I want a head for a camera with 70-200 f/2.8 and 300 f/4 lenses that don't have lens feet. I like to take long outdoor exposures, sometimes in windy conditions.
Either of those lenses, hanging off the front of a camera body (i.e. no tripod ring) will be a study in instability. The center of gravity will be way too far forward, not only for stability, but for your ease of being able to manipulate that combination of body/lens. Add to that, the long exposures and the adverse conditions you mentioned . . .
What tripod do you have? Both the tripod and ballhead contribute to support and stability.
As to the Benro ballheads, you could certainly do a lot better.
I've got a Benro CF tripod and ballhead. I'd put a lot more stock in the tripod (which is fantastic, actually) then the head-- though the head has worked fine.
That said, I wouldn't want a B1 to support 70-200 or 300 f4... let alone for long exposures in windy conditions. Get a heavier tripod that you think if stability with tele lenses in adverse conditions is your goal-- and consider a beefier ballhead from another company.
Benro tripods are good quality but avoid their ballheads. I've always bought tripods from one company and ballheads from another, they never seem to do well with both products. The Markins and Photo Clam ballheads from S. Korea are quality products; the Photo Clams are are less expensive. Worth looking into.
I have a BI Ballhead and to be fair it is well made and locks out with no slip with lens I have up to 400mm f4.. Having owned better ballheads since I would go elsewhere now.. Acratech.. RRS etc But these are two or Three times the price!
There seem to be a lot of copies which may not be of the same build quality.. Bit Ironic perhaps..
dcains wrote:
Either of those lenses, hanging off the front of a camera body (i.e. no tripod ring) will be a study in instability. The center of gravity will be way too far forward, not only for stability, but for your ease of being able to manipulate that combination of body/lens. Add to that, the long exposures and the adverse conditions you mentioned . . .
I don't think that is what the OP meant. I took it to mean that the head needs to have a 1/4-20 screw rather than an A-S clmap. I could be wrong though.
The ballhead is the single most important thing. I wouldn't go cheap there. I bought an AcraTech seven or eight years ago and it has worked perfectly ever since. They are worth the money.
dcains wrote:
Either of those lenses, hanging off the front of a camera body (i.e. no tripod ring) will be a study in instability.
What tripod do you have? Both the tripod and ballhead contribute to support and stability. I had a foot on the Tokina 70-200 but something happened to it and it doesn't fit on the lens anymore. I have to look closer at it. The Pentax 300 f/4 does't have a foot. I think there might be collars available to fit to lenses. I have to look into that.
The tripod I have is a brand called DP I think. It looks like an inexpensive minor brand. It goes about as high as a Manfrotto 190, and it seems a bit sturdier than a 190 to me.
I put a Manfrotto 3030 3 way on it for now which is probably 3 or more times sturdier than the little lightweight 3 way I had on it before.
