ePhoto Professional Video Camera Fluid Drag Tripod Head by ePhoto INC 717AH

I love this fluid head. I have had my first one for a while and I really like it so I bought another one for my second tripod. I mainly use this for filming high school sports. There are several nice features that make this really good for that.1. The handle can extend to a very nice length so that even when I am sitting and viewing a monitor the handle will extend down almost 2 feet. I can keep my camera up high (over hands and heads) but still sit to film.2. There is one knob to make increase resistance for movement. You can adjust this to your liking for how easy you want to tilt. I keep mine fairly stiff.3. There is a knob on the other side to quickly lock the tilt. So during free throws, timeouts, etc. I can take 2 second to lock the tilt and then another 2 to unlock when it back to action.4. The movement is very smooth and produces a very nice video picture. I forgot it for one game and had to use a backup tripod, Just an enormous difference in quality (both head and video).5. The quick release base for sliding my camcorder on and off. Very nice. Once you slide it on, it can't slide out either end until you click a release switch. So in the rare event you slide your camcorder on while tilted and get distracted, it will not just slide right thru and fall on the floor.Cons. I found the stiffness of the panning to be very very stiff at first. As others have mentioned the more you use it, the better this will get. When I got my second one in, I just put the handle on,.held the base, and twirled it for a while to speed up this process. At first the pan was so stiff that it would unscrew it from the tripod when panning left. After it was broke in this was not an issue.You will not regret getting this head.

As a none professional, self filming bow hunter, I didn't want to spend $150 on the top brands, and was also looking for something lighter in weight. I attached this to a tree arm, and it's very smooth, after some minor work. Like other reviewers, I ended up disassembling the side to side pan pivot and removing the "grease" used by the manufacturer... I'm not sure what exactly it is they use, but I hesitate to call it grease... it was more like a sticky adhesive gel or cream.I cut that grease with PB Blaster (WD40 would work) and then lubricated with a light weight gear oil, and it's quite smooth now. For the money, it's a 5star... so long as you don't mind a little tinkering to get it there. The other pivots are all very smooth right out of the box.

I'm on the fence as to whether or not I actually like this product. I have two and they both worked great at first, but quickly deteriorated... and I am not a power user. One of them developed a horrible grinding sound after just 2 uses. Since they only come with a 30 day warranty (yes you read that correctly) E-photo would not replace, repair or even give advice as to how to get it to stop. I eventually cleans it up and replaced a couple bad washers and it works well now. The other head cannot be locked down... no matter how much you tighten the knob. It's not a big deal since I now use that head on a monopod but it's still disappointing.I think the most important take away from this purchase is that your going to get what you pay for. Overall, this is a nice head that is a great value if it does not fall apart on you. If it does, don't expect E-photo to care and be prepared to fix it yourself or just buy a new one. In hindsight, I wish I had bought a pair of Manfrotto heads. But at this price, I was willing to give them a shot.

I received a 717AH video head from Cowboy Studios. Solid, looks well-made, and the adjustable handle is great. I ordered this head because it has been touted as being pro-level equipment--and the you tube video reviews were very favorable.The head I received was awful; great for a wheel chock or doorstop, and that's about it. Stiff is an understatement. In tilt mode, the head was quite smooth, but panning was atrocious, raising the legs of a medium weight tripod right off the floor! Even holding the tripod steady with about 10 lbs of pressure from my left hand, the panning was still unacceptably stiff.I later tried warming up the "goo" in the head by sitting it outside in the sun for a couple of hours. No change in performance at all. I shipped it back to CS for a refund--which was given immediately--but return shipping was on me, so as good-looking as this little beastie is, we are left to deal with very inconsistent Chinese quality control.On the other hand, the homelier Velbon PH-368 Vel-Flo 9 Mini-Pro fluid head has been a winner at half the price! On it's own, or sold as the standard head on the Velbon Videomate II tripod, it is a great deal. I picked up the tripod/head on e bay for $40 and have been very pleased with the overall performance. The tripod itself is very sturdy, and while not exactly pro-level, the whole setup can easily hold its own with lower-end Manfrotto offerings.

This tripod arrived with some rusty screws and an ominous oil stain on one around two of the knobs. I did not want to return the item because I was leaving on a trip two days after I received it and needed the head with me. After several promptly replied e-mails with customer service, ePhoto refunded a significant fraction of the price, and I am content with the head for the price they gave me.As for the head itself, it fulfilled my expectations from the other reviews; a little stiff, but super smooth and reasonably priced. My only complaint is that the head returns itself to level after tilting. Maybe this is normal for a fluid head? Anyway, it works great with my Cinemover, which is what I bought it for.

This video head goes by many names and numbers but usually includes "717" in the name. It is a very economical way of obtaining a decent, fluid-drag video head. This is the second one I have purchased.This one to mount on a lightweight tripod, the previous one is on a set of heavy-duty sticks. The only complaint I have is that in cold weather the grease used in the pan function gets very stiff. It would be nice if a grease-product that is less temperature-sensitive could be used, but that would probably increase the cost. It should be noted that this particular unit comes with the mount to go on a tripod with interchangeable heads. It is also available as a 'bowl mount'. Make sure you pick the right one.Overall I am very pleased. The original head (different name, same product) has been in use for over two years with no other complaint.

just what I was looking for.Solid build .Very pleased at a great price.

Rather heavy and bulky, handle too long. Otherwise OK I guess.