PDA

View Full Version : Really Right Stuff BH-55 Pro Ballhead with 4x5 Technika



Frank Petronio
22-Apr-2012, 14:05
First off, I'm not interested in hearing from people who don't like bullheads with view cameras. I've had both and currently am enjoying a Linhof Leveling Head on a Really Right Stuff tripod. But when I am honest with myself, I think a bullhead would make it easier and faster to get the camera into position. I am not doing critical architectural work and I am not shy about cropping or tweaking perspectives in post. Twenty years ago I used an Arca Swiss B1 with 4x5 for years.

I really like the quality of the Really Right Stuff tripod and I know their largest ball head should be equally fine but before I jump, is there any other quality bullhead to consider?

I think I would prefer the screw clamp versus the lever but if you prefer the lever please tell me why?

And with a Linhof Technika V, is the best plate their recommended B-25? Do you orientate the camera's back to be 90 degrees to the clamping knob or does the lip force you to have the knob sticking out, preventing you from switch the back vertical/horizontal? Or pinch you to tighten the knob if you mount it the opposite way?

Thanks

Harley Goldman
22-Apr-2012, 14:21
I used the BH-55 with an Arca Swiss F-Line Classic and it was quite easily up to the task, even with a 450mm at full extension. While expensive, it is an excellent ballhead.

Mine has the screw clamp. The Arca rail would not fit into an Acra-type lever clamp. The clamp was too loose. Go figure.

Greg Miller
22-Apr-2012, 14:29
I think I would prefer the screw clamp versus the lever but if you prefer the lever please tell me why?


I prefer the lever clamp. The lever is a very positive and fast action and stays locked (i have been using lever clamps for over 7 years and have never had a close call). I had previously used screw in types and had a hard time getting the plate properly aligned and inserted, which led to sometimes thinking the plate was properly mounted when in fact it was not (which in turn led to some close calls).

David A. Goldfarb
22-Apr-2012, 15:17
Lever clamps are nice when they work, but don't seem to work with all plates. I've owned both types.

The best thing for a Tech V is to have two plates of the same height (mine are just generics, but the RRS plates are lighter and lower profile), one on the body and a longer one on the bed, and a long clamp, so you can slide the camera back and forth from one plate to the next across the gap to keep the camera balanced with any amount of extension. In a pinch, it's also not a bad ersatz macro rail. I orient the plates so the camera can move fore and aft, obviously.

A ballhead works surprisingly well with a Technika, because there's a bullseye level on top of the camera, and it's fairly quick to line up with that combination.

Peter De Smidt
22-Apr-2012, 15:41
Frank, I assist a gentleman who uses a BH-55 on a RRS tripod. It's a terrific combo, better than my Arca B1/Gitzo duo, which is still pretty good. Like David says, the screw clamps fit more plates than the lever ones, and with some combos of cameras and plates, the lever can be hard to reach. That said, Greg's right that in the right situation the lever is a very fast and positive method.

Frank Petronio
22-Apr-2012, 16:23
It sounds like if you buy the RRS plates, the lever will work well but if you try the cheap eBay plates they might not fit as well... ? Just more $$$ aha

Ben Hopson
22-Apr-2012, 16:52
I have the BH-55 with the lever clamp and have no complaints. It is a well made head. I do use RRS plates, however Wimberley and Kirk plates manufactured in the last year also fit the RRS clamp, according to RRS. The screw clamp would probably be the way to go if you intend to try the cheap eBay plates.

Daniel Stone
22-Apr-2012, 16:58
I've been contemplating getting one of the Acratech "GP" ballheads. Very well made, and a nice small company dedicated to high quality manufacturing.

http://acratech.net/

Since they're local to me(about a 15min drive), I drove over to ask some questions in person. The owner gave me a tour of their shop, and I got to see them in action, and during various stages of the process. He's designed the head to be LIGHT, but super strong. Ideal for backpackers or people who don't like to tote around a lot of weight, but want a SOLID platform to use.

He told me bluntly that crossing mfg's(say a RRS plate on an Acratech B/H, or a cheapo ebay plate for instance), there are slight tolerances in the mfg process. He chose their(Acratech's) plate dimensions to be the average size between all the major players who make arca-style plates. This way with the fine adjustment screw, one can use plates from any mfg, and be assured that they will be held tight, and not slip.

R.R.S. makes nice stuff too, but to me(I shoot outdoors, so dust clogging a closed-ball designed B/H over time could be a problem, vs the open-style ball on the Acratech) has swayed me towards their product line. And having the ability to drive over and ask questions in person is another reason to go with them, I'll be totally honest ;).

-Dan

Harley Goldman
22-Apr-2012, 17:24
Addressing Daniel's comments, I have two ballheads, the BH-55 and the Acratech GP (one for each tripod, a light rig and heavier rig). If I were to do it over again, I would save the $$ and get two of the Acratech. The Acratech does a great job of holding the camera, are light and easy to use. I love the BH-55, but unless you need a monster ballhead, I don't think they are worth the dough. The Acratech is an excellent ballhead.

vinny
22-Apr-2012, 18:05
get this one, it's totally cool: http://www.gitzo.us/ser5-3-way-electronic-head

Richard Wasserman
22-Apr-2012, 18:22
And it will make you a better photographer—"gives support to the expressive capacity of photographers by allowing them to continually renew their inventive creativity and achieve hitherto unimaginable results." I think I need one.....

.
get this one, it's totally cool: http://www.gitzo.us/ser5-3-way-electronic-head

Valdecus
22-Apr-2012, 22:24
Frank,

I am using a BH-55 (with a PCL-1 screw clamp) and the B-25 plate for my Super Technika V 5x7 on an older Gitzo CF tripod, and it is rock solid. While 3-D heads may be better suited to LF cameras for positioning the camera more subtly, I am also shooting DSLRs and don't want to lug around yet another tripod/head combination. So, the BH-55 combo provides 95% of my LF needs and 120% of my DSLR needs.

With the PCL-1 clamp, the screw knob sticks out to the left or the right, thus it doesn't interfere with neither the rotating back nor with the drop bed.

http://www.luxworkshops.com/galleries/AW_20111206DS3_2396.jpg

Cheers,
Andreas

J. Fada
23-Apr-2012, 02:03
Just throwing it out there Frank but I have a Foba Superball and have been using it for over a decade now. One of the nicest things about it is a simple flick of the locking lever locks it down solid which helps a great deal when adjusting a LF camera. Costs a little more than the RRS head but what the hell.... Mine has a Linhof quick release glommed on to it since I never liked the Arca quick release.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/18238-REG/Foba_33_0505_Superball_with_Quick_Release.html

David A. Goldfarb
23-Apr-2012, 03:11
Actually my cheap eBay plates are fine in my lever clamp. It's original Arca-Swiss plates and rails and other plates made very close to the Arca-Swiss spec that seem to have trouble in Arca-Swiss-style lever clamps made by other manufacturers.

Jeff Keller
23-Apr-2012, 19:20
I have RRS plates which won't work with an RRS lever clamp. The RRS lever clamps have a good feel to their action but are not adjustable. Arca Swiss lever clamps are adjustable and work fine. The Acratech lever release looks like it could be the best.

I also like and use the Acratech ball heads. I actually like the feel of their controls more than the Arca Swiss Z1 but my first good ball head was an Acratech leading to a possible bias. The only RRS head I've used is their smallest cheapest one. It doesn't work nearly as nice as the more expensive models from Acratech and Arca Swiss that I have.

If the plates fit the lever release clamp, the lever release clamp is much faster and IMO safer. When working fast it is too easy to think the screw clamp is tight when it isn't. If it is windy you can pop the camera off the tripod quickly using a lever release clamp avoiding tip-overs.

Jeff Keller

Joseph Dickerson
24-Apr-2012, 08:52
Jeff,

Contact RRS, they would like to hear that you're having a problem with their plates on their head. I had a similar problem with a BH40 lever lock, and Joe took care of it for me.

Frank,

I use a BH55 with a Sinar F1 on a RRS tripod (2 series, three leg section) and it is rock solid. I really prefer the lever lock, much more convenient, no less solid. I'll even put the Sinar on a BH 40 in a pinch, not as solid but still useable. I've been using RRS since the Brian Geyer days... yeah, I got yelled at occasionally, but I still use the stuff. The new "administration" is much more user friendly.

JD

Jeff Keller
24-Apr-2012, 16:11
I ordered my RRS lever clamp directly from RRS and talked to them on the phone before I ordered it. I didn't have many surprises but I believe I did have at least one. At the time, I believe they were the only option available for a lever clamp and I was and I still am happy with the choice I made then. There are more choices available now.

One advantage of the RRS lever clamp has over the Arca Swiss is that the RRS clamp opens so wide that the lens/camera can be set directly down on the clamp whereas the Arca Swiss clamp requires that the plate be slid into the clamp. If all you have is a large format camera, RRS would be better than Arca Swiss. I don't have the Acratech lever clamp (yet), so I don't know if it has any issues. The design looks good.

RRS is a "first class company" and upfront they made arrangements for several RRS plates which they expected would not work and which I sent back to them. I don't remember why I still ended up with some that would not clamp tight. I also have a good number of Kirk and recently Hejnar plates. Many perhaps even most of the Kirk plates work with the RRS lever clamp. The 2" long Hejnar plates seem to be slightly larger but still work with the RRS lever clamp except the screw heads for the safety stops are too big and need to be removed.

Jeff Keller

Frank Petronio
24-Apr-2012, 16:54
I ended up buying a BH-55 and a couple of plates to try out. I recently got the ball leveler and am currently using it with the Linhof 3-way, and frankly I am starting to think that may be the best of both worlds as it allows the quick leveling of a ball head with the option of axis-only movements. I might try the Linhof with a RRS lever clamp attachment and some Loctite and be done, or perhaps the BH-55 will be more comfortable to use... best way to find out is to try them both and see which works better.

Trius
24-Apr-2012, 17:08
I've been contemplating getting one of the Acratech "GP" ballheads. Very well made, and a nice small company dedicated to high quality manufacturing.

http://acratech.net/


I just watched the video for the GP head, I'm sold. Thanks for the link.

Earl

chuck94022
24-Apr-2012, 20:20
For what it's worth, I'm using a Manfrotto 498RC4 ballhead with my Wista. I needed something light, and this seemed a good compromise for use with my large format and my lighter gear.

So far it has proven to be sufficiently rigid in the field. But note that the first one I got fell apart in the middle of a shoot, in the middle of a running stream! This happened within 30 days of purchase, the shop replaced it. The replacement has not had any problems.

Note that I'm not currently using it with looooooong bellows extension - my longest lens at the moment is 135mm. I'm upgrading to a Chamonix and will have the bed extension, and plan to mount a longer lens. We'll see how the head holds up, but so far I feel reasonably confident.

John Rodriguez
24-Apr-2012, 21:10
For anyone else looking, I highly recommend Kirk Enterprises ballheads. I've been using a BH-3 for six years now and am still very happy with it.

A few cool features:

- Made in the USA, you can call and talk to the guy that builds them
- Turnaround time for repairs is extremely fast, although you shouldn't need it. I dropped mine from quite high up and bent an adjustment knob. The repair I think cost me $40 and they did the work in a couple of days.
- Cheaper then RRS/Markins/Acratech/Arca: $275 for the BH-3, which includes a universal plate.

Leo Salazar
25-Apr-2012, 05:43
Hi Frank,
I use an Acratech GP Ballhead with a couple of universal plates from the same Co. plus a cheap Arca Swiss type with cork on top I got on eBay for testing and all work perfect with a Speed Graphic.
My longer lens is a 210mm Symmar S.
I can't do like Bogen used to do, but it's strong enough... !
Regards
Leo Salazar