What is an "Ultra Professional" ? (see Dan's link above) Someone that really, really, really earns there living at something or someone that's just really, really, really good at what they do?
Well, this is actually really good information to know. You see, when people see a photo of mine that intrigues them, one of the most common questions asked (after what camera/lens combo did you use and how many MP's) is what tripod/ballhead setup you used to stabilize the image. I get asked this question by laypeople and photographers alike. Since I like to try and further my 'player' reputation as often as I can, I routinely inform gawking audiences of beautiful people that I am, in fact, using an Acratech ultimate Ballhead with Gitzo CF legs. Everyone swoons, and I usually have multiple people wanting to spend an evening with me. I can only imagine what having this $2000 premium titanium ballhead will do for my sex life. I should acquire one immediately, though I fear that my gf may not be happy. She might not let me actually tell people that I have it.
What tripod is the head mounted on in your pictures? I was considering getting the RRS head, but I'm worried that it's too large (and heavy) for my Gitzo 1227. Is the base of the BH-55 about the same size of an Arca B-1 (which hangs over the 1227 column plate)?
Thanks,
-Charles
Charles,
The tripod shown in my photos is a 1325. Not sure how the base size compares to the B-1. Maybe psimison can give a more detail in comparisons. It looks like he has every ballhead on the market. .
EDIT.
From the RRS website it lists the Base Diameter: at 2.86" (72.6mm).
Hope this helps
Wow, that is a cool head, just over a pound and a half, and 110 lb. capacity. I love Ti, especially when you cut it and get the shower of cool white sparks.
lordarka wrote:
I can only imagine what having this $2000 premium titanium ballhead will do for my sex life. I should acquire one immediately, though I fear that my gf may not be happy. She might not let me actually tell people that I have it.
Well, you laugh, but...
Recently I was shooting (with my g/f) using a quite large white lens. A quite pleasant young woman using a 10D came over to ask me about the lens and was quite taken with my big equipment. I let her look through it and we chatted a bit. My g/f -- very rarely jealous -- was quite "unimpressed". I was amused at the reaction, but finally have learned to keep my amusement to myself...
Yet another danger of big white lenses; if the cost doesn't get you killed by the g/f/spouse, the attention might.
as to the aspheric ball. the design of the brake assy on the RRS does not require/need the optimized shape to help in drag. the newer AS heads have trimmed down the less the spherical qualities on there newer ballheads to reduce the chance of the imfamous lockup.
my BH-55 arrived today too. i'm stuck at my not so day job right now.
as to price. with RRS you get what you pay for QUALITY and SMOOTH OPERATION. the 5 year warranty ain't to bad either.
$455.00!!! Bite me! I can get SO many other heads that will do just as good. If NOT better.
sorry, it is the same as thinking you need a "Canon" only lens to take a photo!
Go ahead and flame me... that is just ridiculous!
spartan
p.s. for the people that can not, or refuse too spend that much cash on "incidentals" you can PM me thanks for saying what you were to scared too! Excuse the grammar
sjms wrote:
as to price. with RRS you get what you pay for QUALITY and SMOOTH OPERATION. the 5 year warranty ain't to bad either.
Suuuuure you do.
It's interesting how people (myself included) are happy to spend hundreds of extra dollars on subjective issues like quality and smoothness. I'll occasionally do it, (I fully admit I spent FAR more on my tripod setup than is reasonable), but it's really hard to justify. It's not like my Acratech or other people's Markins or Kirk ballheads are chintzy plastic toys.. but here comes the RRS at a $150 premium over those.. that's the cost of an L plate, camera bag, or a 420EX!
Diminishing returns is what it's all about at these price ranges.
I guess there's always that Markins $2000 ballhead to consider if we really want to go over the top. I'll bet that one's at least 4 times smoother than the comparitively cheaply made RRS!
The important thing here is that you and all the others who paid for it feel they get what they paid for.
spartan123 wrote:
$455.00!!! Bite me! I can get SO many other heads that will do just as good. If NOT better.
sorry, it is the same as thinking you need a "Canon" only lens to take a photo!
Go ahead and flame me... that is just ridiculous!
spartan
p.s. for the people that can not, or refuse too spend that much cash on "incidentals" you can PM me thanks for saying what you were to scared too! Excuse the grammar
You're right Spartan, but you forget the sex appeal! It's all about looking and feeling pro enough to score with the ladies. Chicks dig guys with refined ballheads.
I don't know... looking at the head, and the weight of it, I am having a hard time seeing how they could be charging so much for it. It's not as if it's a terribly innovative design, and it's not exactly fashioned from exotic or hard-to-machine materials either.
But if it makes people happy. Fortunately for me, this is one piece of kit that I will never envy. RRS has some neat products (I own a few), but I'll pass on this one. Moreover, my girlfriend, assures me that my current ballhead is good enough for her.
if not better - no. i don't think so. i have owned a few of them. a tripod and head are far from being "incidentals" for some of us.
canon only lenses - no i wish i could put my nikon lenses on my canon and the only reason i use canon is for the full frame. there are other lenses too.
$455 yeah its a little steep but after using their gear you become a believer and the quality is there there really are no short comings in its design as far as i can see. thats why i purchased one.
gear is all relative to the user. i found $7000 fairly assinine for my Ds but the work i do put me in a position that it was needed. it was amortized in in a little over 6 months in part time work.
no "bite me" needed. you have the right to opinionate. its just you're willing to settle for what you're to settle for. i'll settle for what i'll settle for. its a tool and i like to work with good tools.
lordarka and sparten123 i guess its just 2 cases of ballhead envy Right?
I own so many "sex appeal" photography items it would blow your mind. That is just IMHO, ridiculous!!! It is scary what people will pay to "BE" in the "IN" crowd.
I have ball heads (and many) that will do just the same thing for a fourth if not the fifth of the price.
Remember the saying... A fool and his money is soon parted. Seems some of the people buying photo equipment are in that category.
That much money so you can have a "lever"... "right".... If the poster neeeds it more power to him, but the standard user wouldn't even care. Makes me wonder if the buyer even realizes how much he is getting screwed
Once again, this is just MHO. which doesn't mean much..
spartan
lordarka wrote:
You're right Spartan, but you forget the sex appeal! It's all about looking and feeling pro enough to score with the ladies. Chicks dig guys with refined ballheads.
I don't know... looking at the head, and the weight of it, I am having a hard time seeing how they could be charging so much for it. It's not as if it's a terribly innovative design, and it's not exactly fashioned from exotic or hard-to-machine materials either.
But if it makes people happy. Fortunately for me, this is one piece of kit that I will never envy. RRS has some neat products (I own a few), but I'll pass on this one. Moreover, my girlfriend, assures me that my current ballhead is good enough for her.
sjms wrote:
if not better - no. i don't think so. i have owned a few of them. a tripod and head are far from being "incidentals" for some of us.
canon only lenses - no i wish i could put my nikon lenses on my canon and the only reason i use canon is for the full frame. there are other lenses too.
$455 yeah its a little steep but after using their gear you become a believer and the quality is there there really are no short comings in its design as far as i can see. thats why i purchased one.
gear is all relative to the user. i found $7000 fairly assinine for my Ds but the work i do put me in a position that it was needed. it was amortized in in a little over 6 months in part time work.
no "bite me" needed. you have the right to opinionate. its just you're willing to settle for what you're to settle for. i'll settle for what i'll settle for. its a tool and i like to work with good tools.
lordarka and sparten123 i guess its just 2 cases of ballhead envy Right?
sjms wrote:
lordarka and sparten123 i guess its just 2 cases of ballhead envy Right?
Not really envy. Just trying to understand what justifies the premium, like so many other things you can throw money at. I am as happy as a clam with my overpriced and overkill tripod setup, thank you very much. I envy no one, unless they can get my setup at half the weight.
lordarka wrote:
Not really envy. Just trying to understand what justifies the premium, like so many other things you can throw money at. I am as happy as a clam with my overpriced and overkill tripod setup, thank you very much. I envy no one, unless they can get my setup at half the weight.
sjms wrote:
if not better - no. i don't think so. i have owned a few of them. a tripod and head are far from being "incidentals" for some of us.
Technically, you could argue that just about nothing in photography is incidental.
Lenses? They make the image! Don't skimp there! Memory? They store your precious images! Do you really want to skimp there? And besides, I'd like to see you run a cheaper microdrive through the washer and have it survive! ::thumps chest:: Tripods! Oh hell no! They are your support.. your essential! Nothing short of the best will do! And ballheads? Even more important? Filters? If you don't use the best filters, you are putting crappy glass in front of good glass... you don't want to do THAT do you? Bodies? Well, if you care about your images, you'll obviously use a 1D Mark II, or 1Ds since they are the only cameras real professionals use. Batteries? I dunno man... those offbrand batteries are shifty. Do you really want a battery to die on you in the field? uh uh!
We could go on and on... Like any hobby, you can spend as little or as much as you want to, I suppose. I guess I am a little colored by the fact that, after having spent a significant chunk of cash on a Gitzo CF tripod, leveling base, Arca-Swiss type ballhead (Acratech), and RRS mounting plates, my pictures are not at least 5 times better than they were when I was using a Bogen 3001N and a 484RC2 ballhead. !
Don't get me wrong... I love it. But under no pretense would I try to convince someone into thinking that you 'need' something like this to effectively stabilize your images. It does make me happy though. And if RRS ballheads make others happy, I am glad. I'm just trying to understand why.
!