I am looking to purchase a new ballhead and have been looking at the Acratech products. I really like the design and the low weight. Has anyone had experience with these designs. I am also interested in the ability to use the "gimball" ability that is advertised. How well do they work?
i used to own their ultimate ballhead, the service was great, had an issue once and they just gave me a replacement ballhead since i was on my way out on a photo trip and stopped by their office.
the only gripe i had was when shooting birds with it which are flying overhead, while shifting the camera up it would hit the back portion of the ballhead and then i would have to turn the ballhead around....it probably was my own fault not to remember doing that...other than that..i had no issues what so ever with it.
i think they sell on ebay also, these are slightly defective ones (the color is a little off) and because of that you can get it cheaper.
I've had their Ultimate ballhead for about 6 years now, it's quality product, no problems with it at all.
It's lightweight, easy to clean. Angling the camera sometimes takes an extra second because you have to rotate the lower half due to it's design.
I haven't tried the GP/GV series so I don't know how well the gimbal works but I don't have any hesitation recommending their products in general.
I bought a gp-s for the versatility. It has their new lever release that I much prefer over the RRS lever. It is adjustable and has a lock. Watch all of the videos that they have on their web. I could not be any happier.
DanBrown wrote:
Are you speaking from experience or just speculation?
I have not been in Iraq or Afghanistan. But I have been in 20 other Asian countries including Pakistan and other countries close to those two. And I own 7 different ball-heads. 5 of those heads are from the brands you mention in your post. I have also owned a few other ball-heads before.
Look at the ballhead. The open style that you say makes the Ultimate easy to clean. It will also make a lot more dust and sand coming to the ball
Lars Johnsson wrote:
Look at the ballhead. The open style that you say makes the Ultimate easy to clean. It will also make a lot more dust and sand coming to the ball
We will have to agree to disagree on this issue.
The open style is the advantage in dusty environments. A damp cloth will wipe away the dust. The other ballheads have balls that are virtually inaccessible. After this storm (not my photo BTW), my Acratech was clean and ready to go in a couple of minutes.
The Acratech is also light, well made, and can accommodate over 20 lbs. There is a very nice review of it on Luminous Landscape.
Would the Acratech be my only ballhead? No. I have two BH-55's, a BH-40, and a BH-25. They each have their uses. But for "field" work, the Acratech is an outstanding ballhead.
I have used my Acratech in a variety of outdoor conditions, although admittedly not in Afghanistan or Pakistan, but including rain, snow, forest duff and trail dust, beach spray, high and low humidity, etc. It hasn't needed ANY cleaning. One of they keys of the design is that it doesn't collect detritus in the first place; anything that lands on the exposed ball is unlikely to stay or get jammed into the friction apparatus, unlike a conventional ballhead which, once dirt is able to enter, will tend to retain it. This is one claimed benefit of the Acratech approach that I have found to be unequivocally valid.
The gimbal works fine for me, and would for anyone who is not 1) very serious about gimbal-enable photography and 2) using lenses bigger than a 100-400. I'm not under any illusions that it is equivalent to a true gimbal, but for my occasional use it works, and doesn't constrain me to having ONLY a gimbal when in the field.
Love my Acratech. I've had it for many years. It has been in dry deserts, at the beach, in the tropics, in the snow. I have taken it to all conceivable environments except outer space and it has performed flawlessly. I highly recommend it.
What's the big deal about using a Acratech head in snow, high and low humidity, in the tropics, deserts, and on the beach I have been doing that with every brand and ballhead that I have been using in the last 25 years. If you can use camera's and lenses there, why would it be difficult to use a ballhead?
I have been doing that with every brand and ballhead that I have been using in the last 25 years. If you can use camera's and lenses there, why would it be difficult to use a ballhead?