I searching the best bang for buck ball head for my tripod. Those are some of the ball heads that I have short listed. My budget is around $150.
Most reviews suggest that the Gitzo has poor camera plate.
Some don't like the RC2 mount of the Manfrotto. Is it really that bad?
Does the Photo Clam a better choice than the Manfrotto?
What about the Induro?
I would consider sticking with an Arca Swiss compatible system.
Once you have a ball head, you're going to start having camera and lens plates for it, and if you want to upgrade the head, A-S compatibility will ensure you don't have to re-buy plates since the majority of high end ball heads are A-S compatible.
Haven't used any of the listed heads, though, so I'm afraid I'm of no use there.
I'd choose the Photo Clam but spring for the biggest ball diameter you can afford, 30mm is pretty small and Photo Clam make a 33mm sized model for $159. They are very good copies of the Arca-Swiss B1/Z1. Induro is a Benro brand and while I use two Benro tripods I don't think their ballheads are as good, and neither Manfrotto or Gitzo come with A-S compatible clamps so don't even consider them.
I have a Giottos MH1300. $140 new, holds 15-20 lbs without issue. I love it! It has a proprietary safety lock which is easily removed to allow arca-style plates to easily attach.
When it comes to balls, size matters. A larger ball will hold more weight steady than a smaller ball. As Peter_n said, buy the biggest you can afford. The 80-200 is not a lightweight. Putting that lens on a 30MM ball is (put you own word here)
Looks like Photo Clam got the most vote
Does the built quality of the Photo Clam better than of Induro/Benro?
What do you guys think about this Cowboystudio A-S plate? I need one that have extra mounting hole in order to use my Black Rapid strap. Or any other suggestions for plates?
It brings the total cost to $200 but it's a really nice clamp and head for the price. I wrote a review on the clamp and installation on various Manfrotto heads:
Personally I like the looks of the 054 ball head.
How does the ball operation compared to maybe Photo Clam? Hopefully someone can give me personal experience for both Photo Clam and Manfrotto 054 heads.
Sorry, I haven't tried any of the Photo Clam heads. I have tried another Chinese made head from Sunwayfoto and it was very nice but over $200. I can say the 054 ball movements are ultra smooth and locks tight with my 5D2 & 70-200 4L IS or 300 4L (with tripod rings). Manfrotto and Hejnar is sorta of a strange Italian-American hybrid but works and looks nice. The Hejnar clamp is the only arca clamp I was able to find that fit the strange stem boss on the top of the 054 head. Luckily it is very well made--close to RRS quality. The big jaw knob is a lot easier to grip and turn than the small knobs used on many Chinese clamps.
captvizcenzo wrote:
Does the built quality of the Photo Clam better than of Induro/Benro?
I've never used an Induro/Benro head but the Photo Clam ballheads are manufactured in S. Korea and like the Markins heads are well engineered with a high quality finish. I've used one and preferred the Markins to it but the Markins heads are much more expensive.
The Photo Clam heads are very good value for money, they come with an A-S compatible clamp and an indexed friction control which the Markins doesn't have. You can buy them from reputable retailers like B&H in NYC and they have an 8 year limited warranty.
Good brand choice, but taking a look at your lens the PC-36NS would be even better. It's $50 more, another bit of saving but in the long run it will be well worth it. It will be more stable and smoother to use too, plus the larger ball will cope better with your lens.
+1. I've used the PC heads, and they're quite nice. I've got an extensive review posted in this forum from a few years ago. But, get a larger ball size, and the small, extra investment will be worth it.
I have a couple of different size PhotoClams and like them real well. I also recommend getting the largest size you can afford. If needed go a couple of bucks over budget.
captvizcenzo wrote:
I think I might stick with the PC-33NS due to budget constraints.
Miss a couple of meals and you're all set. Skimping on support is false economy, read Thom Hogan's missive, the products are out-of-date but the principle remains.
I have seen a couple of Markins M10s for sale on the Buy and Sell forums for around $200 or so and I think they would work great with a 80-200 (I recently picked up a M20 and its fine with my 300 2.8 and TCs).
Anyway I also recommend reading Thom's article and spending a few extra bucks now.
