Which of these moderately priced ball heads are of the highest quality for use with a light weight compact The usage is also occasional and not very vigorous . Reasonable smoothness and precision are needed .I know I should be looking at Markins ,Kirk or RSS but the budget is limited and I will never need the higher weight capacity.
The choices are Giotto , Cullmann ,Induro , Photo Clam or any other suggestions that meet the criteria . I need to stay under $200
Leica Large Tabletop Tripod head. No panning base but holds as much as the heads you mention and holds it very securely. Largest load I ever put on one was a Nikon F4s with a 300mm f/2.8. You can also put it in your pocket.
sjms wrote:
could you be a little more specific as to model of camera?
what is the importance/need for the tension control?
the reason is there are a limited amount of ball heads that have drag controls that support a 1/4-20 threaded connect at a reasonable price
I use a panasonic FX-500 camera weighing 7 ounces for Ebay photo shots of small and some very small objects requiring macro shots. I thought the drag control would help to accurately position the camera before locking it up for the exposure . The Giotto 1302-210C and the Cullmans have the 1/4 -20 screw to fit the camera socket. I also have several QR's and plates so the ball head I finally get doesnt need one
i think you are going to find that your camera may not move as nicely due to its lack of weight. the drag settings on the better ballheads are meant for the beefier products. i have done some macro work with my canon g10 and my rrs bh 40. the drag didn't really help vs a good quick lock up on the ball itself.
sjms wrote:
i think you are going to find that your camera may not move as nicely due to its lack of weight. the drag settings on the better ballheads are meant for the beefier products. i have done some macro work with my canon g10 and my rrs bh 40. the drag didn't really help vs a good quick lock up on the ball itself.
I may be under the wrong impression . I thought the drag control enabled you to help accurately frame the shot before using the locking knob and if you locked up straight away the camera would move slightly . If this not correct I would consider some other ball heads which dont have drag controls
E-Vener wrote:
You have taken one apart I take it?
I took apart an Amvona/Dynatran labeled version, and compared it in hand to an Induro in the store. Same mechanisms, tooling marks, hardware, etc. OK in a pinch for fifty bucks, but the fatal flaw is the cheap metal and lack of any decent internal bearings -- the locks just bear down on, and wear grooves in, the cup the ball sits in.
They look pretty, but will not last. At the ~$200 that the Induros sell for, it's a huge ripoff.
Another option is to watch ebay for a Markins Q3. For a while, new ones from gray market sellers in Korea had them for less than $200. Looks like they've crept back up a bit, but that may change.
I have had nothing but a positive experience so far with my photo-clam ballhead. I have the larger PC-44 model (44mm ball) but I plan to buy a smaller one for my travel tripod.
I know markins and RRS are fantastic (I use RRS plates) but honestly I can say the photo-clam is built exceptionally well, and I forsee it lasting me a number of years.
I have Amvona/Dynatran knockoffs of the Manfrotto 3265 that just keep on going and going and going. For light weight cams and occasional use, you might as well go inexpensive. By the time you wore out a 40 dollar Dynatran you would probably be old as I am.
runamuck wrote:
I have Amvona/Dynatran knockoffs of the Manfrotto 3265 that just keep on going and going and going. For light weight cams and occasional use, you might as well go inexpensive. By the time you wore out a 40 dollar Dynatran you would probably be old as I am.
While I can see how a copy of a simple, rugged Manfrotto design could be pretty tough, their copies of the much more complex stick/slip Arca-style heads are clearly inferior. I can only conclude that you're very young.
kenyee wrote:
Wow
Have you and Ellis tried every cool ballhead?
Sigh. More than you can ever guess. Arca-Swiss (B1, B2 (I still own these), Graf, Foba, Acra-tech, Linhof, Kirk, Induro/Benro, Novaflex...but never the Really Right Stuff heads for some reason. Weird but true. But then its part of my job as an editor foir PPA's magazine. Never tried Markins either. They outright refused to let me review their heads a couple of years back when I was writing up a comprehensive survey of ball heads.
For stitched and rotational panoramic work my favorite head is a very heavy geared tilt Majestic head with an RRS PCL-1 clamp on top. I'd like to find an affordable double tilt FOBA head someday...
