Quality ball heads

Sunway is quality for sure, better than your average Benro/Induro/Giottos etc.

If you want to be sure of making the absolute best decision, then you really have to try these things, with your kit. Unfortunately, there's no easy answer to that, unless you do a tour of all the stockists or wait for an event like The Photography Show. Maybe the Bird Fair (end of August, Rutland). I'm in the very fortunate position of getting stuff to play with for work.

You can't even buy them and try them, and then return them for refund if you don't get on. Or at least it's very difficult. Even if you're super-careful and line the clamp and base with paper etc, it's hard to give them a decent run without leaving any marks at all... :(
 
markyboy.1967 said:
The Manfrotto head I was looking at was the Hydrostatic 057 RC2 and thought the levers on all pulled out to allow you to change their positions to a position that suited yourself if you know what I mean. An example can be found in YouTube called-
Manfrotto 057-RC4 Magnesium BallHead (Unboxing and Review)
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There's only one Manfrotto Hydrostaitic, and that's not it ;)

Edit: the appeal of the Feisol 40D is a fairly unique combination of low weight, low cost, high precision and amazing strength for the size. Not sure the controls are my favourite but that's one of those subjective details. I rate it highly though, as I gave it the Best in Test award in Advanced Photographer magazine that they're flagging on the UK site.
 
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Will have a look at that Richard. As mentioned I have 3 in my mind just now unless something pops up to change that under the £400 price range- if I can get a head to meet my requirements for £150 then all the better but what I don't want is a head I buy for £150 then 2-3 years down the line I start having problems with it and end up spending again- hence buy once and buy the best quality at a level to suit my needs.
 
Honestly, it's just a ballhead. It's not really a precision tool nor does it do anything particularly special. As long as you don't buy a piece of junk, you will probably never have to replace it. The rest is just personal preferences.

If you want, I have an arca swiss Z1DP just sitting on a shelf... I'd sell it to you for $475(USD) including shipping. It's a great head, but I've replaced it with a 410 geared head (which I'm thinking of upgrading to a 405) for most precision work.
 
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Thanks for the offer however I think I have discounted the Z1. I have now had 2 ball heads around the £80-£100 price and both aren't up to the job I want from them. Something I had an issue with in the past was that the tripod base was so large on the gitzo 5 series that using in portrait mode on some heads just don't allow the camera to sit correctly and I don't want to fall into that trap again especially with the bigger D4s.
 
sk66 said:
Honestly, it's just a ballhead. It's not really a precision tool nor does it do anything particularly special. As long as you don't buy a piece of junk, you will probably never have to replace it. The rest is just personal preferences.
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Disagree 100%.

If you want, I have an arca swiss Z1DP just sitting on a shelf... I'd sell it to you for $475(USD) including shipping. It's a great head, but I've replaced it with a 410 geared head (which I'm thinking of upgrading to a 405) for most precision work.
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I use a Manfrotto 405 (upgraded from a 410 ;)) and it's great for precise positioning, but mine never goes out of the studio. It weighs half a ton and for anything moving faster than a snail, quite useless.
 
markyboy.1967 said:
Thanks for the offer however I think I have discounted the Z1. I have now had 2 ball heads around the £80-£100 price and both aren't up to the job I want from them. Something I had an issue with in the past was that the tripod base was so large on the gitzo 5 series that using in portrait mode on some heads just don't allow the camera to sit correctly and I don't want to fall into that trap again especially with the bigger D4s.
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Most ballheads are not tall enough to rotate to portrait on the 4/5 series platform... and even if they can movement will probably be limited. You'll probably wind up with an L-bracket either way.
 
HoppyUK said:
Disagree 100%.



I use a Manfrotto 405 (upgraded from a 410 ;)) and it's great for precise positioning, but mine never goes out of the studio. It weighs half a ton and for anything moving faster than a snail, quite useless.
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I didn't say they were not "precision made". The only advantage they have over other heads is fast/easy positioning... but that's also a disadvantage.
I definitely agree about a geared head being useless for anything that's not relatively static. And for the (rare) type of landscape shots I take it's overkill, but for the types of landscape work some others do it's the right tool.
 
After I read and read and read I still couldn't decide between the RRS & Markins. I ordered both and immediately plumped for the RRS BH-55. They are both beautifully made and robust but the BH-55 edged it for me. Either make will serve you well.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. I have decided to buy the Kirk BH-1 that came up on the forum when i get back. The Kirk wasn't mentioned here but i had read good reports about it them with just a few negative ones but i think unless i try it and see for myself then i will never know if it suits my needs-so heres hoping.
 
After reading this thread and others with Richard's involvement, I have bought a Sunwayfoto DB44 Head. Hoping it's a big improvement over the old Cullmann head I'm using now, probably about 25 years old and made in Germany.:D

Hope the Kirk is suitable and works out for you Mark.
 
We could probably add Gitzo to the list of highly desirables, for the first time IMHO, with the launch of two new ball heads http://www.gitzo.co.uk/news+&+events/news/Gitzo+Introduces+New+Center+Ball+Heads/225566623

Gitzo heads have always been good, if a bit quirky for no real benefit, but their last attempt to incorporate Arca-Swiss compatibility with a multi plate QR system was a masterpiece of over complicated crap, TBH.

These new heads (I've obviously not tried them) are not another attempt to reinvent the wheel, but good, classic-design ball heads with some nice touches. An Arca-Swiss clamp, plain and simple (hoorah), a neatly fluted body to fit inside the legs of fold-upwards Traveller-style tripods, light weight, drop-slot in the right place, and what looks to be an extra-rigid collar around the top. You can almost guarantee they'll be good.
 
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markyboy.1967 said:
Richard, any experience with the BH-1 that I'm getting?
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No, sorry Mark. I know they're rated though. For some reason, review samples have always been a bit hard to come by.
 
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Ah ok, I'm still undecided if inactually need a 2nd now I'm just being lazy not wanted to swap my photclam over hence my hesitation and letting you have first pick, I probably should use my manfrotto 393 on one with heavier lenses and keep photoclam on my smaller one for everything else
 
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