Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-
Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head-

Leofoto G4 Geared Tripod Head

Regular price R 9,999.00
/
Tax included.

When it comes to photographic accessories, there is no greater aid to composition than the fine and precise control of a geared head. This field of tech stagnated a lot during the 2000-2015 period when options were limited to one or two manufacturers’ outdated options. Over the last few years, however, there has been a renaissance of geared heads, with a lot more tripod manufacturers and engineers working on improved designs. This has brought lighter, more compact geared heads to the market that are a dream to use. Pricing ranges from Leofoto’s G2 and G4 at R4999 and R9999 respectively to something like the Arca Swiss Cube which will cost close to R40k with VAT and shipping. Forty thousand rands for a tripod head? That is not a typo, in case you were wondering!

Geared heads are not cheap, but if you’re someone who composes their images slowly, carefully and with great thought, then a geared head is one of the best purchases you can make. 

Size - The G4 is the larger of Leofoto’s two offerings at 680g in weight. It measures 115mm at its widest point and 102mm top to bottom, displacing about a 10cm cube of space. More simply put, it is about the size of a large ball head. It looks perfectly at home on tripods 3-series (Leofoto 32) and larger. On 2-series, (Leofoto 28) or smaller, it will look oversized and the tripod will be dangerously top-heavy. The main (local) competition in geared heads is not only 30% more expensive, but weighs 2.4x more and will displace about twice the amount of space when it has to be packed. While the G4 is not exactly a travel-friendly tripod head, it dominates every parameter such as weight and size in its class.

We recommend pairing the G4 with one of the Summit range legs and a YB-75L in-apex leveling base for the ultimate tripod setup. 

Quality - The G4 looks and feels incredibly solid. There is no excess material and every component has been machined away to trim down excess weight. All external components are machined from aluminium and the internal mechanisms are made of brass and stainless steel. The head mounts to tripods via a brass 3/8” screw hole. There is no compromise in the materials used.

Controls - For those who don’t like to use a tripod, the seven controls on the G4 will be overwhelming, but operation is extremely simple once you’ve had a few minutes to play with the head. 

  • The two large round knobs control the geared X- and Y- axes of the head. The gearing is high and buttery smooth, which ensures ultra-fine control of the composition.
  • The two large tap-style levers are the clutches, which disengage the gear mechanisms of the X- and Y-axis. This is for when you’re in a rush and you need to make gross adjustments. These aren’t really used much and many geared heads don’t even have a clutch for the geared axes.
  • The bottom lever controls the primary panning function of the head.
  • The small lever on the clamp controls the secondary panning function.
  • The screw on the clamp is obviously a standard clamp screw for securing your camera.

Load Rating

The manufacturer’s load rating of 20kg is a bit ridiculous. The load rating depends greatly on the range of movement you need; If you keep the camera fairly balanced (atop the head), with about a 20-degree vertical movement range, then it can handle the likes of 10-20kg. If, however, you go past a 20-degree angle, in order to get a very slanted shot or to shoot up or down at an extreme angle, then it will probably struggle with a load of more than 4kg. Keep in mind that we always try to be honest about the performance of our products. Firstly, you will likely almost never need to shoot at those angles. Most landscape and architecture work is done with the horizon in the frame, meaning that you’re panning at most 10-20 degrees up or down. Secondly, 4kg is extremely heavy; unless you’re mounting an 800mm on a pro body, you simply won’t come close to that kind of weight.

We put a Fuji GFX100 with the massive GF250mm and 1.4x TC on this head (mounted via lens foot) – this is a truly monstrous combo in size and weight. People are normally shocked at the weight if they pick it up, yet it barely gets the scale past the 3kg mark. The head handles it very comfortably in a tilt range of about 30 degrees, but once the camera really starts hanging on the head, it requires a fair amount of input to move it back up against gravity. Have you ever weighed your favourite body + lens combos? A Canon 5D4 with the heavy 24mm TS II, batteries and L-bracket weigh under 2kg. So while our conservative estimate of 4kg might not sound like a lot compared to the manufacturer’s 20kg, it is more than 99% of people need.

Shooting in Portrait

As we’ve said a million times on this website and will say a million times more, get an L-bracket. Tripod heads aren’t designed to shoot in two orientations.

Specifications 

Weight:

690g

Max Load:

20kg

Height:

108mm

Ball Diameter:

N/A

Base Diameter:

60mm

Plate Model:

NP-60

Panning Clamp: 

Yes

Clamp Release:

Screw Knob

Do you have the item in stock? 

Products are either in stock, out of stock (sold out) or special order. 

  • In stock: We have stock at our local warehouse. You can see how many we have in stock, add these products to your cart and check out. 
  • Sold out: We usually carry stock of this item but it has sold out. Please get in touch to get an ETA and reserve and incoming product. Or use the "Email me when available" button to get an email when new stock arrives. 
  • Special order: We don't carry local stock of this item. Get in touch to confirm stock availability and ETA to place an order. 

Delivery options and what they cost

We pride ourselves on lightning fast shipping, FREE on all orders over R1000. For orders under R1000 a courier fee of R120 will apply. Apart from large f-stop gear orders and large tripods, most of our items ship overnight and the daily cutoff is 13:00. You can read more on the deliveries page

Can I collect my parcel? 

Yes, you can collect your order from our warehouse in Saxenburg Park, Blackheath (08:00 - 14:00). Just choose the collection option at checkout- we'll follow up with the specifics. Please note that we are very strict about payment if collecting. We will not release any goods if we are not 100% comfortable about payment. We accept the following as payment confirmation in order to release the goods. 

  • Payfast Card Payment (any customers, new or returning)
  • EFT from FNB to FNB, pending fund clearance (any customers, new or returning)
  • Normal EFT from other banks to FNB (return customers only)
  • Instant EFT from other banks to FNB, pending fund clearance (Any customers, new or returning) 
  • Cash (any customers, new or returning)

What payment options are available?  

  • EFT
  • EFT via Payfast
  • Credit card: VISA & Mastercard
  • Payflex
  • Float

What is your policy on returns and or exchanges?

We are more than happy to exchange any product for something else or a full refund* if you feel that the item you chose isn’t quite right for you. See our Return Policy page for more. 

*If paying with any card, 4.5% of the transaction value goes to the credit card payment facilitation company. "Full Refund" means that we will return the full amount we received after the credit card service fees. If you are at all unsure that what you're buying is ideal for you, rather opt for EFT payment to be safe. 

Where is my order? How can I track my order?

You will receive an email with your tracking number once your order has been collected by our couriers. You can also find tracking number for your orders under "My account" 

You can also shop NiSi Filters at the following retailers & dealers. 
Orms Cape Town
Shop 5 Roeland Square, Cnr Roeland and, Upper Canterbury St, Cape Town
0214653573
Orms Bellville
Victorian Towers, 2 Palm St, Bellville, Cape Town
Fritz, 0219101380
FilmFlow (Cinema Specialist)
Boskruin, Randburg
Deon Truter, 07823148308
Kameraz
Rosebank Mall, 50 Bath Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg
Martin Wright, 0118802885
Photoquip
28 Pearce St, Berea, East London
043 726 2200
Lime Photo
Kloof, Durban
Emil, 0844849959
 
You can also shop Leofoto Tripods at the following retailers & dealers. 
Orms Cape Town
Shop 5 Roeland Square, Cnr Roeland and, Upper Canterbury St, Cape Town
0214653573
Orms Bellville
Victorian Towers, 2 Palm St, Bellville, Cape Town
Fritz, 021 910 1380
Lime Photo
Kloof, Durban
Emil, 0844849959
3% Tactical
Durbanville
Bernard Kotze - 0727156743
Ivan Fourie - 0825290593
Pretoria Arms
1032 Silvergrass St, Montana, Pretoria, 0182
Wayne Lesch – 0798834407

Damien Bradshaw 
Eastern Cape (Hunting Products Only)
0835749134

Approved Arms
Pretoria
Dirk Pio  – 0730556726
 

We have a no-nonsense approach. If a product breaks due to a manufacturer defect, we will replace it without asking any questions. If we have any reason to believe that the product was put through unreasonably heavy usage, we will have to follow the manufacturer's standard warranty procedure. 

Find more info on proper care and use for each brand below. 

NiSi Care & Use

F-stop Care & Use

Leofoto

The manufacturer offers a 10-year limited warranty on all products and we extend that warranty to our customers. Please read the below very carefully, so you understand your position when something breaks or doesn’t work ideally anymore.

It is critical to understand that this warranty only applies to factory faults and not to standard wear and tear. Tripods are subject to a lot of gray areas in this regard as tripods used outdoors, particularly in sand and sea water, are subjected to extreme wear and tear. We will e.g. replace the affected part of your tripod if a carbon tube snaps or cracks without much pressure applied to it or if the apex breaks. We will not replace your tripod or the affected part if e.g. a joint locks up due to sand or salt build up or if a hinge becomes corroded or stiff/floppy and unserviceable due to corrosion or salt build up. 

In sum, if we see that you took good care of your tripod and something went wrong, we will go out of our way to fix or replace it for you. If we see that you dragged it through the mud (literally or metaphorically), then we are unlikely to fix/replace it for you. How you handle your tripod and take care of it, is all the difference between 3- or 20 years of service. 

The best of tripods will not last longer than 2/3 years if used regularly in the sea, INCORRECTLY, and never serviced. Always make sure to extend the lowest leg section first, so you keep the joints out of the water/sand. Always rinse with freshwater after use in the sea, wipe down with a wet cloth, leave extended to dry and ENSURE YOU KEEP THE HEAD AND APEX DRY. If your tripod’s joints start feeling sandy/gritty, open them up, give them a proper clean and lubrication and fine-tune the tension on the joints.

If travelling on dirt roads, ensure that your tripod is in its carry-bag when not in use.

Your tripod will not take care of itself – it is up to you to do so. All our tripods ship with an info-sheet on taking care of your tripod. We also offer a full tripod disassembly and service for R1000, including shipping both ways.

CHOOSING LEOFOTO

Tripod Heads

Leofoto offers a vast range of tripod heads to cover a broad base of user requirements. Take a few minutes to educate yourself on what is available, so you can make an informed decision when choosing a head suited to your needs.

Want to see and feel the range before buying? Visit our office in Stellenbosch by contacting us.

Model naming

Leofoto tripod heads come in a diverse range of styles, sizes and clamp variations. Understanding the naming convention for each of the models is probably the easiest way to understand what each one does.

Tripod head types

LH | Low Profile

This is Leofoto's core range of
tripod heads and offers a variety of sizes and clamp variations. Priced from R1499 for the tiny LH-25 to R5 999 for the oversized LH-55.

NB | Conventional

A modern approach to a conventional ball head. The NB range features a panning clamp and clicked tension adjustment. Pricing ranges from R3 699 for the travel-friendly NB-34 to R4 499 for the large NB-46.

XB | Lightweight

Normally paired with the travel-oriented Urban range of legs, the XB heads are designed with weight in mind. The larger XB-38 weighs 310g, compared to 510g for the similarly sized NB-40 - a 40% weight difference.

G4 Geared Head

A geared head offers the ultimate compositional control that allows fine, easy and precise adjustments.

G2 Geared Head

The convenience and precise control of a geared head in a compact, travel-friendly design.

VH-10 Monopod Head

Extremely strong and heavy duty monopod head for large and heavy cameras and lenses.

CHOOSING LEOFOTO

G4 Geared Head

A geared head offers the ultimate compositional control that allows fine, easy and precise adjustments.

Leofoto G4

CHOOSING LEOFOTO

G2 Geared Head

The convenience and precise control of a geared head in a compact, travel-friendly design.

Leofoto G2

Choosing Leofoto

LH Heads

Low profile design offers many advantages over normal ball heads; simpler internal design, lower center of gravity, improved stiffness, greater ball-cup contact area, to name a few.

Choose your size

The range starts with the diminutive LH-25 with a tiny 25mm ball through to the large LH-55 with its 55mm ball. Our absolute favourite is the LH-40 as it features large ribbed control knobs, without being too heavy or expensive.

The LH-55 is an oversized head for super tele lenses or large format cameras. The LH-36 is an ideal size for those shooting with APS-C cameras or light full frame setups. The LH-30 and LH-25 are great for MFT and compact camera options or for people who hike a lot and count every gram that they pack.

Choose your clamp

Most of the LH size options are also available in a range of different clamps. If you like simplicity and price is a major factor, stick to the standard screw clamp. For those who can afford it, a lever release clamp makes the operation of the head a dream. A panning clamp is great for panorama shooting, but it does add weight and make the head more complicated, so avoid it if you're not someone for gadgets.

Choosing Leofoto

Plates and L-Brackets

Making sure that your camera or lens connects optimally to the tripod is critical. All tripod heads include one standard plate, however, If you have more than one camera or you need to mount a lens to a tripod, then you'll need extra plates.

MOUNTING A CAMERA

L-Bracket

Leofoto L-Brackets

MOUNTING A STANDARD LENS

Short Lens Plates

Leofoto Quick Release Plates

VERSATILITY

Hybrid Camera/Lens Plate

Leofoto NP-60

MOUNTING A LARGE LENS

Long Lens Plates

Leofoto Quick Release Plates

THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION

Super Tele Lens Support

Leofoto Quick Release Plates