I have a Manfrotto tripod, lightish carbon fibre (I forget the model). I also have a Manfrotto ballhead, which I don't like at all: in particular, I dislike the movement of the camera after I've tightened the knob.

I have an Acratech levelling base and the care, almost love, which went into its design and manufacture shines through every time I use it, putting the Manfrotto head in the shade.

I'd like a ballhead, not too heavy, and an L bracket for my 5d2. The longest lens I'm likely to use is the 100-400L. I'd rather not break the bank. I like to do panoramas, so the ability to rotate without loosening the main ballhead knob would be an advantage (I don't need a full pano head).

Suggestions? Any realistic alternative to RRS? Bear in mind I'm in England, so I can't really look at RRS before committing myself to it.

Thanks

Jeremy

Look at this thread; it deals with ball-heads for pano shooting, despite the thread title: http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=34396

You can choose only from an RRS ball-head + pano base combination and the Arca-Swiss Monoball P1 S.

Don't get me wrong I love my RRS BH-55 but it is a bit heavy and expensive. On a budget I really like the Linhof profi II (I've owned several in the past)
Add a RRS quick release to it and you should be happy. About $125 to $150 on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Linhof-Profi-Ball-Head...=item3ca645413c

Marc

If you like your levelling base look at Acratech for the head too? About a light weight as you can realistically get and available in the UK. No idea how hefty the 100-400 is though, it dealt well with my RB67 and 180mm which is a monster of a camera but shooting at 400mm you are going to want the most solid thing you can get - lighter weight is going to be a trade off.

http://www.giottos.com/MH-3.htm

I have Giotto ballhead with a RRS QR clamp on top.

I'd also put Markins on the short list. The M10 would be a good option, excellent head and very good strength to weight ratio.

Thanks, all.

The Markins is significantly (about 50%) more expensive than either the RRS BH40 or the Acratech Ultimate. A search on eBay UK reveals no Linhof heads and they seem to be even more expensive retail than the M10.

Given current exchange rates, import duty, VAT and shipping charges, the RRS BH40 is pretty much the same price as the Acratech. I've never handled RRS stuff, but as I said before the Acratech levelling base is superbly made. Is there much to choose between those two ballheads? Which would you go for, and why?

I have a few specific questions which I hope you can answer. Sorry if they're rather elementary: I've not used this type of kit before.

- The Acratech L-plate (universal) is very expensive and looks rather unwieldy. If I get the Ultimate head, will it be compatible with the RRS L-plate on my 5d2?

- Is the RRS L-plate designed to be left on the camera permanently? Does it get in the way, or do you rapidly forget that it's there? Is it much of a hassle to attach/detach it?

- If I were to get the Acratech head and the RRS L-plate, would I need to buy anything else? Would I need a simple Acratech or RRS plate as well, for example to fit on a lens collar? If I would, is there anything to choose between the RRS and the Acratech plates?

Thanks in advance.

Jeremy

I use the Acratech Ultimate head with an RRS L-plates and I have not encountered any problems. For more versatility you may want to try the GV2 Ballhead, a friend of mine has one and it works well. There are two issues you may want to consider, the rotation is not as smooth as some and the quick release uses a double speed thread. The double speed thread is very handy but you want to ensure and check on a regular basis that it is tight. The Acratech ballhead also works well with a Wimberley Sidekick. If I was going to do it again I would probably buy a GV2 and mount an RRS lever-release clamp on it, a quick glance at the clamp is all that is required to confirm the security on you gear. As a safety back up I use an UPstrap QR loop on my tripod/monopod, and since I always either use their SLR strap or harness adaptor, it is a simple matter to attach the camera to the tripod or monopod. The QR loop has saved my gear on more than one occasion

I originally bought the Acratech ballhead, which I really liked. Later I bought the RRS 55, which I like much better. I use it a lot for stitched panoramas. The rotating base is very smooth. The other benefit is that you can tilt the ball 90 degrees into a slot on the head and do vertical panoramas. I also recommend the lever clamp instead of the screw clamp. I had a screw clamp on my Acratech and I did not screw it down all the way one day and my Canon 1Ds Mark II fell into the Merced River and immediately washed down stream, never to be recovered. Fortunately, it was insured and replaced by the 5D and later 5D2 (wonderful camera). I replaced the screw clamp with an RRS lever clamp, and have not lost a camera since then.

If you like precision machining, you'll love the RRS 55. I like the fact that it is heavier than the Acratech (which is still an excellet ballhead).

Secondly, an RRS L-bracket is always on all my cameras. They never come off. In fact, I think that cameras look a little--undressed--without an L-bracket.

If you are using a long, heavy lens, you will also want to buy an RRS plate for the lens. Especially with today's sensors, you do not want a heavy load warping your lens mount. If you mount the lens on the camera, and the camera to the ballhead, any bump to the front of the lens is going to be multiplied by its length. Better to have the lens mounted to the ballhead.

Unfortunately, there are not that many ways to shortcut what you want. The Arca-Swiss B1 head is not cheap but it does everything you are asking for and it does it really well. I bit the bullet and got one a while back and it's worth it. Just set the tension and you can grab, move and let go and it just stays where you put it. Its construction is expensive because its not a ball. The oblong shape of the base is what increases the holding power as it rotates off center. For a longer lens, you will need to have a lens-mounted plate.
The movement of the head as you tighten it is a result of the ball tightening in the cup. The only way to get around that is to have a tension head that does not need to be re-tightened to hold it in position.

1. I had a chance to examine the Acratech L plate in the field recently, and it is definitely unwieldy. It doesn't look as stable as the RRS dedicated L plates, in particular the Acratech clamp system which is used to attach the camera to the L plate.

2. RRS L plates are designed to stay on the camera permanently. They don't get in the way and you quickly get used to having it attached to the camera. They work with any arca-swiss standard tripod head clamp. It does take some doing to remove (uses a hex wrench) which does encourage one to leave it attached all the time

3. If you have any lenses with tripod collars, go for the RRS plates, especially if you intend to get an RRS ballhead . RRS cautions that Acratech and Kirk lens plates may not play well with the RRS lever clamp system.

4. If you go for an Acratech ballhead, it will work with any arca-swiss standard camera or lens plate. I have the Acratech V2 which is my lightweight hiking ballhead and backup to my RRS BH-55. The Acratech is well-made and the customer service is excellent.

Paul

The screw clamp is the main thing putting me off the Acratech. The RRS 55 seems overkill (and over-heavy) for my needs, though. How does the RRS 40 compare with it? I think that's the one I'm likely to buy.

Jeremy

I think most conventional ball heads move after clamping, but there is a solution, the Manfrotto 468MGRC2 Hydrostatic head. I bought it exactly because of movement in ball heads, and I didn't want a three way head, and in my experience it doesn't move at all even with a DSLR and long tele lens attached.

Steve

I've been using a BH-55 for the last year on a Gitzo carbon tripod and don't find the weight that bad, although the 40 is supposed to be quite a bit lighter (haven't checked the specs for a while).

Like you I live in the UK and I got absolutely hammered with income duty and handling fees but the price was worth it, I won't be buying a new head for years. After a few usages you probably won't notice the L-plate and they can in some instances protect the camera.

The RRS 55 is a great choice. I have had two different AS ballheads and the RRS is the best IMO.

If you are mainly using longer lenses, also consider The Acratech Long Lens head as a good comprimise.

http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=...at=1&page=1

It is light, and can switch from either orientation of lens plate (Accross the head, or along it), and whilst only provides 1 axis of Tilt, I'm finding that a good thing for easier positioning for stiched panoramics.

I am currently trialing it, sitting on top of a leveling plate on a Gitzo tripod, and it is work very well for both longer lenses, and for Pano shooting.

1. Portrait to Landscape with a long Lens is just a matter of turning the Lens
2. Portrait to Landscape with camera, is done via an L Plate.

I have it sitting on top of a Gitzo GH5380S Systematic Ball Head, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5687..._Ball_Head.html
Which is more of a leveling plate, than a ball head, and fits inside the top plate of the Gitzo tripod. Could also use the standard Gitzo leveling system.

I tried the Acratech leveling plate, but found it didn't grip hard enough, and tended to 'move' unexpectadly under weight of a long lens.

Regards

Mark.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/ball_heads.html

Kirk makes great ballheads and L brackets that are reasonably priced . I have the BH-3 .
Don

How about the Acratech ultimate ball head? The Giotto's MH 1302-655 (http://www.birdsasart.com/giottos.htm) is good and cheap. I like my Kirk BH-3 but it is heavier than both of those.



Out of curiosity what is the issue with the screw clamp?

There's something comforting about a lever. I can see where it is. I'm used to lever-based clamps. It's psychological, not real (to anyone else, that is).

Jeremy

Well, in that case, you could buy the cheaper version of the Giottos I listed which doesn't come with a clamp. (The one I listed does.) Then just pick up a RRS clamp with lever.

By way of follow up, I took delivery yesterday of an RRS BH-40 with the larger clamp and an L bracket. It is, as many people have indicated, a quite beautiful piece of kit!

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Jeremy