Sunpak 620-PISTOLGRPQR Tripod, Ball Head

I have just received this Sunpak 620 Pistol Grip for my Tripod & Monopod. I am hoping that this one will last much longer than the Opeka one that I had before. The one made by Opeka is pretty much the same design as the Sunpac one. The one that I bought from Opeka, broke after a little more than a year of use. I tried to fix it a number of times, but could never get it to work as before. It was never, ever abused at all. I take care of my Photo Gear at all times.This Sunpac one, should last for awhile . . . I hope! I'm told and have read a number of the reviews here and most all are good. I will use it for my Pentax K10d, my Nikon D7000, and my Nikon Coolpix P600. It will get the same treatment as the other one. This is why I only gave it 4 Stars, because I'm really not sure of it quite yet.It's been a few months now since I wrote this and have had a chance to use it. Like I stated before, I was not sure on how this one would work. Well, I found out. It's not all that great! I've found that this Grip will NOT support a heavy camera, such as my Nikon D7000. The Ball Head keeps slipping down a bit. Does not hold it firmly while carrying it around from one place to another. Not tight enough. So, I tried my Pentax K10D. The same thing happens. Was not happy with this. Being the 2nd Pistol Grip Ball Head that I've bought, I'm not very pleased with it. It's not junk, but I think it should support heavier camera's. I'm not going to buy another one! I even tried using my Nikon Coolpix P600 which is much lighter. Worked better. Don't purchase this if your camera is on the heavy side. You won't like it.

I was quite hoping to get a REPLACEMENT for my now-broken, existing pistol grip from Sunpak. The exact one PICTURED here. However, as I now see other reviews mention, you will NOT get that one. Which is quite unfortunate, because this new one doesn't hold a heavier DSLR all that well. The original one did. The mounting plate has an extremely delicate metal folding/flipping grasp-point with which to turn & tighten the plate while affixing it to the bottom of the camera. In an effort to secure this I've already bent the metal (I only received it today). That never happened with my original one, mind you - the one pictured here. Just this newer model. I can't really recommend this for the hobbyist photographer looking for an "higher-end yet affordable grip". This really is just poor quality and I don't think I'll be keeping this. Might be better off putting the money towards a quality brand.

Super useful grip. I already have the tripod version but wanted a second one for my mono pod so I didn’t have to swap it out and waste time in fast sessions. The problem was and I don’t know if mine was defective but it did not fit on my standard mount screw tripod or mono pod because the screw portion was for 3/8 inch. It’s a very solid grip and allows for fast shooting and recentering. unfortunately I had to send it back. There was no way to attach with the varying diameter’s. The tripod uses a smaller screw than the pistol grip came with. It did not come with anything that allowed it to attach to a standard tripod or mono pod camera screw in mount. I am not sure if it was missing something but it didn’t come with my package. My order was definitely meant for larger mounting screws then a tripod or standard attachment even though the description says otherwise.In terms of reliability I think it’s an excellent pistol grip. Very solidly built but with that comes some heft you’ll have to look on the website or description for the exact weight.

I desperately needed a tripod head after losing a screw to the ballhead on my old one..When receiving this, the build quality is pretty sturdy. It's a hard plastic composition. No complaints.What I immediately noticed was that the trigger was stuck inside the handle.Even then, the base of the ballhead wouldn't spin. I figured maybe because I haven't attached it to the tripod yet -- which I did shortly with no avail (still didn't move).I tried so hard to spin the top while holding onto the trigger that's already stuck.. the entire base part came apart. I figured it might be a good time to spray the crap out of the ballhead with WD-40 and see how that would work. It worked.Next obstacle.. after I put my camera on the tripod plate, there's a small switch that's to the right of the trigger handle that keeps going loose -- meaning my camera kept panning left and right without my wanting.Definitely not what I expected from a trigger ballhead. :/Update 2019:It's stuck on my tripod good and no amount of elbow grease will release it. I've tried everything -- lubricating, gently knocking with a rubber mallet... begging, etc. It won't come off! Something's got to be wrong with the threading where after I had tightened it on, it won't catch anymore when I want it off.