Never been happy with many with the cheaper "geared" heads but was looking to finally splurge sufficient money on a good one. Been thinking about the Linhof 3D Micro (which for me in Germany wouldn't have been much more expensive), but got the RG-1 instead. The RG-1 offered larger degrees of adjustments on both axis than the 3D Micro. The Micro on the other hand would offer tad finer control and somewhat increased load capacity. However, even with my heaviest gear I'm not even at half the load capacity of the RG-1. In the end I made the decision based on the higher degrees of adjustment that the RG-1 offers and none of the advantages that the 3D Micro has was going to make a difference for what I need.
Needed a geared head for product shots and this came up as an affordable well built option. Build quality is excellent. I think the macro rail could use some more improvements like fast slide clutch to keep up with the competition. I didn't choose the competition because this looked better built for the price. Lastly I wish the Arca clamps included in the kit had a 1/4 20 screw on the bottom, allowing me to use them on other gear. Unfortunately they only have the Arca on the bottom.
I don't often write reviews, but this product deserves a wider audience. The RG-1 is often compared to the better known Arca D4. But there are actually significant differences that are worth highlighting.
1. The first thing to say is the RG-1 is nothing like the various cheap clones of the D4 that have emerged in recent years. It has its own unique design features and is beautifully built to a very high standard.
2. The second thing to note is it's smaller and lighter than the D4. Enough that it will pair nicely with a smaller, lighter tripod, giving significant savings in terms of the total system weight. This is very welcome for walking and hiking.
3. The ergonomics are superior to the D4 in my opinion. Where the D4 seems to have knobs and leavers all over the place, the RG-1 has just two main knobs for the primary geared axes, conveniently set off to the right, but also reversible for left hand operation. There is a single clutch for tilt, which falls perfectly under the left hand (while you right hand holds the camera grip). A separate small knob at the base of the head locks the base pan. It's extremely intuitive and (unlike the D4) you will never find yourself reaching for the wrong control. Rogeti has clearly thought long and hard about this, and it shows. The handling is superb.
4. The unique design of the RG-1 combines a tilt axis that works in the same way as the D4 with a levelling axis that moves in an arc, similar to the way the Arca Cube works. This makes for a very stable head. But it also means when you tilt the head down (to photograph something on the ground), the levelling axis remains in the same plane. On the D4 it doesn't and you have to use the rotating panoramic head instead. Here again, I prefer the way the RG-1 works.
5. The RG-1 is modular. This might not seem like a big deal. But actually the design is very clever. Here again, this shows the time and care Rogeti has taken when developing the RG-1. Amongst other things, you can fit different clamps to the top of the head, including a simple X-Y clamp, a rotating panoramic clamp, a geared panoramic clamp and a focus rail. You can even fit third party clamps if they have an Arca-style dovetail underneath (Really Right Stuff, amongst others, has a few options like this). You can also fit the geared panoramic clamp at the base of the head if you want geared control in every possible axis. There are even more accessories designed for architectural and video shooting. Personally, I prefer to work with just the X-Y clamp to keep the weight down, but the modular approach offers a lot of flexibility and lets the user choose their own setup. This is very different to the way Arca does things, whereby you are locked into a proprietary clamp, which can only be removed with a heat gun and doing so invalidates the warranty. Needless to say, I prefer Rogeti's approach.
Overall, the RG-1 has exceeded my expectations. It combines exceptional design, quality engineering, brilliant ergonomics and a high degree of versatility in a relatively light, compact head that is very smooth, very stable and a joy to use in the field. Last but not least, don't let the price put you off. The RG-1 is in no way a cheaper alternative to the D4. It's a premium product, superior in many ways to the D4, at a very fair price for the quality on offer. Highly recommended.
Same title as for the RX32 tripod, because it's true. Design = genial, finish = superb. A little selection of unique selling points:
The CAP-GZA Geared Panning Head can be mounted at the bottom, at the top, or if one buys two of them, on both vertical ends. I don't know any other geared head making this possible and so far I used or tried 8 different ones. Don't waste you money on Arca "Swiss" (in fact, it should be Arca France) d4, the Rogeti is so much better.
The center markings for the QR-plates are very helpful, even if I have to open the clamp wider.
The bottom plate rotates super-smooth, fixing the head on a tripod is a quick thing to do.
The vials are more precise than the camera's electronic level.
Super-sturdy.
The first QR plate compatible with my FLM quick release system - every other plate so far I had to mill to make it fit.
Okay, no one will discover the difference of an image made with the help of this head or another geared head. But with this one I get the job done quicker, safer and with more fun. And I simply love it's design.
just bought the RG-1 after looking for a geared head to go with my Gitzo tripod, since I had an Arca head, that is where I looked first, really happy I went with the RG-1, super solid, GREAT system and accessories, ended up buying the tripod as well, takes the place of my Gitzo giant and the Peak travel now.highly recommended!
