Anyone Used Really Right Stuff Tripod and Head?

**RedSun** · 2-Sep-2012, 15:52

I have the "BH-55 Pro: Full-sized ballhead with Pro" head and I do not know if that is useful to mount a Sinar 4x5. Thinking of trading it for a Sinar pan/tilt head.

What do you think?

**Joseph Dickerson** · 2-Sep-2012, 16:08

Oddly enough the one view camera I have ever used that works really well with a ball head is the Sinar. I use the B55 RRS head and love it for my Sinar.

Lots of folks will chime in and tell you how they would never use a ball head with a view camera, but I'm guessing most have never tried it with a Sinar. Here's why, for me at least, it works so well.

Most view cameras don't rotate on the monorail, so with a ball head you have to get the leveling perfect in two planes, fore and aft, and port and starboard. With a Sinar you only have to get the fore and aft where you want it with the head, then you can do the port and starboard leveling by slightly loosening the monorail clamp and leveling the camera in that orientation.

Try it, I think you'll like it.

JD

**Frank Petronio** · 2-Sep-2012, 16:25

I used the BH55 with my Technika, it is strong, beautifully made, and quite nice with a folding field camera. But I prefer shooting with a monorail like the Sinar Norma, so when I switched cameras, I sold the BH55 and got another Sinar Pan-Tilt head. It works so much better than anything else with the Sinar cameras that there really is no good comparison.

I did get the Sinar small format adapter, which is a small section of the round rail with a simple piece of angle iron, with a threaded camera screw. It will hold a light roll film or DSLR camera - not ideally but OK in a pinch - it gives you three-axis movements and will hold a few pounds. Since I always use the Sinar on a tripod, while using the small cameras handheld 99% of the time, this hasn't been a hardship for me. But if I did a lot of tripod work with anything other than a Sinar - then I would keep the BH55 and swap heads.

I've had other ballheads, like the Arca, and the RRS head is in a class by itself. It really is strong and stable enough to use with a full-sized view camera and I wouldn't hesitate to put most 8x10s on it, albeit with the drag cranked up.

**RedSun** · 2-Sep-2012, 16:28

What kind of plate should I get in order to mount the Sinar? It appears they do not have Sinar or LF listed there.

**John Kasaian** · 2-Sep-2012, 16:41

By saying "Really Right Stuff" you do mean Ries, don't you?

**Frank Petronio** · 2-Sep-2012, 20:43

Huges326 is a spammer BTW.

There really isn't an ideal RRS-Arca-style plate for the Sinar rail camp. You can call and ask of course but they will probably point you towards a large square platform with a lip on on side, with the mounting bolt in a perpendicular slot.

Others will confirm that getting the Sinar Pan Tilt is one of the best features of the Sinar system and they should have included it with the camera itself. While the BH55 will certainly hold things fine, if you compare the two options then you'll understand.

**goodfood** · 2-Sep-2012, 23:13

I have Sinar head, it's best for Sinar camera and other heavy camera, be sure to remove the index screw on top of the plate. I think the RRS BH-55 Pro on ebay is more money than Sinar head. So you can trade it easily.

**Cletus** · 2-Sep-2012, 23:45

Frank -

I heard you mention using any camera with the BH55. I have one too, and I've always used it with all my cameras, didn't figure I'd ever have to get another tripod head. Ever. It's never done anything but inspire absolute confidence. Until now.

When I got my Sinar 8x10 a couple weeks ago, I set it up on my Gitzo S3 with the BH55. The setup was rock solid and I was happy and content.

Then I tried carrying this beast over my shoulder. Camera slowly flopped over. I made sure the rail clamp - and everything else - was tight tight and it flopped over again. On the BH55 ball! There's so much weight sitting up so high over the mounting point, that with the whole thing at a 45 deg angle over your shoulder the actual force on the ballhead must be way over its load rating. And I definitely don't like the idea of having to white-knuckle crank the knob down on my almost $500 ballhead.

Bottom line: I use the 8x10 on the Bogen with the PT head now, and everything else on the BH55. The PT head is quite a bit easier with the monorail anyway. I wouldn't hesitate to plop any lighter 8x10 field camera on the RRS head, but there just seems to be too much stress on it with the big tall monorail. And I'm afaid I'll prematurely wear out my BH55 is I keep cranking down on the ball like that. Don't you think that's bad for it? Usuall jus need the slightest little turn to lock it up tight.

I might try an Arca Z1 or something else with an 'aspherical' ball if I want to use a ballhead with such a heavy camera.

**Cletus** · 2-Sep-2012, 23:52

Or maybe the Sinar head? I've never seen one of these in person, but I just Googled it and looks like not as beefy as the RRS ballhead. Is this really the answer for securing large heavy cameras?

**Michael_4514** · 3-Sep-2012, 04:33

Since lots of folk are supposed to chime in and tell you never to use a ball head with an LF camera, here I go. Actually I won't go so far as to tell you not to use one, I'll just say that I didn't like using one and was happy the day I stopped. Maybe I wasn't using the right one. Maybe it's just my own preference. Obviously, if there were only one right way of doing things, we would all agree on that way.