There are brands that become a defacto standard and one such brands is Sachtler. I've had the opportunity to work with them sometimes but felt they were a bit to expensive when shooting with DSLR cameras. Finally I got to get me a Sachtler head and I went for their FSB 8 because it seemed to suit me. I decided between the FSB8 or DV10 head.
This last year I have used a Manfrotto 504/546 and although it has worked fine despite things have gone broke on it it was time to move on. The FSB8 head is simple head to operate and the one I got has a sliding plate with a side loading quick snap function. Way faster and more convenient compared to the Manfrotto 504 head. Just pop the camera straight on and fasten that knob and when it's time to pack it up it releases just as fast. I found out the sliding plate for the 504 head worked just fine on the Sachtler FSB8 also and since I have a lot of quick release plates Manfrotto style I still can use them for different base blocks.
The drag settings 1 to 5 is also way better than the one on the 504. It's smooth to pan and tilt and thanks to the 10 step counter balance it works fine even for a bare AF101 with a small lens mounted. This head is a 75mm half ball head and I really wanted a 100mm half ball head but since the Sachtler 10 head isn't available right now I went with this one instead.
The head itself is all metal but the dials are plastic. Even the drag adjustment ring are plastics. One thing that could be improved is the drag positions. You have to be careful to set them straight to the different drag levels. If not it wont lock into position and you'll here a clicking sound when panning or tilting.
This head can take 1 to 10kg load and that was one of the things I wanted so that I can put any camera on it. I will not get a heavy camera but I can see myself with something heavier than just the AF101. Sometimes I kit the AF101 with more stuff and it's comforting to know the head will take the load. This head is also smaller than then 504 and weights less. It's actually a bit tiny in comparision.
The only thing I had to look up in the manual was how to activate the bubble light. You have to press hard at the bubble to activate it. I also find this one to be easier to see than the one on the 504.
The obvious choice would be to pair this head with a Sachtler tripod. But I wanted to give another tripod a shot before deciding and I mounted the FSB8 on a Manfrotto 542 tripod. This one is innovative with the speedy lock-less setup. At first it felt strange and actually was harder than the 546 legs. After a while I learned how to use it and it's actually a nice tripod.
Because it has no knobs or level to adjust it's a bit awkward. You have to raise it with the legs together and then spread them to lock the height. Usually when setting the 546 up I pull it to the desired height with the legs unlocked and then lock them. The 542 requires you to lift it all the way up, spread the legs and then lower it. I'm not sure it's better but frankly it is fast to set up and push together.
The spreader on my 546 have been broken and I never liked how you loosen and tighten it when adjusting the length of the spreader legs. This spreader is actually a lot better. You push a button and pull it to the desired length. Same thing when putting it together. The so called spider spreader has a hub in the middle and if you rotate it you can pull the spreader together for the times when you need to have the tripod in tight spots. I really like this spreader and it reminds me of the one on the Manfrotto 528 tripod I have to use with my crane.
The Sachtler FSB8 and the Manfrotto 542 isn't a perfect match. The tripod has a 100mm mount and the head is 75mm. But it actually works even with the 75mm FSB8 head. Without an adapter. It's not made to do this but it works. I tried the included 75 to 100mm adapter that's included with the tripod but it turned out the screw on the FSB8 is to short. I know there's a kit from Sachtler to mount 75mm heads onto 100mm a tripod but I'll try to use it without the first couple of shoots.
I found a solution that might seem odd. I removed the bottom screw on the FSB8 and took the half ball I have for the Manfrotto 528BX tripod and screwed that straight into the bottom of the FSB8 head. Doing this I can mount the head onto any 100mm half ball tripod and even my K12 crane without using an adapter. Looking at my first choice the DV10SB head I like the side loading mechanism of the FSB8 better. It's fast and gives you a great amount of slide to adjust balance.
The tripod assembly becomes a little higher but stability is not a problem. It might look high but in reality it's not. Only about 20mm higher with the FSB8 mounted on top of that half ball compared to the 75/100 adapter. When using my slider I can unscrew the 100mm half ball and use the FSB8 straight onto the sliders carriage. This another advantage of the FSB8 head, it can be used as a flat bed head in some situations without the bottom screw. When I found this out the FSB8 and Manfrotto 542 become a great purchase and a nice combo!
Just to get a feel for how the FSB8 head worked with how I set my AF101 up I tried it with everything from a light weight rig to a full blown one. When you have adjusted drag and counterbalance and the camera itself is balanced it's so smooth to move this head.
It takes about 15sec to set it up with a camera on top and 15sec to collapse it. It's that speedy.
So what do I think of this years first purchase? I think the FSB8 head is great. Small, easy, super smooth, quick mount of camera. Nothing to complain about. What about the Manfrotto 542? Great spreader but time will tell if I like the way it works without having to tighten or loosen anything.