FLEXLINE PRO
The latest state-of-the-art ballhead is the Flexline Pro, very similar to the Uniqball but a different product from a different company and anyway improved.
The distributor (and co-designer?), Andy Rouse, says that it’s “designed to be a jack of all trades” and to a large extent it is and it’s certainly a master of many trades, but totally replacing a high quality gimbal head is not one of them in my opinion. However, when a heavy telephoto combo is mounted its behaviour does become gimbalesque and some of the Flexline’s major advantages are that it is more compact and lighter in weight. Also, you can lock it down with just the silver knob and not have to waste time using the two knobs of a gimbal < This advantage is not to be underestimated in the field and especially for close-ups and macro. The single knob also saves valuable time when taking lens extenders on and off. Also we should not ignore the extremely useful feature of having the integrated levelling base (with spirit bubble) - I don’t want to faff around with tripod legs and I use a Really Right Stuff levelling base under my Gitzo Fluid Gimbal head. The Flexline’s integrated levelling base feature of the outer silver ball allows panning but due to any vertical movement, panoramas are not advised.
Both the Flexline and gimbal heads are more easily used when the mounted camera + lens combo are centrally balanced. The Flexline’s internals (I’m not interested in how it works but only what the results are in real-world use) are such that the heavier the mounted load, the more fluid and lighter any movement feels. It is mostly because of this that this double-ballhead may be compared with a gimbal but because of its fully adjustable tension resistance its closest comparison or even rival, is the Gitzo Fluid Gimbal Head or indeed other fluid heads usually primarily designed for video work.
Because of its one-knob-adjustable tensional resistance, using a zoom lens such as in my case a 100-400mm either with or without an extender need not involve precise rebalancing - It’s up to the user to find what suits them best in the shooting circumstances. Personally I much prefer some tensional resistance which both the Flexline and Gitzo Fluid Gimbal offer although the Gitzo action feels just a tiny bit smoother < It’s a different feel and so difficult to both describe and compare. The Gitzo is bulky and heavier though and it depends what you are shooting and where you are travelling, including walking any distance. Also, the Flexline fits and works surprisingly well, dare I say perfectly, on my lighter Gitzo GT2545 tripod rather than the Systematic which my gimbal lives on. As always, it’s Horses-for-Courses and there really is no such thing as the absolutely perfect piece of camera gear as anyone who shoots seriously whether professional or amateur already knows. For a start, we each have our own individual preferences and ways of working.
When it comes to mounting lighter weight combos the Flexline Pro’s tension resistance is very much stiffer even when the silver knob is fully open - It won’t fully unscrew and drop off by the way! At first this felt like a disadvantage but I now find that it makes it easier and faster to set up and lock down for close-ups or macro shots - You just have to use slightly more force against any resistance and then lock down, which is what you need to do for stable macro shots anyway. More downwards movement can be achieved by locking the two balls together using the silver knob and loosening the lever of the levelling base outer ball but then it behaves like a conventional ballhead and can be too floppy and it loses its valuable levelling base feature, so that method is not for me. It’s an excellent idea to have colour coded the knobs black and silver to avoid accidentally loosening the clamp!
On the subject of the Arca-Swiss profile clamp I find it is taking time to get used to as it’s not as fast and easy to use as a clamp with a longer rail rather than just two opposite corner points. It is secure when closed but will take a little time to find your best technique to mount quickly - Thank goodness for muscle-memory! The clamp has a physical limitation regarding mounting a camera body rather than a (long enough) lensfoot plate - The Peak Design 2-directional PROplate living on my Canon 1DX-2 body is too small to fit and I don’t want to change it for very valid reasons. Although the current production version has a lens direction arrow indicating one way, it can be used with the lens facing the opposite way, not at right angles, without any functional compromise. The knobs are then forwards of the camera body rather than behind and this might even be preferred by some as it brings your fingers closer to the manual focus ring on many lenses.
When locked down, the Flexline Pro feels extremely solid and stable, more so than any conventional ballhead - Something not just desirable but essential when shooting on any tripod.
Summarising, strictly based on my own personal uses :
TELEPHOTO LENSES :
The heavier the better! Smoother action when loaded with heavier weight. But it feels different from a gimbal and I wouldn’t recommend it as a replacement.
[Canon 500mm F/4L II with and without either 1.4x or 2x Extenders on 1DX-2]
MEDIUM TELEPHOTO ZOOMS :
Work extremely well even when not rebalanced precisely to allow for zooming. The silver tensional resistance knob is your friend!
[Canon 100-400mm L II with and without 1.4x Extender on either 1DX-2 or 7D-2]
SMALLER LENSES WITH A FOOT :
Work extremely well but encounter more tensional resistance. Not a problem but merely a different feel.
[Canon 100mm F/2.8L IS Macro with and without 1.4x Extender on EOS M5]
LENSES WITHOUT A FOOT :
Necessitating mounting via the camera body and consequently, according to specific combos, it can have its own physical limitations to overcome when a large D-SLR body such as a Canon 1DX-2 is mounted. Still much better than a conventional ballhead, even a high quality Really Right Stuff ballhead.
REAL-WORLD TEST:
As a field test I photographed Bumble Bees being busy in my ‘BackYard’.
Test 1 was shot on Canon 100-400mm L II on 1DX-2 mounted on Really Right Stuff ballhead on Gitzo GT2545 tripod.
Test 2 a couple of days later in the same lighting conditions was exactly the same rig except substituting the Flexline Pro ‘double-ballhead’.
I found that in Test 2 with my Flexline Pro I got set up and level very much faster and I was better able to nudge my camera angle from flower to flower while still remaining level. Tracking flying Bees was easier and I got more successes and keepers and in less time.
I am extremely pleased with my Flexline Pro but shall not be replacing my Gitzo Fluid Gimbal with it - I need both! Am I a GearSlut?
Both these images are shot on the Flexline Pro :
BUMBLE BEE FINDING NECTAR by
Robin Procter, on Flickr
BUMBLE BEE HARVESTING NECTAR by
Robin Procter, on Flickr