Advice on new tripod head

[Weihan]

Since suffering a back injury that has radically limited the weight I can carry, I'm doing my best to lighten the loads I can carry. In LF, I've switched over to a Walker Titan XL (since I shoot primarily landscapes and wide angles), a carbon fiber tripod, and I carry no more than 2 lenses at a time. The problem I'm having now is that the pan/tilt tripod head I'm using is very heavy. I know most people don't like to use ballheads for LF, but the majority of them are much, much lighter than the pan/tilt heads.
I had pretty my decided on one of the new Pro Gold heads from Photo Clam, but I've read horrible things about their customer service (being non-existent or never responding to customer queries), so I've ruled that out. Then there is the very light Markins Q3 head and the Arca Swiss P0.
Any solid recommendations for these or others? Alternatively, is there anywhere out there a 3-way PT in the same weight class as these that I'm not aware of?
THANKS!

[Peter De Smidt]

You might look into FLM heads. http://www.flmcanada.com/ball-heads.html Ari, a regular here, is the Canadian distributor. Some of them are a type of hybrid ball head, having a locking axis on the ball.

[Alan Gales]

I'm a ballhead hater but some photographers like them and use them all the time for large format. I really sympathize with you about your back. I had a back fusion in 1994 and as I age it gets harder and harder to do things. I use a Ries J100 with double tilt head but I don't wander far from my Jeep. Absolutely no hiking even without gear. I pull my Wehman in a Klein cordura tool bag with big wheels. As much as I love my Ries I may eventually go with carbon fiber. You do what you have to do.

Best regards,

Alan

[Weihan]

Thanks very much. Yes, I did that last week and had all but decided on one of the FLM heads as they really shine on paper. And then I read this report conducted in Germany which stated that one of their top models had in fact failed the tests they subjected a total of 30 some odd heads to. The test report can be found here:
http://www.traumflieger.de/desktop/b...s4.php#markins
So I immediately started looking at other options. It's always good to hear of people's own personal experience with the equipment and with customer service (a big one!) if and when something goes wrong. The Arca Swiss heads have received the highest accolades from many users. I'm just not sure I would be happy with the way the P0 is constructed (the lightest model they have). And the Markins have a new type of screw knob to hold the plate, and I'm always a bit wary of really new things that haven't been tried and tested for a while in the field.

[Weihan]

Very sorry to hear about your back problems, Alan! I can empathize completely! Agony!!!
I've never used a ballhead before at all. My photog life has been restricted to MF and LF, always with a 3-way PT, but that is way too heavy now. I looked at several of the Ries heads too and they look fantastic. Problem is they're about double the weight of what I already use.

[Alan Gales]

I hate ball heads because they move all over the place. The FLM's that Peter recommends are not like that due to the locks. Ari is a great guy. I'm sure you will enjoy talking to him.

[Alan Gales]

My problem was due to working sheet metal and the way my back was formed at birth. Heavy construction work and birth defects unfortunately do not mix well.

I had always wanted a ballhead and then finally bought one for use with a medium format camera and DSLR. I ended up hating it and quickly sold it. We all have our likes and dislikes.

Yes, anything that says Ries on it is heavy. The same goes with Linhof.

[Leszek Vogt]

I, too, think that Arca Swiss kicks butt. Excluding my personal view, you might get your answer at Sammy's (hands on).

Les

[Ari]

Thanks, Alan and Peter, for those hearty recommendations.

I'm happy to suggest FLM because I came by them first as a customer.
If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help.

This might provide you with some good reading, and help you narrow down your choices: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/819...l-heads-tested

But ball heads are not for everybody; I swore them off for a long time before discovering the FLM heads.
And if ball heads are not your bag, a lot of people here swear by the Manfrotto geared head for LF work; the smallest of them weighs only 1,2kg and should support your gear.

[Bill_1856]

Linhof #3663 is a near-perfect answer. Very light, with individual motion of all three axis. The only deterrent is its incredibly high cost, even used.