I want to get a RRS BH-40 with the quick release clamp. I do a lot of night photography that requires me to set up and take down the camera and tripod several hundreds of thousands of times each outing, and see the RRS as the best choice. I could go Arca Swiss as they have a quick release too, but I've read that the RRS one is better. Is there any truth to that? Markins is probably out as they have no quick release.
What concerns me most is that the RRS site says that one should use only the RRS plates with the quick release clamp, that Markins and Arca Swiss plates won't work or won't fit right. What are people's experience with mixing and matching? I live in Korea and thus have great access to Markins plates, but RRS would be all mail order for me and while the ballhead would be a one shot deal, I don't want to have to keep incurring somewhat expensive shipping costs for new plates as I switch bodies.
i have a good few rrs bits, l plate, rails... really well made and i use a arca swiss b-1 head with the screw clamp and cant see the need for quick release as mounting the camera is just a technique. the new arca swiss p1 looks like the best option to me. the rrs leaver is the best but only use it with wimberly and rrs plates.
the only bad thing about rrs is the price, but you pay for what you get.
Yeah, I wish the quick release didn't appeal to me so much so that I could just get a Markins Q3 and be done with it. I'd save some money and time in the process too. I really like the quick release though.
louis fusco wrote:
the rrs leaver is the best but only use it with wimberly and rrs plates.
The RRS lever is a joy to use, my most frequently used (and appreciated) accessory. Wide open you can go straight in, you don't have to slide into the end of the clamp. It provides as visual and tactile feedback that your camera plate is securely held, as it won't close if the plate is placed in at an angle. This is in contrast to a screw clamp, where you can tighten it down with the plate in crooked, only to have your camera fall to the ground(thats what happened to me). In the half open position the camera plate is captive, but sliding adjustment of plate position is readily performed. The lever clamp is amazingly fast to go from landscape to portrait orientation, about 3 sconds.
The limitation of RRS or Wimberly plates is not too onerous as Wimberly plates are great too, and have stops screws you can put in them to prevent the plate from accidently sliding out.
Mike K
Aug 11, 2007 at 12:52 PM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
Keep in mind that you can put the RRS lever release clamp on almost all ballheads. You can certainly order a Markins ballhead and take off their quick release clamp and replace it with the RRS lever release clamp. Just ask Markins to put their quick release on without loctite. I hope this helps.
I have to agree strongly with Mike K that an RSS lever release saves lots of time and effort, and I use them quite a bit also. A good L plate for each of your cameras, and lens plates for your collared lenses, combine with the lever release to make a system that, to quote Mike K, "is a joy to use".
I would strongly suggest that you go with RSS plates, even though that is harder to do from Korea. Their L plates are very well designed and manufactured. If you are going to use it as much as you suggest, you may as well get the best quality available.
I have two RRS lever clamps on the monopod and tripod. I've been using Kirk L-brackets on my two bodies as well as a Kirk lens plate on the 100-400. I've never had any issues with compatibility...everything works flawlessly. You can't go wrong with RRS or Kirk...both are exceptional companies and have top-notch gear. Sure, its a bit pricey, but you won't be replacing it in the near future either. Their stuff is made to last.
Aug 11, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
StevenPA wrote:
Yeah, I wish the quick release didn't appeal to me so much so that I could just get a Markins Q3 and be done with it. I'd save some money and time in the process too. I really like the quick release though.
I have the Q3 with the Markins quick release and screw knob. And also RRS BH-55 ballhead with their quick release and lever release. It's not a big difference and I like the Markins as much as the RRS
Thanks for all the suggestions, they've all been really helpful.
I've been looking closer at the BH-40 and have a few questions about how to lock the ball down. There is a main locking T-lever (1 in the instructions) that obviously locks the ball down, and then there is a tension knob (13) that can be adjusted to either lock the ball down tight or just tight enough that the weight of the camera is supported but at the same time still allows the photographer to make fine adjustments without completely unlocking the ball and having the camera flop freely all over the place. This is another feature I want. Architectural photography calls for fine adjustments on just about every shot and it's real frustrating using my current "either completely open or completely locked" Manfrotto.
However, the Markins and Arca-Swiss have this locking/tension adjustment all in one dial, which I may like more. On the RRS, is the separate T-lever (ball locking lever) and tension adjustment a pain to use? My initial reaction is that the Arca-Swiss and Markins single locking/tension adjust is more intuitive and time-saving in the field.
StevenPA wrote:
Thanks for all the suggestions, they've all been really helpful.
On the RRS, is the separate T-lever (ball locking lever) and tension adjustment a pain to use? My initial reaction is that the Arca-Swiss and Markins single locking/tension adjust is more intuitive and time-saving in the field.
Yes, I own one and it is pain in the butt. It also will not spin all the way around when on a tripod...it is very fussy, IMO. I want to sell mine but have not gotten around to it yet...I don't have time to fool around with my ballhead when shooting.
My big ballhead is a Linhof Profi III, which has the same basic design at the Arca Swiss, Markins, etc...much easier to use.
Aha, then I don't want a RRS anymore! The tension function is absolutely necessary and is the main motivation behind getting a new ballhead. The quick release is secondary.
I guess what I really want is an Arca-Swiss style ballhead with a RRS quick release clamp. Good grief...
Any recommendations? Perhaps get the RRS clamp and put it on a Markins? Or should I just go Arca-Swiss? Does the Arca-Swiss quick release clamp have any problems, or is the RRS one leaps and bounds better?
Aug 12, 2007 at 01:52 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
And why must you have the RRS quick release clamp on a Arcka-Swiss or Markins ballhead. Why not use the Arca-Swiss or Markins own if you like to buy their ballheads. It will save you a lot of money.
StevenPA wrote:
Thanks for all the suggestions, they've all been really helpful.
I've been looking closer at the BH-40 and have a few questions about how to lock the ball down. There is a main locking T-lever (1 in the instructions) that obviously locks the ball down, and then there is a tension knob (13) that can be adjusted to either lock the ball down tight or just tight enough that the weight of the camera is supported but at the same time still allows the photographer to make fine adjustments without completely unlocking the ball and having the camera flop freely all over the place. This is another feature I want. Architectural photography calls for fine adjustments on just about every shot and it's real frustrating using my current "either completely open or completely locked" Manfrotto.
However, the Markins and Arca-Swiss have this locking/tension adjustment all in one dial, which I may like more. On the RRS, is the separate T-lever (ball locking lever) and tension adjustment a pain to use? My initial reaction is that the Arca-Swiss and Markins single locking/tension adjust is more intuitive and time-saving in the field....Show more →
The Markins, Arca-Swiss has a much smoother ballhead for fine adjustment and tension adjustment than the RRS. The RRS ballheads are great but if you like to change or adjust your camera all the time, I prefer the others.
And go with the original quick release clamps. They are also very good. It did cost me about $ 400 to get two quick release clamps (lever release) from RRS shipped to Sweden.
Lars Johnsson wrote:
And why must you have the RRS quick release clamp on a Arcka-Swiss or Markins ballhead. Why not use the Arca-Swiss or Markins own if you like to buy their ballheads. It will save you a lot of money.
It's not that I must have one thing or the other, I just want to get what's going to work best for me. I have no brand preference; this will be my first serious ballhead purchase.
The two things I would like the ballhead to do are:
1. Allow for fine adjustments via a tension adjustment. You can understand why I would want this if you do architectural photography. Right now I have a Manfrotto ballhead that is either locked or unlocked. I normally go through the process of lock the ballhead, check it, unlock it if readjustment is necessary, and repeat this process until I'm happy, which can be many times because as soon as I unlock the Manfrotto, the camera tends to flop all over the place because the ballhead has no tension control (i.e. it's either fully locked or fully unlocked). Tension control would allow me to make the fine adjustments I need to make in an easier and more efficient way.
2. Allow for the camera to be taken down and put back up several times (say 100) in one evening out. I think the LEVER release is going to be more efficient than a screw release, and if I'm going to pay so much for a ballhead, I'm going to get something that works best for me with as few compromises as possible.
I only mentioned the configurations above because I want to hear people's opinion of what might work best. Do you do a lot of architectural photography? If so, what do you find are compromises that you can make concerning the ballhead selection that is out there today? Without question, I would like to reach the above goals in the most cost effective way as well.
Edited by StevenPA on Aug 12, 2007 at 07:21 PM GMT (Reason: cleaned up terminology)
Lasse Eriksson wrote:
The Markins, Arca-Swiss has a much smoother ballhead for fine adjustment and tension adjustment than the RRS. The RRS ballheads are great but if you like to change or adjust your camera all the time, I prefer the others.
Well then, I might get a Markins yet.
And go with the original quick release clamps. They are also very good. It did cost me about $ 400 to get two quick release clamps (lever release) from RRS shipped to Sweden.
Yeah, the cost of the RRS is quite significant, especially after possible duties. Normally I can make confident decisions about what I want. This time I needed some help.
You mention going with the original quick release clamps, but Markins doesn't have one. They only make screw release clamps as far as I know. I would have just gotten a Markins in the first place if they had a quick release. Am I missing something?
Edit: Apparently I was missing something: the correct terminology. I'd like to have a LEVER release, not a screw release.
Edited by StevenPA on Aug 12, 2007 at 07:22 PM GMT
Every brand we talk about here has quick release clamps, including the Markins. Some brands have them with lever release, some with screw knob, some with both. But they all have quick release clamps.
Or what do you call the thing on top of the Markins ball ?
Yes, there are two kinds of quick release clamps. Screw-knob or lever-release. But they are quick release clamps both of them.
I have those two kinds and both are very good.
Lasse Eriksson wrote:
Or what do you call the thing on top of the Markins ball ?
I don't know! I've been calling the lever release quick release because the screw release is anything but quick, at least on the Q3 I've tried in shops on numerous occasions.
For clarity, I'd prefer to have a lever release, not a screw release.
I've been calling the lever release quick release because the screw release is anything but quick, at least on the Q3 I've tried in shops on numerous occasions.