Opteka TS-1 TacShot Pistol Grip Ball Head with Quick Release Plate for Tripods & Monopods

by Opteka

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 1.5 x 5 inches ; 15 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B003U7SR0U
• Item model number: TS-1
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #7 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Tripods & Monopods > Tripod Heads
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 29, 2010

Product Description

The Opteka TacShot is a compact and convenient trigger-style tactical ballhead, designed for lightweight video or still photography. The very act of taking your hand away from the grip locks the head into position, which eliminates the extra step of having to tighten a knob or lever before being ready to shoot. You have immediate access to half of a sphere in which to position your camera. The TacShot's body is crafted from high impact polycarbonate with the ball head and internal assemblies made from high quality aluminum. A bull's eye style single bubble level helps quickly achieve a perfectly level shot with just a glance at your hand. The included quick release plates allow you to remove your camera at a moment's notice.

The Opteka TacShot can be used with all makes and models of tripods that have either a 1/4"-20 or a 3/8"-16 threaded center column post.

The Opteka TacShot can support up to 6.6 lbs. For example, that means 35mm up to an 80-200mm f/2.8 lens. This head is ideal for both tripods and monopods.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable value with a hidden feature, July 21, 2011

By 

Robert S. Tobias (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Opteka TS-1 TacShot Pistol Grip Ball Head with Quick Release Plate for Tripods & Monopods (Electronics)

Bottom line: If you are looking for an easy to use, full featured, and inexpensive ball head, especially one that is portable, this is a great choice.

For going out and about I have a Dolica CX620B104 61-Inch Proline Carbon Fiber Tripod with Ball Head. It's a great tripod but the ball head is, at best, annoying. Too many knobs.

This turns out to be the ideal replacement! A single grip. Squeeze it and the camera tilts and pivots freely. Release it and it's immediately locked firmly in place.

It's mostly plastic which keeps the weight down. And it's the kind of plastic where you have to look twice to make sure it's not metal. For the price, even for several times the price, this ball head has a remarkably good fit and finish.

The release lever locks the camera plate in place firmly and securely. Flipping it open does not immediately release the camera. You need to push it back a bit more for that. A great feature if you sometimes carry your tripod with the camera attached and would prefer that an accidental bump not release your camera so it can hit the ground.

You can adjust which "side" the trigger is relative to the detent that allows the head to pivot to vertical position. Once that's done it always stays in the same relative position and there's never any fumbling to find it.

It comes with a tripod adapter screw similar to the Gitzo GS5000 3/8-Inch to 1/4-20-Inch Reducer Adapter. If you don't need it to attach this head to your tripod then it's available for you to use elsewhere. (And, when you do need it elsewhere you've just saved about 1/3 the cost of the entire ball head.)

The "hidden feature" is a bubble level that finally makes sense. It's located above the adjustable ball and below a secondary pivot. That mean you can use the trigger/ball to get the camera level, release the trigger to lock the head in place, and still use the pivot. The camera will stay perfectly level as it swivels and this is great for taking panorama shots that you stitch together with your favorite photo editing package. The swivel is not completely free, btw, it is nicely dampened. When you don't want to use the pivot there's a lever that locks it in place.

There is one thing I wish they would have done. The camera plate only fits this ball head. From the picture it appeared it would be compatible with the Manfroto system. It would have been better if it had and bears mentioning that it doesn't (even if it does not detract from the value in the slightest).

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! -Pull the Trigger!, November 28, 2010

By 

J. Batte "Batteman87" (Aiken, SC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka TS-1 TacShot Pistol Grip Ball Head with Quick Release Plate for Tripods & Monopods (Electronics)

A Newbie of sorts to dSLR photography. If you dabble in photography as I do or if your a Pro you already know that it is not cheap. I was looking for a quick release for my tripod so I went to a local camera shop in town and discovered the "Pistol Grip". It offers quick release for my dSLR. Phenomenal motion/movement when needed and when it's not needed, it's good and solid. The asking price at the local camera shop in my area was $80.00. I found this gem on Amazon for ~$29.00. It's pretty much the same one they had at my local camera shop. It's built out solid materials. It even has a leveling bubble on top of the trigger handle to boot. It's super easy to put on your existing tripod and even easier to operate. Just pull the trigger and aim your camera. Once you find the spot you want release the trigger and your ready to take a picture. Do yourself a favor and pull the trigger on this purchase, you wont regret it!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exactly what I was hoping!, November 2, 2010

By 

G. Powell (FORT WAYNE, IN, US) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka TS-1 TacShot Pistol Grip Ball Head with Quick Release Plate for Tripods & Monopods (Electronics)

after purchasing my monopod,I was pleased with the stability provided, but it lacked the ability to make quick adjustments when panning a large soccer field. not any longer! I am never without the monopod/pistol grip combination now. great price, delivered quickly and is a quality piece. locks very tightly every time....