This legendary head is my consideration when I come to 8x10 camera. I'm using deardorff 8x10 plus lens cooke 16ich 5.6. I wonder if I can used the head comfortably with that gear.
I'm also using a 3d head. I want to replace it with ball head because 3d one is so bulky.
Thank you for advices!!!!
Sure can but I happen to haven a B1 for sale if you're interested.
I use the z1-sp with my MF and 4x5 field cameras and it works fine. But it would be suicide using it with the Toyo 810G.
Thomas
as the advertise, the z1 head have loading capacity of more than 130 lb which is more than enough for normal 8x10 camera plus lens in theory. I would like to ask if somebody try this head with 8x10.
Even with B1 capacity is nearly half of z1 is still good for 8x 10 camera.
I have some islands to sell you, they are over-rated in their descriptions too.
I used an Arca Z1 with both a canham metal 8x10, an Arca F-Metric 8x10 and with a few 4x5 field cameras.
While the ballhead is more than sturdy enough for 8x10, I grew to HATE ballheads with view cameras. It's very frustrating to level the camera since when you get one axis level, it can be hard to get the other one level without affecting the first.
I'm only shooting 4x5 now with a Linhof 3-way leveling head. But I'd definitely recommend a 3-way head over a ballhead for large format. You're correct that a ballhead is compact (as well as very solid) but in my opinion it will be much harder to use, at least if you like to level the camera with any accuracy.
I bought Noah's z1 and I don't have any problems using it with my 8x10. I have bubble levels installed on my cameras so I level it to that and I'm done, no crooked horizons or buildings. That said, ballheads arent' ideal for fine adjustments as noah said. As soon as you pan left or right, re-leveling is often required. An ideal head would be a manfrotto 410/3275 that wasn't a piece of garbage (mine didn't last).
I have a B1. I wouldn't use it with an 8x10 camera. Why add frustration to your life? I also have a Manfrotto 410. It's not sturdy enough for an 8x10 camera, unless it's some kind of superlight, wide angle type of job. For 8x10 field use, I use a Gitzo Rational Series 5 head.
“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
As vinny said, there is no problem with using the Z1 for 8x10 (though sadly the one I sold Vinny was my second one--I didn't learn the first time around). It's a matter of preference so some people don't find ballheads convenient for LF and some do.
I wouldn't trust a 410 for 8x10. I LOVE the convenience of the gearing but I don't find it all that solid compared to a sturdy 3-way head like one of the big gitzos.
There's always the arca cube or the new Linhof 3d Micro, I think those would be ideal but of course they're in a different league when it comes to price.
Last edited by Noah A; 4-Jan-2012 at 10:18. Reason: typo
I tried my Z1 with an older model Arca 8x10. Technically, it worked but i hated it. I had to crank it down too tight for my comfort and the camera could flop if i did not wail on it. Fine adjustments were tedious at best. I suppose if you were trying to save the last gram, never pointed the camera down, it would suffice. Same experience with Acratech.
In the end, i went with a Gitzo pan-tilt head which is a porker but it works great.
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