Which ball head? Really right BH40 or BH30

[Alan Gales]

You might want to check out FLM ballheads too. With some of them you can change each axis separately if that interests you. Ari is the North American distributer and also a member here. I've met Ari and he is a great guy. He will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

http://www.flmcanada.com/contact.html

I've never used the FLM heads myself. I really like my Ries double tilt heads. They are not lightweight though.

[Bob Salomon]

Yes, I realize that I've loudly preached and screeched about this so many times on this forum that I deserve to be called the Headless Hoarse Man. But the science behind it is exactly why simplified low-profile heads are themselves preferred by many, like the low-profile Ries head, or the Sinar option. I just get tired of hearing people complain about "variations between lenses" and how they got a bad one, when they really had no idea of how to properly stabilize a camera in the first place. There are a couple other forums where I hear this all the time about the Pentax 6X7 300 lenses. I use both styles of em, and they're heavy, obviously hang forward, and need even stronger stabilization than my 8x10. So I use both the lens collar and the thread on the camera body itself, unite them to a single block of maple, and bolt that directly to my big Ries platform. End of story. Total cost about three dollars, and no ball head on earth is more secure. So Peter, please add one more option to your list: spend a whole lot of money, lug around a bunch of redundant extra weight, and maybe never learn there's a way simpler, more reliable way to do it. And yes, there's a valid reason for me recommending Ries wooden tripods too, though I do use other types when necessary. But as long as I'm getting hoarse once again, or at least preaching common horse sense, I just can't get out of my mind a sight a number of years ago of some rich guy standing in the in the middle of a meadow in Yosemite all afternoon with about ten grand of brand new gear, assuming that if all that stuff were expensive enough he was going to bag a classic Ansel shot - brand new Sinar P, expensive brand new Sinaron apo lens, expensive tripod, and an expensive ballhead, with that damned 8x10 jiggling at every tiny change in the breeze, and him standing in the snow waiting and waiting for that camera to stop wobbling. He probably gave up at dark, and sold off all that gear half price the next weekend.

Maybe this is why Linhof makes this leveling head for their monorails, as well as any other camera with the optional QR plate.

http://linhof.com/wp-content/uploads...hof_003667.jpg

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, that design makes sense, but like most superbly-made Linhof gear, I bet it was expensive.

[Peter De Smidt]

I hear you, Drew. I used to assist for a guy that used a Manfrotto squeese-lever ball head with a Canon 80-200 f/2.8 lens. I'd watch the front of the lens bob up and down about 1/8" every time he took a picture. I tried to tell him. He got mad. Weeks later he said, "I don't understand why I get soft pictures every time I go slower than 1/400th of a second." So, don't use a head that won't do the job. But that's not an argument against all heads. I've been in situations where I wouldn't have been able to get the photo without using a head. I've used an Arca B1 for 20 years with medium format and field 4x5s. I haven't noticed any problems, and, yes, sometimes I don't use a head either. Recently, I added a smaller Photoclam head from Kerry. It holds my Toyo just fine. It's a good idea to test any system with a laser. Strap the laser point to the camera. Lock everything down. Now tap lightly on various parts of the system. Watch how much the dot bounces. Compare to not using a head....

[Bob Salomon]

Yeah, that design makes sense, but like most superbly-made Linhof gear, I bet it was expensive.

It’s a current product, so is, not was.

[rfesk]

I accept Drew Wiley's arguments about ball heads. However, the BH40 has a very low profile and of the two mentioned is the one I would definitely recommend as far as ball heads go.

I use an Acratech (I got a good deal on one) but I don't stress it with long focal length lenses. In addition I removed the center column of my
Gitzo and installed a flat plate.

[gnuyork]

Ball heads are designed for video cameras, NOT for LF cameras.

It's difficult enough to get one axis set up at a time with LF on a regular tripod head.
Trying to do two axes simultaneously is an invitation to insanity or suicide.

- Leigh

Not saying you're wrong here, but as a professional videographer, I've never, ever seen a ball head used on video cameras in my 20+ years in the field. I do however see plenty of ball head users 35mm DSLRs. That being said I do have a ball head that has a tilt lock feature (FLM), and yes I have used in on my DSLR shooting video. It's even (according to the marketing), useful for large format photography because of the tilt lock. I have used it with my 4x5 camera and it's fine. No issues. Like Drew, I used to go sans head. I have the Berlebach and it has some limited adjustments without having a head attached.

[Pieter]

Video cameras are usually mounted to fluid pan-tilt heads.

[gnuyork]

Video cameras are usually mounted to fluid pan-tilt heads.

Exactly

[aaronnate]

Since everyone's opinion is the correct one on this thread (some more correct than others. Just ask them, they will tell you)

Here is mine
Use what you have and practice with it until you are able to use it consistently well. If you want a ball head, get it. Just check the weight rating and and make sure it will handle your camera with the largest lens you plan to use.

Here is what I use and I would not switch. Mainly because I am getting old and grumpy.
I happily use an old Bogen ball head that the number is worn off . It is the big one with the hexagonal QR plate. I use it with MF up to my Kodak 5x7 2D inbetween there is a couple 4x5 monorails and a field camera. I have a bubble level I use on the bed/rail of my LF cameras that easily helps me get things squared up and I don't see any wobble, unless I bump it, which happens on occaison. My longest lens is 300mm in LF and 150 in MF though. Plus, I use cable releases and MLU, in MF.

I am often finding stuff on the ground that I want to shoot and a ball head is so much quicker to use to get the angles I want than the pan tilt I use for 8x10.