video.

3、 Set the pan/tilt to a horizontal state, turn on the laser pointer, and make a mark on the light spot on the wall.

4、Turn the pan wheel 180 degrees clockwise and mark it on the wall. 360 degree mark.Repeat the above operation counterclockwise

5、 Turn the tilt wheel with the same operation and mark it on the wall.

6. Turn the pan/tilt wheel at the same time, clockwise. Mark on the wall at 180 degrees and 360 degrees.Repeat the operation counterclockwise.

7. Turn the pan/tilt wheel in the opposite direction at the same time.Mark on the wall at 180 degrees and 360 degrees.In turn, operate it again

After the preparation is completed, you can practice.

1. Control the gear head and draw a circle with the different marks on the wall as the center.

2. Operate the gear head and use the markers on the wall to draw squares, trapezoids, and parallelograms.

3. Operate the gear head and use the markers on the wall to draw "∞" and “8".

4. After mastering the above operations, you can try to make a labyrinth to practice, just like in the video.

These are my exercises and I hope to help you.
My English is not very good, please forgive me.

@jrgordon96

Prior to covid, I was visiting LA and did some testing of the Miller heads at Film Tools, I was looking at the CX8 (I wanted the 5 steps over the CX6's 3). I also tested the Sachtler FSB-8T and was pleasantly surprised at how it handled and build quality. One of the things I liked about the Sachtler (and one of the things I liked about Cartoni) was the Euro-plate or "Touch" plate. Once I used that, I knew that I didn't want to use the other plates. The nice thing about the Sachtler is that they offer a version with that plate for the same price. With Miller you end up adding around (IIRC) $300 to get that option. When got back I rented a Cartoni via Sharegrid and decided that I didn't like the continuous adjustments. I was hemming and hawing between the CX8 and the Sachtler and if Miller offered that plate option without charging so much for it, I likely would have purchased the CX8 at that time. I did really like the build and the handling of the Miller.

Then covid hit and I had to re-evaluate my financial outlay on that front. I'm still using my cheap Manfrotto currently. Pretty soon here I'm going to rent a Sachtler through Sharegrid and see how that goes. Unfortunately, I can't find the Miller's for rent there, though. Not likely to buy a head until next year but thought I'd share that aspect.

With Miller you end up adding around (IIRC) $300 to get that option [the Euro-plate/Touch and Go plate] ... if Miller offered that plate option without charging so much for it, I likely would have purchased the CX8 at that time.

I’d like to suggest that people talk with Miller before going this route. One thing that I like about Miller is that they don't push gear that they don't think you need. The advice may depend on your circumstances. Note my earlier comment in this thread. It was about the option that Chris is talking about:

“[Miller] also dissuaded me from purchasing an accessory that would have cost US$300, and steered me to an alternative that cost $60.”

There are six photos of my setup, in a fairly bulky configuration, starting 18 posts above.

My kind suggestion to you is to try the new Manfrotto Nitrotech 612. I just bought it and using it and I'm EXTREMELY HAPPY. I mean, you can't even imagine how smoothly this head works! I think it should be considered as the role model of fluidity!! For me, it is the most innovative head for years, and it should take a red dot award, IT IS FANTASTIC!!

Sorry it's not on your intended list for buying, but this head is really worth its money, it can hold up to 12 kilos and it will certainly save you some bucks to buy more gear. What else could you ask for?
This is my honest opinion for serious filmmaking, and YES, I own a BMPCC 4K too, and my rig is reaching 10,5 kilos now and it's ROCK SOLID in this head with a Manfrotto tripod legs of course!

I hope I helped you!

My kind suggestion to you is to try the new Manfrotto Nitrotech 612. I just bought it and using it and I'm EXTREMELY HAPPY. I mean, you can't even imagine how smoothly this head works! I think it should be considered as the role model of fluidity!! For me, it is the most innovative head for years, and it should take a red dot award, IT IS FANTASTIC!!

Sorry it's not on your intended list for buying, but this head is really worth its money, it can hold up to 12 kilos and it will certainly save you some bucks to buy more gear. What else could you ask for?
This is my honest opinion for serious filmmaking, and YES, I own a BMPCC 4K too, and my rig is reaching 10,5 kilos now and it's ROCK SOLID in this head with a Manfrotto tripod legs of course!

I hope I helped you!

People often gets excited about a new video head because the previouse one they use is a lot worse.

Can you do this on your Nitrotech?

With your camera setup, on minimum drag setting, tilt your fluid head down to -90 degrees, wait for a few seconds and then tilt upward to -45 degrees and see if the head stays rock solid or does it drop?

My kind suggestion to you is to try the new Manfrotto Nitrotech 612. I just bought it and using it and I'm EXTREMELY HAPPY. I mean, you can't even imagine how smoothly this head works! I think it should be considered as the role model of fluidity!! For me, it is the most innovative head for years, and it should take a red dot award, IT IS FANTASTIC!!

Sorry it's not on your intended list for buying, but this head is really worth its money, it can hold up to 12 kilos and it will certainly save you some bucks to buy more gear. What else could you ask for?
This is my honest opinion for serious filmmaking, and YES, I own a BMPCC 4K too, and my rig is reaching 10,5 kilos now and it's ROCK SOLID in this head with a Manfrotto tripod legs of course!

I hope I helped you!

People often gets excited about a new video head because the previouse one they use is a lot worse.

Can you do this on your Nitrotech?

With your camera setup, on minimum drag setting, tilt your fluid head down to -90 degrees, wait for a few seconds and then tilt upward to -45 degrees and see if the head stays rock solid or does it drop?

Never tried what you're suggesting here, but when I was reading the specs for the Nitrotech 612 before buying, I knew that the minimum counterbalance setting was 4 kilos (and max.12k), so I knew I was in no way going to go below 4 kilos in my setup, as my bare minimal rig weights no less than 6 kilos. So i knew what I was buying, as well as the exact use I was going to do with it, and this head just seemed the most right and future-proof for me as an indie filmmaker, with a fully blown (cine-modded) set of Full Frame (photo) lenses and an anamorphic lens (Kowa B&H), plus a growing 16mm set of zooms and primes.

So, the test you are suggesting seems somehow theoretical to me, with no real practical benefit for the work I do and my cinematic needs. And of course, I don't wanna spend more money on fancy gear that I'm gonna barely ever need. Or, if I ever need to blow-up my setup and shoot with an ARRI per se, I'd probably gonna be renting the whole gear including tripod, head etc for the need of that specific shoot. So for me the most important thing is to prioritise the purchases of my most basic everyday's use of gear, so to buy more useful stuff that I'm going to actually be using in the majority, rather than in the minority of my projects

Regardless, Nitrotech (in my opinion) has packed so much quality and innovation into a such a fairly-priced head, that I can surely say I'm proud as a European to still be able to buy such a quality Italian product, without allowing myself to compromising into that Chinese war of commerce, which seems an invasion to me and a threat to the European, British and American quality companies. And the price for the Nitrotech is really a steal for me, for what it does! And those were my 2 cents in the topic, hope it helped some!

My kind suggestion to you is to try the new Manfrotto Nitrotech 612. I just bought it and using it and I'm EXTREMELY HAPPY. I mean, you can't even imagine how smoothly this head works! I think it should be considered as the role model of fluidity!! For me, it is the most innovative head for years, and it should take a red dot award, IT IS FANTASTIC!!

Sorry it's not on your intended list for buying, but this head is really worth its money, it can hold up to 12 kilos and it will certainly save you some bucks to buy more gear. What else could you ask for?
This is my honest opinion for serious filmmaking, and YES, I own a BMPCC 4K too, and my rig is reaching 10,5 kilos now and it's ROCK SOLID in this head with a Manfrotto tripod legs of course!

I hope I helped you!

People often gets excited about a new video head because the previouse one they use is a lot worse.

Can you do this on your Nitrotech?

With your camera setup, on minimum drag setting, tilt your fluid head down to -90 degrees, wait for a few seconds and then tilt upward to -45 degrees and see if the head stays rock solid or does it drop?

That's just a test for the counterbalance system. What about the smoothness of the movement and the drag settings to control it at different speeds?
For a cheap head with good (very good) motion then the E-Image GH06 is hard to beat. Sold my Satchler FSB4 as the motion was so much smoother. Just friction plates and grease and not a true 'fluid head' but it works.

Does any of the fluid heads have a feature like on the above video I posted, attachment for the monitor on the pan part of the fluid head? i.e when panning the monitor pans with the fluid head, but when tilting, it does not tilt. I imagine this could be useful also on normal use, when the camera is installed on the fluid head.

That's just a test for the counterbalance system. What about the smoothness of the movement and the drag settings to control it at different speeds?
For a cheap head with good (very good) motion then the E-Image GH06 is hard to beat. Sold my Satchler FSB4 as the motion was so much smoother. Just friction plates and grease and not a true 'fluid head' but it works.

And that is worth ignoring?

E-Image GH06, Sachtler FSB4, are prosumer category entry level gimmicks.

That's just a test for the counterbalance system. What about the smoothness of the movement and the drag settings to control it at different speeds?
For a cheap head with good (very good) motion then the E-Image GH06 is hard to beat. Sold my Satchler FSB4 as the motion was so much smoother. Just friction plates and grease and not a true 'fluid head' but it works.

And that is worth ignoring?

E-Image GH06, Sachtler FSB4, are prosumer category entry level gimmicks.

If you consider that the OP's camera is also 'prosumer entry level' then it should be a reasonable good match.

Nice, I wonder why that kind of attachment point has not come more popular. I think it is pretty useful.

Cartoni also makes an accessory that can be used to attach a monitor to its fluid heads.

That's just a test for the counterbalance system. What about the smoothness of the movement and the drag settings to control it at different speeds?
For a cheap head with good (very good) motion then the E-Image GH06 is hard to beat. Sold my Satchler FSB4 as the motion was so much smoother. Just friction plates and grease and not a true 'fluid head' but it works.

And that is worth ignoring?

E-Image GH06, Sachtler FSB4, are prosumer category entry level gimmicks.

If you consider that the OP's camera is also 'prosumer entry level' then it should be a reasonable good match.

Not necessary. Prosumer camera is the sort of gears you can readily pick up on the high street with moderate level of skills needed to operate. Think of entry to mid level dSLR for videography. Sachtler FSB and E-Image heads are for your average content creator.