Novoflex KOPF2 geared head review: ultra-fine precision but comes at a price

I do like a geared tripod head. You can’t beat ball heads for a quick and dirty setup but geared heads enable really fine and precise adjustments. I find they’re great for ensuring that the horizon is absolutely level in landscape photography and that buildings don’t lean over or have walls that appear lean inwards towards the top in architectural photography. 

For extreme close-ups, I also often need the kind of ultra-fine adjustments that only a geared head can deliver. The Novoflex KOPF2 fits the bill, available as a modular system with three different kit options, so you only need to buy the bits you want. But speaking of ‘the bill’, all of the kits come at very steep purchase prices, aiming to be among absolutely the best geared tripod heads on the market.

Novoflex KOPF2: Specifications

Novoflex KOPF2: Price

Novoflex might not be the first name that springs to mind for tripods and heads, but they have a long and well-respected history of making precision-engineered photographic kit. Like the company’s other products, the KOPF2 collection is made in Germany, so manufacturing costs aren’t cheap. Even bearing that in mind, purchase prices are much higher than you might expect. 

The Novoflex Modular Geared Head KOPF2 Base Model comes in at $1,819 / £1,340. The mid-range Novoflex Modular Geared Head KOPF2 Starter Kit costs $2,079 / £1,500, and the top-end Novoflex Modular Geared Head KOPF2 Pro Kit is priced at $2,229 / £1,600. 

They’re all way more expensive than the likes of the Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head ($249 / £255), Manfrotto 410 3-Way Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head ($349 / £327) and Manfrotto 405 3-Way Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head ($649 / £709), which serve a similar purpose. Do you get what you pay for with the KOPF2 system? Let’s see...

Novoflex KOPF2: Design & Handling

The joy of a modular system is that you only need to buy the parts you need and even if you buy the lot, you can strip off the items you don’t need for particular applications, to cut down the size and weight. The KOPF2 Base Model is the bare-bones (but definitely not ‘basic’) geared head. It has a long Arca-Swiss compatible base plate and an Arca-Swiss style mounting plate of a similar length at the top. In between are two independent geared mechanisms for tilt and swivel. Both have an ‘Open/Close’ lever for disengaging the geared mechanism, ideal for large-scale adjustments or for swapping between landscape and portrait orientation shooting.

Naturally, the key feature of any geared head is its ability to enable very fine and precise adjustments. With the Open/Close levers in their locked position, micro-adjustments are made via two knurled blue knobs which really do allow for extremely precise adjustments. When you’re trying to keep everything on the level, there’s the bonus of no less than four separate bubble levels on the base, both geared sections to suit landscape and portrait orientations, and in the underside of the top plate.

I went for the intermediate Novoflex Modular Geared Head KOPF2 Starter Kit, which includes two extra components. The first is the Panorama II panoramic base plate. This is a really useful addition, enabling full 360-degree rotational movement of the whole assembly. The base plate is calibrated with markings at 10-degree increments and 5-degree interim points. Locking is via another knurled blue knob and there’s a black knurled knob for fixing/releasing the plate to the Arca-Swiss foot of the main geared head. Again, the panoramic plate features its own bubble level.

The other item in the Starter Kit is a Q-mount, which screws into the geared head’s top plate. This is a quick-release clamp, again with an Arca-Swiss style profile and a bubble level, ideal for adding a camera or heavyweight lens via its tripod mounting ring. It’s worth noting, however, that the clamp isn’t supplied with a quick-release plate for attaching to your camera, so you’ll need to buy that separately if you don’t have one (or more) already.

The only extra you get with the top-level Novoflex Modular Geared Head KOPF2 Pro Kit is a pair of Fine Adjustment Handles. These fit over the knurled blue positional adjustment knobs of the geared head, giving them a much wider diameter and longer length, for enhanced handling and ease of use.

Novoflex KOPF2: Performance

I tend to be wary of modular systems when it comes to camera supports, as every additional joint is a potential weak spot, potentially giving rise to unwanted flexing and vibration. On its own, the Base Model kit delivers rock-solid support without any flexing nor the merest hint of wobble. It’s in a completely different league to my comparatively fidgety Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head, which is made from ‘Technopolymer’ (high-grade plastic) rather than the top-grade, all-metal construction of the KOPF2.

Even better news is that when adding the panoramic base and the Q-mount top clamp of the Starter Kit, rigidity and resistance to vibration remains every bit as impressive, and isn’t degraded in the least. The complete kit feels like its hewn from one chunk of metal without any separate modules being joined together. The complete assembly feels more than strong enough for its 5kg/11lb maximum load rating. The system enables even the finest of micro-adjustments with utmost precision.

Novoflex KOPF2: Verdict

When I’m shooting the likes of landscapes, architecture, and close-ups, I often find the need to make really small and precise adjustments to the position of my camera. The Novoflex KOPF2 Geared Head Starter Kit enables me to do exactly that, with speed, ease, and confidence. What’s more, if I’m going to the trouble of making ultra-precise adjustments, I want to know that the camera is going to stay put afterward, without any unwanted flexing or movement in the tripod head. The KOPF2 fully delivers in this respect as well. It’s a beautifully engineered, immaculately finished, and totally dependable geared head. The only sticking point for me is the price tag, which puts it beyond the reach of many of us.

Alternatives

The Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head is relatively lightweight, made from ‘Technopolymer’ (high-grade engineering plastic) rather than metal. Even so, it has a maximum load rating of 4kg and works well on the whole, although it’s a bit lacking in rigidity.

The Manfrotto 410 3-Way Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head is weightier and more solid than the XPRO-3, made from aluminum rather than plastic. It has a beefier 5kg maximum load rating, coupled with good handling characteristics.