Rick,
I have used a RRS BH 40 for several years for different 4x5 cameras --
others will work well but it is still my choice for most shooting--stable,
light and reliable. Also a good choice of attachments available.
Warren Clark
Ft. Collins, Colo.
Rick,
I have used a RRS BH 40 for several years for different 4x5 cameras --
others will work well but it is still my choice for most shooting--stable,
light and reliable. Also a good choice of attachments available.
Warren Clark
Ft. Collins, Colo.
Rick,
Another vote for the RRS BH 40. I use one with a Shen Hao and Sinar F1 and it works great. By the way, RRS is now making their own tripods. Saw one the other day. Made in San Luis Obispo and really impressive.
I believe RRS makes the BH-55 with a built in panning base. I have the BH-55, no panning base, and it is fabulous. I have no interference issues using Gitzo 3 series tripods, as mentioned above.
For his application, stitched panoramics, the panning base need to be above the level (ball) adjustment. He could certainly add a RRS panning clamp, which would itself have an Arca style plate on the bottom, but this would be really expensive.
If he's going to do regular panoramics, something like a Nodal Ninja leveling base with a rotator would be quicker to use and much cheaper.
Dont' get me wrong, I love RRS products. I keep one of their L-plates on my D200 at all times, and I have a number of their quick release plates.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
perhaps you're correct. The BH-55 PCL is built that way.
http://reallyrightstuff.com/ballheads/02.html
Hi Jeffrey,
That's certainly a high quality option. The question, though, is why would you want to use a ball head, no matter how smooth, when one regularly needs to critically level the panoramic rotator? Sure, I've done it that way, but it's no fun. A good three-way head or panoramic three screw leveling plate is much easier to use.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Unless you shoot panos sometimes, and single frame images most of the time (as many do). I believe the head is designed for those that do both. The dedicated pano only rigs are quite different.
Yep, that's true, but having build my own nodal slide systems and three-d panoramic heads, if you're serious about doing stitched panoramics, you're much better off with a three screw leveling plate and a rotator for doing the panoramics instead of messing with a ball head. The leveler/rotator aren't very heavy or all that expensive. Use whatever head you prefer for regular shooting.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I love the Arca Z1 DP. Once you level the camera you can pan at the top and stay level. Not only for stitched panos but also to change your composition.
Another vote here for the Sinar Pan/Tilt Head.
I use mine with a Berlebach 3032 tripod which has a levelling ball.
Very quick, very precise and as Rick Denney says, nice low centre of gravity.
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