jeetsukumaran Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
Cannot have a "one-head-to-do-them-all" discussion without mentioning the head that promises to that without mentioning the Uniqball:
http://www.uniqball.com/
They claim gimbal, but like the various manufacturers that claim this (Markins, Acratech, etc.), what they really mean "like-a-gimbal-in-that-movement-is-restricted-to-two-axes".
This review shows that the Uniqball is actually a little clumsy to use in the landscape mode, especially when doing, e.g. panoramas.
Incidentally, I have not, nor has anyone that I know, actually tried or even physically seen this ballhead.
Another approach: stick an FLM ballhead with a pan-and-tilt lock on your leveling base.
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?100042-New-FLM-Ball-Head
I think FLM is probably one of the more overlooked ballheads, especially in the DSLR community (US-based, at least), but the medium/large format folks rate them highly, and this is a community that actually detests ballheads! The FLM ballhead will let you use your ballhead like a ballhead, until you want to restrict movement, then the pan-and-tilt lock will give you a pan-and-tilt head. Kudos to FLM for not trying to pass a pan-and-tilt as a gimbal! Disclaimer: as with the Uniqball, I have never actually tried an FLM myself. Their leveling bases though have the highest rated strengths that I have seen, in a relatively small package.
I went the Markins Q20 +BV22 route. It works OK, though a little clumsier to set-up (have to attach a piece to the ball) than the FLM appears. I might have gone with the FLM pan-and-tilt if I had known about it in time. I have to say, though, that I am loving the Markins (incredibly strong, and significantly smoother than my BH40: to be honest, I do not think I can got back to RRS for ballheads after having been spoiled by the creamy smoothness of the Markins!).
Edited on Oct 17, 2014 at 04:04 PM · View previous versions
|