Desmond DMH-2 & 50mm DAC-X1 Clamp Tripod Tilt Head Arca Compatible Oversized Knob

I've been on the hunt for a tripod head to go with my Seestar Smart Telescope to further facilitate Equatorial mode (object tracking based on latitude and polar alignment), and have gone through several different fluid heads over the past few weeks because I wasn't satisfied with the action of the tile/pan fluid heads, and I just don't like the look of the de facto EQ mounts available. The fluid heads I initially tried did pan and tilt, and while they worked to an extent they just didn't feel stable enough and there was always some locking lash that you had to compensate for after tightening things down. Some of them had really firm springs that returns the head to horizontal and you have to compensate for that when setting up. I suppose that's what's needed for shooting live action, but it just complicated things. I was about to go to a geared head to make things simpler (they're also about at least 3x the price of the DMH-2), when I decided that I only needed a smooth and positive locking tilt head that could support at least 6 lbs reliably (this can get heavier with an added battery pack and other accessories). My telescope just needs to be set up perfectly and left alone to do its thing. It also needed to be compatible with arca-swiss type plates. I looked at this Desmond DMH-2 and a generic DT-02D50, and decided on the Desmond. It had better ratings and reviews, while the DT-02D50 only had one 1-star review. The Desmond was also a bit lower-priced. Robust metal construction, large machined locking knob, no panning base, arca-swiss compatible, no spring return to horizontal, and rated to support 22 lbs. Basically everything I wanted and nothing extra. The plate clamp is secure, the large locking knob is easy to locate by feel, and doesn't take even a full turn to lock. From a design standpoint, the only thing that would make this even more perfect is if the track channel was geared, with a separate locking solution. That way, tilt can be adjusted by the knob, and locked into place using other means. That would really allow you to dial-in your latitude and nail polar alignment fast and easy. It would be a great feature, but not critical for my purposes. My search is over, and this is the one.

Fit and finish on this mount are flawless. Very stout and able to handle heavy loads. I have used with my full frame Nikon Z8, FTZ adapter and heavy 135mm f2.0 lens. The mount is rock solid. I paired it with the SUNWAYFOTO Indexing Rotator w Detent DDP-64Si improved DDP-64s to shoot Milky Way panoramas. The mount is easily adjustable, locks down securely and is extremely versatile. Worth every penny. I would definitely buy again, highly recommend!!!

This is for my Nikon 400/2.8 AF-S II. I have a monopod and the lens came with an arca Swiss standard plate by RRS. Visiting local camera stores, I saw some very nice hardware only to find the head was good for 5.5 pounds or something else that would not do. I’m not excited about spending $400 on a head unit either. So Amazon here I come. First off, this head unit is large. I included my hand in a pic to show off the size of it. I completely expected something about half to 2/3 of the size. So right away I’m very pleased. Second of all, the craftsmanship is equal to anything I have purchased from the big three. It is anodized beautifully, the black color appears very professional, and the attention to detail in the manufacturing process is quite obvious. The important bit is how it hold my lens. I can mount my 400mm and easily lock it from moving at all using the large oversized knob. A slight twist loosens it completely. Someone in the middle allows it to have adjustable resistance so that I can repoint the lens and it stays where I leave it. I will want a tripod next, and I have no trouble at all searching the same brand. It is well worth the price. They could charge 3x what I paid and I would still be happy. The biggest surprise was really the size. It is indeed bigger than I ever expected it to be. For what I paid I had expected something smaller. Would buy from again. I hesitated at first but if so glad I pulled the trigger.

Simple, efficient and very reasonably priced. Only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that would have much preferred a lever lock for the QR, though this one works fine - it was good enough to keep.

I have purchased many photo eq and this is the finest quality head for my carbon fiber monopod! I have purchased RRS plates and they are some of the best body & lens plates BUT cost so much and when you could purchase this made from RRS for $$$ more and not worth it, I was worried this only cost $59.95 how could it be as good as an RRS monopod head, well I am really glad that this is very high quality! It's super smooth as I wanted to use this with a Sigma 150-600 lens and once I put a lens plate on that lens and I have so many monopod heads this is the last one! I really like that I can use the big knob ad adjust how tight the movement is from front to back and once you set it to how tight you want it stays and what's also think of this walking around with my lens 150-600 pointing to the ground and locked tight from the quick release head and I can tilt the monopod to the sky and carry it really easy. So if you want to use a monopod but need a strong and high-quality head to use with a large lens BUY THIS NOW!

Enables me to point the camera up and down. Small and strong.

The build quality is excellent. Five stars for that. It's a joy to handle that big lock knob. But... There's only 5-10 degrees of rotation from locked to fully unlocked. It's essentially impossible to use it as a friction control knob. It's either ON or OFF. Locked or unlocked. If it's unlocked, then YOU have to hold the camera (lens), because this head doesn't offer any protection or control. Furthermore, the design is such that even if the camera + (large) lens is well balanced top of the head, once you tilt it either 30 degrees up or down the balance is lost and you can easily get a "runaway" situation because the weight of the lens is now completely in front of the pivot point. Crash! That wasn't what I wanted...

Just what I was looking for. For my heavy 600 mm lens the tightener is a bit on the light side.

It is not a robust head and the finish in some areas look cheap and hence the price. For what it's worth, it will hold a DSLR with a 70-200/2.8 lens. If you want better quality and a solid hold, look at RRS monopod heads.