Nuriko
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off
|
 p.1 #7 · Does anyone recommend the Vanguard BBH-200 ballhead? | |
Thank you all. After a month of research, judging by the specs I decided to buy the Arca Swiss Z1 with Wimberley clamp as I kept on reading buy once, cry once. So I ordered from B&H and while I was there to pick it up, I took a look at the BBH-200 (they don't showcase the Arca Swiss so I didn't know how it felt until I got on the train and started to unpackage it).
One of the selling features that I liked about the BBH-200 was the rapid leveling system, but once I handled it in the store I completely changed my mind. I couldn't get it to lock and the slide button felt loose and cheap. But what surprise me was how small the ball was compared to the pictures I've seen online, well that applies to just about every ballhead I saw in the store.
So when I opened up the Z1, I was surprised that the ball was much bigger! I fiddled with it and try to set the tensions, definitely not easy for a novice like me. The box was not in a stellar condition and had rips and some stickers attached to it that, looks like someone bought it and returned it. I got home and played with it some more and realized that the tripod thread was not clean and there are some marks on the base near the rotation. Some of the threads look like it had cuts in them. Nonetheless, I put it on my tripod to see how it would work. Looked fine and when I took it off, I realized that there are some black ink/grease on the tripod screw.
I decided to return it and got the P0 with the Sunway Discal Clamp 64mm instead. This time, I decided to inspect it at the store and the first thing I notice was the box had a similar sticker like the one that was attached to Z1 box. I opened it up and the ring had dents in them. I quickly as for an exchange on the spot. The time, the box was pristine without stickers hanging onto it. I opened it up and it was in perfect condition, tripod thread was perfect and no dents on the turning ring. The ring was a bit loose and can shift vertically a little but I think I read that this was normal.
The P0 was MUCH easier for me to use and was very intuitive that I don't even need to read the instructions (well I tried to read it but there was no instructions and the warranty card was for another Arca Swiss product). I love the fact that I didn't have to set the tension and it saved me about $180. Given my set up and the limited times I'll be using it to mainly take pictures of my kids inside of house and the backyard, I figured it should be good enough. The Z1 is definitely nicer but I don't want to fiddle with the controls and honestly as much as I want to get the best gear, I would not be able to use it to its full potential.
I tried to take out the center screw on the P0 with no luck, then I realized that I could just slap the Sunway clamp onto it, damn I felt stupid! But it was a perfect match! I should have went to B&H first to check out the available ballheads, would of saved me a lot of time and stress then reading reviews. Nothing beats first hand experience when it comes to ballheads, although I usually buy things without physically testing them first.
|
