i'm looking for a strong compact pan head for a 4x5 rail camera. i have a foba superball which is more than strong enough but is a pain to level. i also have a gitzo 1570 which is great for support but huge and cumbersome. i'm thinking of a foba pan head or a linhof 3 way but both are very exp. i don't like bogen's offerings - the qr is wobbly. does anyone have exp. with the brom panhead or any other suggestions?
Ken Hough has used the older version of the Brom under cameras as large as 12 X 20.
The linhof 3 way head is excellent. I bought one about a year ago. If I ever need another head, I'll buy the same one again.
I second Howard's suggestion. I use the Linhof 3-way leveling head, and it is spectacular. Very sturdy and light. But it is VERY expensive these days. Buy one and it will last you a lifetime.
You might want to try Arca B2. I use B1 with no problem to level though.
To calrify, I was referring to what Ted Bromwell calls in his current on-line catalog as the Master Pan Head
I am a big fan of the Arca Swiss B2 but also suggest you look at the Linhof 3 wa y leveling head. But I really think you'll be happy with the Arca Swiss B2. it is absolutely smootand unique in that the pivot points are directly centered under the center of the camera. If you are just working in a studio you should also look at the geared heads from Majectic. If you use Sinar you should also lo ok at the Sinar Pan Head.
I'm delighted with the Arca Swiss B1, which I use extensively for 8 X 10. It is absolutely rigid for a rig that approaches 20 lb in weight, including lenses. If your spirit level allows you to see the vertical and horizontal next to one another, it is perfectly easy to level.
Nathan
thanks for the response, if i can find a linhof head to look at i'll probably get one. i'm confused about the arca b2 - it's still a ballhead , isn't it? my foba can hold almost anything. is the b2 somehow different in function ?
The Arca Swiss B2 Monoball looks like a ball head but it is not. It is a double tilt rational head. It consists of one "ball" (for lateral tilts)inside another larger "ball" which controls fore and aft tilts. The Arca Swiss B1 Monoball has a varia ble tension "drag' controlled by a thumbscrew which allows the user to set just how loose you want the head to get when loosened (the B2 Monoball also has this feature on the outer ball) and when using a view camera with this head it is possible to set just enough drag so that it is possible to more easily (th an with a conventional ballhead) level the camera in all directions.
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