Gitzo tripod head GH2780QR reliability

[Ian MacDonald]

I have had a Gitzo GH2780QR head since October 2013. It has not been heavily used, and I have been very careful in handling it. So, in March 2014 I was not happy that the ball lock jammed, requiring me to send it for repair to the authorized Gitzo repair folks. It was repaired ("rebuilt" according to the repair document) quickly, under warranty. Now, in 2016 I am really annoyed that it has happened again. I'm not at all sure that I want to have it repaired a second time because I doubt that I would ever trust it again. However, before giving up I would be interested to know if others have had the same problem and, if so, if anyone has determined a way to avoid it.

Thanks for any insights!

[FelixBelloin]

Hi Ian,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune, shouldn't happen with a Gitzo. All I know is that the brand was not really popular for its heads. While the Gitzo legs are the best on the market, people tend to go for other head manufacturers for reliability.
The model you are using falls into this category, has its a relatively old design. I have avoided their heads until this year when they came up with their new ball heads which are outstanding. I would suggest you contact them and discuss a parts exchange maybe? It might not be free but might also be as expensive as buying from a competitor.
Felix

[muntanela]

It happened even to me, I tried to turn the knob even with very brutal means without success. I bought a new ballhead (Arca swiss P0). After some years I tried again to turn the knob of the Gitzo head and it worked again, but I let it unused on the shelf of a bookcase, although it's preciser and smoother than the Arca Swiss head, that is lighter.