It all depends on the type of camera. With my Toyo 45, the camera is plenty rigid just screwed into a standard head. With my Kodak D2 8x10, it needs all the help it can get. Some cameras, such as Ebonies, have large metal plates on the bottom. I wouldn't worry about a camera like that either. A nice thing about heads like the FLM is that you can change out the mounting platform if needed.
“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
My main worry is I carry the camera slung on a tripod over long distances, and the stress on the camera/head connection is mitigated somewhat by the 4"x4" platform on my Ries head.
I'm fairly confident the connection on the non-QR FLM head would be fine for indoor shooting, but maybe not such a good idea for carrying it this way.
Right now I'm only planning on using the ball head on my indoor Gitzo, but if I like it I know I'll be tempted to retire the Ries head altogether. But this might be wildly inappropriate for a ball head.
Last edited by Colin Graham; 28-Feb-2015 at 10:49. Reason: redundant photo
Does the bottom of the camera have a metal plate? If so, how big?
“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
10 x 15cm.
I just mocked-up a 45mm disc platform on an ancient Gitzo ball head and the camera bed is still quite rigid. I'll probably never feel comfortable carrying it slung while connected to such a small platform, but then again carrying it like that would probably work against any ball head's design strengths, so not sure if adding an adapter plate would improve the situation.
Just to be clear, I don't expect any head to work for all situations, but it's good to try and anticipate the limitations as well as the possibilities.
Last edited by Colin Graham; 28-Feb-2015 at 10:49. Reason: redundant photo
That's a good sized plate. I wouldn't worry about it.
“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 tried hard to fall in love with a ball head with my 5X7 Deardorf, but in the end I could not make the relationship work and went back to my trusty Manfrotto 410 geared head. I tried a few nice ball heads but I just could not get used to using them.
That said, I thought the FLM head was wonderful and I have a good friend who uses one for his 8X10 (and maybe his 11X1 as well). Also, I have another good friend who has the Arca d4 and he swears it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It comes down to what is comfortable to work with and what fits into your budget.
Austin's would be a good one, don't imagine the glue is a real problem and you won't loose to much if it isn't your style.
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...66#post1221866
Avoid Arca-Swiss ballheads. Terrible, dreadful, monstrously mis-engineered designs.
Yeah, I saw that, but that's a 43mm, and it doesn't appear to have the 2d tilt control. And it looked to me like the 1/4" side of thread was showing, instead of the 3/8". Also the words glue, thread and pliers all used in the same paragraph made me nervous, ha. (No offense intended to the seller, who was very honest about it).
Still, $100 is a great bargain, and it was that very thread that started me down this path.
Eric, thanks for weighing in as well. How heavy is your V5, btw? I noticed the 'new' (ahem) Deardorff Special is listed at 7lbs, which is what my 5x7 weighs.Originally Posted by cowanw
I've had my B1 for 20 years, and it's worked very well. Just recently, the rotation of the ball is getting a little sticky. I tried cleaning it, but it's time for a $100 service. One service every 20 years for a device that's used regularly in a variety of conditions seems pretty good to me.
Colin, if you'd consider a non-ball head, a Gitzo 1570M would be a good choice. It's what I normally use with an 8x10. The negative versus a ball head is that there are protruding handles.
“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
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