The definitive way to find the most accurate counterbalance between camera/accessories and a tripod head is to actually mount the camera on the head. However, you can use this counterbalance chart to get a rough idea of the correct counterbalance.
The vertical axis of the chart depicts the height of the gravitational center and the horizontal axis is load weight (total weight of the camera and accessories). Based on the combination of these two elements, you can find a suitable tripod head for your camera.
When a standard lens, microphone and battery are used, the normal height of the gravitational center is approximately 125mm / 4.9"(for a shoulder type camera), 100mm / 3.9" (semi-shoulder) and 75mm / 3.0" (hand-held). The height of the gravitational center will not shift much even when a different lens or a different battery is used on the back of the camera. Please be aware that attaching a light or a monitor on top of the camera will shift the center of gravity. |
The height of the center of gravity is the distance from the center of the camera to the top of the head (or the camera plate). The shorter this distance, the higher the weight point becomes. |
