Also define "slow"!
If you're talking less than 1 second per degree of pan then yes, it's pretty much humanly impossible with the most expensive fluid heads. For that you need a crank head or the uber cheap motorized head that I have. When I say uber cheap I mean it, under $200!

Bob.

One hand on the handle, the other hand holding onto the base of the head, pressing down.

One technique I've read about - might have been from Spot - is to use a small loop of elastic to pull the handle, to help make the start and stop very gentle.

Yep... I make a "fishing pole".

Take a couple of thin rubber bands and group them together. 3-5 should do. Then take a ziptie and cinch them all together. Use the ziptie as a handle and the rubber bands around the tripod handle. You can get some amazingly smooth action this way. I use this trick all the time.

Wow -- those are some great ideas! Thanks -- I'll give them a try. :)

Also exercise the panhead for 30 seconds or so before using it for shooting.
One thing that seems counter-intuitive is that if the drag is set too low, smoothness will suffer. You need to push against resistance to achieve smoothness, but if you don't exercise all you'll get then is jerky starts and stops.

Holding the handle close to the head rather than at the end will help as well.'

Wayne

biggles - I'd have flown in the opposite direction - more leverage should give more fine control.

Turn off Image Stabilization when using a tripod. If you have it on, the jerks you're seeing is most likely caused by the IS constantly trying to stabilize the image during your slow pans.

I use the elastic trick all the time and I seem to also recall that it was Spot that mentioned it here first. I use the cloth covered elastic hair ties.

Here is a

John

Or buy a decent tripod and head.

We use bogan tripods and heads. They work great, very smooth and flowing. You do have to pay for a good tripod and head to get great results!

I do have a very nice Miller fluid head but using the rubber band trick makes the pans even smoother and at a more constant speed.

But you DO have to have that great camera! Now, I wonder what it is . . ? Hmmm....

Grazie

My pans are smooth and constant without using a rubber band. Maybe it has something to do with practice, e.g., experience.

"Maybe it has something to do with practice, e.g., experience."

I rather doubt that you have any more experience than I do. My experience has taught me to be more open minded about new things for my trick bag. Have you ever tried the rubber band trick? It's no good for following action, that does require practice but on those wide, sweeping panoramas, it does produce a more fluid, constant pan.

The difference between several hundred dollars for a Bogen/Manfrotto head and several thousand for an O'Conner head is well worth it if you are doing broadcast level work. I never understood why Quick Set was popular with video people.

Ralph

I never understood why Quick Set was popular with video people.

Because it was much cheaper than the "real" thing and, at least when they were new, they were an OK unit.
Let several years pass though and you'll see why you pay the money :-(

Mike
(still stuck with several Quickset tripod/head units)

John, I've been in the in the business of shooting film and video for over 35 years. I'm confident in saying that I have at least as much experience as you do.

If you want to use a rubber band to do your pans, knock yourself out. No one's stopping you.

All I'm saying is, for those who aspire to a higher level of proficiency in their craft as a camera operator, learn to do it the right way for more complete control.

Attach an extension to the handle using a dowel or a telescoping pointer to extend the tripod's handle range of motion. Longer extensions can give more precise movements.

Another thing you can try to add fluidity to the pan is to use your other hand to add resistance in the opposite direction of the pan. Slowly release pressure on the hand holding the camera in place, at the same time moving the camera w/ your other hand. This combined with the extended handle get some pretty smooth pans w/ my el-cheapo tripod IMHO.

You want a slow pan, I'll give you a slow pan:

http://www.vimeo.com/6377400

I'd love to see anyone pull that off by hand. The original pan was 30 minutes to pan 180 deg. The motorised pan head costs under $200.

If anyone can pull off what is a real slow pan like that by hand......


Bob.