Although the Leofoto G4 is by far the most refined of the three geared heads I’ve used, including the Manfrotto 410 and the Sunwayfoto GH-Pro II, it still hasn’t fully replaced the ease and reliability of the Manfrotto system in my mind. The G4 is compact, impeccably built, and rated to handle up to 20kg, making it a seriously capable piece of gear. It operates with a silky smoothness that makes fine adjustments a real pleasure.

That said, I still find the Manfrotto system the quickest and most fail-safe when it comes to mounting equipment. There’s a kind of reassuring simplicity to it. It feels less fiddly and more intuitive, especially when working quickly in the field. While the Arca-Swiss-based setups offer greater precision and modularity, they still feel a bit finicky to me.

I’m slowly getting more comfortable with them, but if I had to grab one setup for speed and ease of use, I would probably still reach for the Manfrotto. Of course, for accuracy, robustness, and compactness, especially when I need precision, the G4 is an absolute joy to use. It’s a beautifully engineered head that stands out for its smoothness and solid feel. In the end, it’s a balance between fast, simple operation and the rewarding precision of high-end geared heads.