Ball Heads vs. Pan Heads

[jbog]

I usually use a ball-head for 35mm & medium format. I use a Majestic gear head for LF. You can't beat Majestic. The head can handle a 35 pound camera. It's been made in the US for over 60 years. Their tripods can handle up to a 40 pound camera. See http://www.bencher.com/ or http://www.bencher.com/photo/gearheads.php

>>> Jim

[ki6mf]

Ball Head Faster to adjust and difficult to get all axis correct for framing a view camera shot! Go with pan head. I keep one on the backup tripod which stays in the trunk of my car!

[IanG]

This ball-head is great with any size camera

It's also designed for pan & tilt

Ian

[Doremus Scudder]

I, too, have had a frustrating time with ball heads. My current preference for my lightweight field cameras is a Manfrotto 3025 head. It does not have handles, just lock knobs for each of the three movements.

It is compact like a ball head and one can loosen all the movements and use it like a ball head to quickly position the camera (a normal pan/tilt head doesn't do this as well). The advantage is, that after tightening everything down, one can make fine adjustments easily by just loosening the control for one axis.

There are similar larger and more heavy-duty heads like this as well for larger cameras.

Best

Doremus Scudder

[Vaughn]

I used a Gitzo ballhead #2 with a very lightweight 4x5 (Gowland) for quite a few years (and quite a few years ago). I liked it -- I did lots of travel and backpacking. The camera was light enough that one just pointed the camera where one wanted it and then tightened the knob to keep it there.

[Rider]

I have a behemeth of pan and tilt head. I find it slow and frustrating on a light camera when shooting either landscapes, portraits or the occasional "action shot", but somewhat more percise. However, the precision is pretty much wasted. Here is what I mean: if I were doing macro or product shots that really required precision, isn't there more specialized equipment for that?

[bobwysiwyg]

Hmm, all replies are food for thought. Perhaps I just need more practice with the ball head.

[rdenney]

Ball heads are great when used with 35mm cameras and big telephoto lenses.

For those applications, I actually much prefer gimbals heads over ball heads. With the center of gravity below the pivot point, the camera stays where it is pointed, and if it does move, it settles to a balanced position.

With ball heads, the center of gravity is above the pivot, and it inherently unstable unless tightened.

I prefer ball heads for traveling with medium-format cameras, where the camera is light enough so that I can adjust it in two axes without cussing.

For a monorail view camera, the Sinar tilt-head is without peer. It is also compact and without protruding handles. But it provides only one horizontal axis, and requires that you rotate the round rail through the rail clamp to level the camera in the other axis. For cameras like my Calumet/Cambo, where the camera will not rotate side-to-side in the rail clamp, the Sinar head is not as useful.

For many view camera applications, the camera will be used level, and a tripod with an integral leveling ball might be all that is necessary. Berlebach makes a nice example.

For those who hire native bearers, and who have won the lottery (if they want the best examples), heads with geared movements provide the greatest precision for exacting work. But: Cheap, light, compact: Pick one.

I have a couple of the cheapie Asian knockoffs of something like the Kirk King Kobra, and they are very effective for small digital cameras, especially when used with long lenses. I use an Arca-Swiss Monoball with my Pentax 6x7 and other medium-format cameras, and the Sinar tilt-head with the Sinar view camera. I would still use a Manfrotto 229 three-axis head for the Cambo.

Rick "who tried the Manfrotto small geared head but didn't like its bulk and lack of support for Arca-Swiss plates" Denney

[Drew Wiley]

When I use a head at all, it's an old Gitzo pan/tilt. Never have liked ball heads. But for
view cameras, especially 8x10 I don't use any head at all. Much more stable that way.
It's the way surveyors have done it for a hundred years - just adjust the legs - takes
a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite spontaneous and quick.
Less redundant weight to carry around too.

[luphot]

Majestic
+1
and a gitzo 1570 low profil head when shooting outside