Help me find a ball head

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mountainpenguin

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David
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Hi all
I have just got a set of CF tripod legs (that have an ideal weight of 4kg).
I am after a suitable ball head to go with them.
My camera is a D90 and the biggest lens I have at the moment is the nikkor 70-300.
I defiantly want a quick release plate and It would be good if I could use the same plate on a monopod in the future.

I have no idea what size ball to get!
Ideally I would like to spend as little as possible but it still has to be usable

Thanks all
 
The giottos ballhead's are superb.I have a MH-1000 with a MH-658 sliding rail.

Works great and very tough.
 
Yes it was costly but worth it INMO.

The head was around £70 and the rail was £32.There are smaller heads and rails made by giottos depending on equipment weight etc.
 
Even though I have one I do wonder why ball heads are so popular. I find that I can get rough positioning but that precise positioning is difficult and time consuming if not actually impossible. On the whole I think that pan and tilt or geared are much much better.
 
woof woof said:
Even though I have one I do wonder why ball heads are so popular. I find that I can get rough positioning but that precise positioning is difficult and time consuming if not actually impossible. On the whole I think that pan and tilt or geared are much much better.
Click to expand...

You need to spend a fair bit of dosh on a ball head to get one that locks precisely without the dreaded ball droop which is maddening in the extreme.

To the OP - why not consider a ball head which takes Arca plates, then you're set up for whatever other lenses you might want to get in future?
 
After getting a little modo tripod for my G11 I discovered the joy and benefits of joystick heads, they have come along way from some of the terrible offerings of the past.

I picked up a Manfrotto 324RC2 today, cracking piece of kit, though I would suggest the 327 for the OP as it has a larger weight handling capacity than the 324.

For me it was either that or the hydrostatic ball heads, the later being way out of my price range.
 
For £50, the RedSnapper RSH-12 ball head is excellent http://www.redsnapperuk.com/tripod-RSH-ballhead.html

I bought an RS-284 tripod with this head for a friend recently and while the tripod itself is very average (but good value for £50) the head is way better than I expected. Very smooth and no movement on locking :thumbs: That's unusual even with the most expensive ball heads. It compares well to my Benro J-2 which is three times the price, and that is the equal of others I've tried for double that (and I've used quite a few).

If you get a good ball head, they are great - better than a 3-way IMHO - but poor ball heads are terrible. The joystick action-grip ball heads are not up to much in my view. Not very strong and although fast to use they're tricky for fine adjustment. Giottos ball heads are also worth looking at.

Phone Joe at RedSnapper you'll get 10% off for being a member of TP :)
 
I have had a bit of a look around and I think have narrowed it to:
GIOTTOS MH 1000 (£55)
Red snapper (£50)
or a second hand 496RC2 (£40)

I have looked at the joystick heads but I dont like the idea of the extra height they will add to the tripod.

any sugestions on these ? or are they all much of a muchness?
 
I recently bought the Manfrotto 322RC2 and I'm very happy with it. Discontinued now and relaced by the 327. It doesn't add to the height as the camera is mounted on a QR adapter on its horizontal side. I use it on a Manfrotto CF tripod (D200 Nikon)

If you're after fine adjustment for landscapes, macro etc then yes a 3 way or geared head is probably your best bet but for speed and convenience I'm pleased with my set up. You can get a 234RC2 monopod attachment that takes the same QR plate.

Pete
 
Peter said:
............
If you're after fine adjustment for landscapes, macro etc then yes a 3 way or geared head is probably your best bet................Pete
Click to expand...

I got one of these - very easy to adjust ...."link"

bit ancient but well made
 
CT said:
why not consider a ball head which takes Arca plates, then you're set up for whatever other lenses you might want to get in future?
Click to expand...

Any recommends for that - I'm looking at going for "L" brackets and its all Arca...
 
I have converted all my tripod and ball gear to Arca style plates. It is almost a universal standard. I started when I bought a gimbal head with an Arca Swiss plate, it makes life easy to have the same plates on all your kit.

I would reccomend either buying a ball head with an Arca Swiss plate or adapting it with a suitable adapter afterwards. These are available in 3/8" thread on Ebay for around £19.
 
CT, I did spend a fair bit of dosh and it still drops. There's a very fine balance between tension to stop it dropping and locking the thing too soon. On the whole other than compactness and speed of operation (if you are not looking for precision) I don't think that ball heads offer anything.
 
Maybe a bit more costwise but an Arca-Swiss Z1 dose not droop at all.
Probably the best ball-head out there, I think !
Though CT might disagree, I think he uses an Aratech one.
C
 
puddleduck said:
Any recommends for that - I'm looking at going for "L" brackets and its all Arca...
Click to expand...

I think you need to shell out a bit for what should be a once only purchase if you get it right. Something like the Kirk BH1 or one of the Reallyrightstuff ones. The Reallyright stuff ones look the bizzo and are superbly engineered, but I don't think there's a UK supplier so you have to import.
 
Ceejay said:
Maybe a bit more costwise but an Arca-Swiss Z1 dose not droop at all.
Probably the best ball-head out there, I think !
Though CT might disagree, I think he uses an Aratech one.
C
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No argument from me - that Z1 is pretty well identical to the Kirk BH1 so I can't see you going far wrong with that.

I don't have an Acratech, in fact the one I have is an unashamed copy of the BH1 which I bought off Joe at Redsnapper. I think it was just a one-off heavy duty version he had. It certainly supports my 500mm f4L with ease, although I didn't really buy it for that - it's more for the MF cameras.

I think Arca Swiss plates is the way to go for a truly universal system which wont cause you problems in the future.
 
puddleduck said:
Any recommends for that - I'm looking at going for "L" brackets and its all Arca...
Click to expand...

I recently got an L bracket and have gone all Arca-Swiss QR fitting. Wish I'd got the L bracket years ago, just generally very good and brilliant for flipping to vertical. I think all the £100-plus ones are very high quality, as you might expect - mine's a Markins, v light, from here https://www.photoproshop.com/index.php/cPath/36?osCsid=0e2625fc5fa859beeef7db78c8931c38

BTW, the RedSnapper ball head comes with an Arca-Swiss plate.

BTW again, if I was buying another ball head, I think I'd get this one - Photo Clam Pro Gold II with a really neat integral panning head. I believe the head itself is the highly rated Markins Q3. Not cheap though.
 
CT said:
I think you need to shell out a bit for what should be a once only purchase if you get it right. Something like the Kirk BH1 or one of the Reallyrightstuff ones. The Reallyright stuff ones look the bizzo and are superbly engineered, but I don't think there's a UK supplier so you have to import.
Click to expand...

I know nothing about this..!

This is the plate I have on one of my Nikon bodies. I think its Arca Swiss but wouldn't know Arca Swiss from a Swiss Roll tbh!



DSC00220.jpg


​

The the idea is that I get these things fitted to my Sony bodies, and then it all works with other Arca Swiss stuff - RRS or Kirk?

TIA
 
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That's Arca-Swiss for sure Andy. All the higher end stuff is AS.

Not sure how lucky you'll be with a custom L bracket for Sony. Try Really Right Stuff, Kirk, Markins. Acratech do a universal fit L-bracket.

I use a Benro J-2 head which is an AS copy (like most of them are). Excellent, from here - good supplier DC's Store http://stores.ebay.com/DCs-Photogra...18QQ_sidZ896782438QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322

Good review of ball heads here http://www.traumflieger.de/desktop/ballhead/ballheads.php The good ones are on page four. It's in German but you'll get the gist, or run a translation.
 
Yep -it's an Arca Swiss type plate Andy as Hoppy says. Thery're alll universal fit from cheapo versions to better quality ones, like Kirk, Wimberley and others.
 
I have an Arca Swiss Z1 ... superb head.

Other options would be Really Right Stuff, Markins or Kirk all have Arca Swiss compatible plates.

You can also buy Kirk quick release clamps that will fit onto other bits and bobs, I have one on my monopod.

The thing is cost, all of these are around the £250 mark.
 
This my setup. I decided a while back that the QR stystem was the way to go. My D300 has a L bracket and the Sigma 150 has a QR plate, all by Kirk Enterprises. It can be expensive to set up in the first place, but you will only buy once.

The ball head is a Giottos MH1000 which seems to work perfectly. Saying that I have no experience with Markins and the like.

tripod.jpg



Mick
 
WOW
Thanks for the input.
I have never seen the L bracket before that is a BRILLIANT idea!
I am very much leaning to the redsnaper at the moment being able to re use the QR plate is exactly what I want to do.
Are there any cheap suppliers for those L plates ?
 
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Ball Head? >>>>>
2s5y634.jpg


:D
 
mick m said:
David,

This where I got mine. http://www.warehouseexpress.com/search/Default.aspx?q=kirk+l+plates&SortBy=&PageNum=1

Cheap and photography equipment are two words that do not go together. If you can afford it buy the best, then you will only buy once. As has been mentioned, Kirk Enterprises and Really Right Stuff are the people. Both have very good websites.

http://reallyrightstuff.com/index.html

http://www.kirkphoto.com/

Mick.
Click to expand...

Yep found them.

£130 for a l shaped bit of aluminium that is specific to my camera eek. I guess I will have to keep an eye out for one second hand
 
HoppyUK said:
I recently got an L bracket and have gone all Arca-Swiss QR fitting. Wish I'd got the L bracket years ago, just generally very good and brilliant for flipping to vertical. I think all the £100-plus ones are very high quality, as you might expect - mine's a Markins, v light, from here https://www.photoproshop.com/index.php/cPath/36?osCsid=0e2625fc5fa859beeef7db78c8931c38

BTW, the RedSnapper ball head comes with an Arca-Swiss plate.

BTW again, if I was buying another ball head, I think I'd get this one - Photo Clam Pro Gold II with a really neat integral panning head. I believe the head itself is the highly rated Markins Q3. Not cheap though.
Click to expand...

Oops! Forgot to add the PhotoClam link! http://www.dentonimages.com/page.php?id=Photo_Clam_Pro_Gold_II_Easy_PQR_Review
 
That looks like the 'L' bracket you need Andy. Just to be clear - the purpose of the 'L'bracket is to mount the camera vertically (portrait orientation} directly onto the head without having to flop the ball head over 90 degs.

Just being devil's advocate - do you really need it? If you're using long lenses it's not much use as you want the plate mounted to the lens to avoid all the weight of a long lens hanging from the lens mount.

A really good quality ball head should be able to cope with supporting the camera with the head tilted over to 90 degs without any undue sag or vibration. Bear in mind the 'L' bracket only mounts to the camera body - never to the lens, so you'd only use it with shorter lenses - not long tele lenses, and I know you do a lot of wildlife photography.

Unless you really need the 'L'plate, it's a lot of wonga you could be spending on the head and few different -length straight Arca plates to cope with all your camera/lens combinations.

Edit...

Do you currently use a gimbal head?
 
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CT said:
That looks like the 'L' bracket you need Andy. Just to be clear - the purpose of the 'L'bracket is to mount the camera vertically (portrait orientation} directly onto the head without having to flop the ball head over 90 degs.

Just being devil's advocate - do you really need it? If you're using long lenses it's not much use as you want the plate mounted to the lens to avoid all the weight of a long lens hanging from the lens mount.

A really good quality ball head should be able to cope with supporting the camera with the head tilted over to 90 degs without any undue sag or vibration. Bear in mind the 'L' bracket only mounts to the camera body - never to the lens, so you'd only use it with shorter lenses - not long tele lenses, and I know you do a lot of wildlife photography.

Unless you really need the 'L'plate, it's a lot of wonga you could be spending on the head and few different -length straight Arca plates to cope with all your camera/lens combinations.

Edit...

Do you currently use a gimbal head?
Click to expand...

Cheers - my use case is flipping horizontal and vertically for landscape work, using typical landscape focal length.

Re: gimbal... no for long lens work I shoot off beanbags, or handhold.
 
CT said:
Fair does then, a good bit of kit to get. :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Cheers - for now I'm just going to get the "L" bracket for my Sony gear.

So I guess that "L" plate above needs 1 Arca Swiss plate attached to a ballhead, then you release the plate and flip the camera 90" and re-attach?

So for my A900 I think

a) A "L" bracket (RRS or similar)
b) A900 compatible plate for the base of the camera = brand doesn't matter? RRS / Kirk / Arcatech etc?
c) Some sort of Arca Swiss ballhead [too be decided upon)

TIA
 
I`m reading with interest guys, keep it coming...........:thumbs:
 
puddleduck said:
Cheers - for now I'm just going to get the "L" bracket for my Sony gear.

So I guess that "L" plate above needs 1 Arca Swiss plate attached to a ballhead, then you release the plate and flip the camera 90" and re-attach?


TIA
Click to expand...

Nope. The L bracket is effectively an Arca plate on the horizontal and vertical axis - it has the Arca-type grooves, so it's a also a plate in it's own right.
 
CT said:
Nope. The L bracket is effectively an Arca plate on the horizontal and vertical axis - it has the Arca-type grooves, so it's a also a plate in it's own right.
Click to expand...

Excellent, I nearly went and ordered a plate to go along with the "l" bracket :D

Cheers!
 
LOL. I remember scratching my head when I first started looking at this stuff. :D
 
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