Anyone using the RRS BH-25 ballhead for 4x5?

[vijaylff]

Hi,

I have a Nagaoka 4x5 which is a lightweight wood field camera. I'd like to purchase a lightweight ballhead with Arca quick release capabilities.

I was wondering whether anyone was using the Really Right Stuff BH-25 with their 4x5 field camera, and if so, I'd like to hear your opinions of the ballhead.

Also, if there are any other Nagaoka 4x5 users who have a lightweight ballhead to recommend, I'd like to hear from you as well.

Thanks,
Vijay

[rfesk]

Vijay,
I am planning on purchasing one around Christmas time to use with a 9X12cm plate folder and can report to you then.

My feeling is that it will work with your camera fine with short to medium lenses.

[Eric James]

I considered trying a BH-40 for 4X5 but ended up with the V2 from Acratech. The V2 is a very light (1 pound), well-made and well-designed head. I use it with a Gitzo 2530 legset for an Ebony RW45E with lenses up to 300mm. The BH-40 is roughly comparable to the V2; the BH-25 may let you down.

[Daniel_Buck]

I've used my Kirk BH-1 (before picking up my Ries setup). It's solid enough for sure, but I find using a ball head with a 4x5 is a bit awkward. The BH-25 from RRS looks to be 1/2 the size (or smaller) than the BH-1 from Kirk, if your camera is light, it would probably work ok. It would hold the camera up, for sure, but in harsh conditions (wind, mainly) you may want the added weight of something beefier.

[davidb]

I am using a Kirk BH-3 for my Toyo and all of my medium format gear.

For me, it's perfect.

[Keith Pitman]

That one looks pretty light. I use a BH-40 for my lightweight 4x5 on a modified lightweight Benro tripod.

[MJSfoto1956]

Hi,

I have a Nagaoka 4x5 which is a lightweight wood field camera. I'd like to purchase a lightweight ballhead with Arca quick release capabilities.

I was wondering whether anyone was using the Really Right Stuff BH-25 with their 4x5 field camera, and if so, I'd like to hear your opinions of the ballhead.


We did a complete test of 24 ballheads in the previous issue of MAGNAchrom (Issue 1.5 is free to download) and reported that we felt that the BH-25 was too light for serious 4x5 work (and it only received acceptable rating for an RB67). I would suggest the BH-40 as a better choice from RRS instead.

However as an alternative, for a super lightweight ballhead that would work well with your Nagaoka, we found that the Acratech line can't be beat (works acceptably well with my Technika which is significantly heavier and is a dream to use with lighter cameras).

[RooX]

for a different view,

i had an acratech ball head (latest version) and it didnt work for me. Found it would slip, and wasnt accurate enough to dial in the resistance. Mind you this isnt with a 4x5, but it was with a D2X/D200 with some really big lens (400+mm) on it.

I ended up returning it, and tried a BH-40 and found it much more stable, and easier to use. Its an awesome piece of machining to boot. It is very very heavy though. I would equate the 25 far closer to any of the acra-techs. again, just a different opinion.

1 more point, buying the RRS ballhead was a pleasure, they were amazingly polite, even going so far as to "welcome me to the RRS family" (dorky, i know, but still something unheard of these days) and it was shipped to me from there facility in Cali, to my door in Alberta canada in under 24 hours.

[Michael T. Murphy]

I had a BH-25 that I used for 35mm. I was not satisfied with it for my Canon 1DsII with zoom.

Can't remember the exact reasons why I sold it, but one was the height. It was so small I had a hard time getting my fingers in to work it. I was going to go to a Kirk BH-3 but wound up with a BH-1 instead taht I use for 35mm and 4x5.

[Eric James]

for a different view,

i had an acratech ball head (latest version) and it didnt work for me. Found it would slip...

Initially I shared your concern. It took a while for my cerebrum to train my cerebellum to twist the locking knob an extra turn (compared to the Kirk, Arca-Swiss, and RRS heads I've used) - just when I thought it was locked, it would flop. My cerebellum is sorted now, and I find the Acratech locks up just fine. V2 friction control performs better than my (s)old Kirk heads but doesn't provide the control of the B1 from AS or the big daddy from RRS - not a big deal for LF.

[Harley Goldman]

I used to use a BH-40 on my light tripod (BH-55 on my big one). It did a pretty good job. I recently sold the BH-40 and got an Acratech V2 and really like it. Based on my experience with the BH-40, I would guess the BH-25 would be too light when trying to hold the camera fully extended at tough angles.