LF ballhead sought- current offerings questions

[Ari]

Didn't manufacturers and retailers used to specify what the intended format range of their tripods and heads were, and not just by weight? The FLM site is helpful, but doesn't list the diameter of their heads at the base and platform. You can sort of guess at these sizes by the diameter of the ball I suppose. But it would be nice to know the exact diameter at the base and the head, to see how well it matches up with tripod and camera size. The panning base flares out at the bottom and the plain/non-QR platforms look undersized on the larger heads, so it's difficult to tell what type of cameras they are intended for.

For that information, you can see our catalogue: http://www.flmcanada.com/flm-catalogue.html
Or see the chart at the bottom of this page: http://www.flmcanada.com/ball-heads.html

[Michael Graves]

The Photoclam Gold is an outstanding product. I've been using two of them for a couple of years now and have no desire to change. They're not that terribly expensive either.

[Colin Graham]

For that information, you can see our catalogue: http://www.flmcanada.com/flm-catalogue.html
Or see the chart at the bottom of this page: http://www.flmcanada.com/ball-heads.html

Thanks, I didn't notice that chart or the catalog on the site earlier, thanks for pointing them out. It looks like FLM uses the same size platform on most of their heads, about 45mm or so. Does that sound about right?

[Ari]

Thanks, I didn't notice that chart or the catalog on the site earlier, thanks for pointing them out. It looks like FLM uses the same size platform on most of their heads, about 45mm or so. Does that sound about right?

No, they all use different sizes, ranging from 55mm bases to 78mm bases. Yes, they are slightly flared for easier reading.
For me, the sweet spot is the 48mm-size ball head. It is light and compact, as are the 38mm and 43mm. The 58mm represents a significant jump in size and bulk, not so much in weight.
I can use the 48 with my Toyo 810M if I have to, but I prefer to use the 58 for the extra bit of insurance it gives with a camera that heavy.
I think with your 5x7, you would be quite happy with a 48mm-size ball head.

[Colin Graham]

I'm talking about the camera attachment platform, not the base. The platform with the cork surface. I did see the base diameter sizes on the chart, so thanks again for pointing that out.
I would still like to try to use this without a QR plate if possible, so if I knew the size of the CB-48FT's platform, I could test my camera's rigidity by making a mockup. If it's too small for my rig, I'll go the with one of the FLM head/QR adapter bundles that will accept the longer adapter plates mentioned earlier. In the picture of the 48mm ballhead, the plaftform looks slightly bigger, so I'll just try 50mm and see how that works for my 5x7.
And thanks for the recommendation on the appropriate model, that's enormously helpful.

No, they all use different sizes, ranging from 55mm bases to 78mm bases. Yes, they are slightly flared for easier reading.
For me, the sweet spot is the 48mm-size ball head. It is light and compact, as are the 38mm and 43mm. The 58mm represents a significant jump in size and bulk, not so much in weight.
I can use the 48 with my Toyo 810M if I have to, but I prefer to use the 58 for the extra bit of insurance it gives with a camera that heavy.
I think with your 5x7, you would be quite happy with a 48mm-size ball head.

[gnuyork]

I use the FLM and I think it's great.

[Ari]

I'm talking about the camera attachment platform, not the base. The platform with the cork surface. I did see the base diameter sizes on the chart, so thanks again for pointing that out.
I would still like to try to use this without a QR plate if possible, so if I knew the size of the CB-48FT's platform, I could test my camera's rigidity by making a mockup. If it's too small for my rig, I'll go the with one of the FLM head/QR adapter bundles that will accept the longer adapter plates mentioned earlier. In the picture of the 48, the plaftform looks slightly bigger, so I'll just try 50mm and see how that works for my 5x7.
And thanks for the recommendation on the appropriate model, that's enormously helpful.

Hi again,
Yes, you're right, the cork platform is the same size on all ball heads (45mm diameter), as is the stud screw (reversible 3/8" and 1/4"). And FYI, we use a cork/rubber hybrid: http://www.flmcanada.com/faqs
Our normal procedure is to remove the cork/rubber platform, and attach a QR clamp using mild thread glue. This offers the best stability for using a ball head. And, as others have pointed out, the larger the contact surface area between your camera and the QR plate, the more stability you'll have when attaching it to the clamp.
As for the size recommendation, the factory doesn't test with view cameras, so the recommendations come from my own experience. The 810M with lens and film holder can easily surpass 20lbs, so the CB-58 is the best choice for that.
I've used both the Kodak Master 8x10 and Kodak Commercial 8x10 with the CB-48 with great success, it feels very secure with that size ball head, so you should have no trouble using that on your 5x7.

Oh, and I added those charts yesterday, you're not seeing things. You requested information that was buried in the catalogue, I just made it more visible.

[Colin Graham]

Great, thanks Ari!

I'm being fairly obstinate about QR plates and clamps, but they've always just bugged me, so I'll just go through the motions to prove to myself that I do need one. I do have a pretty massive tripod plate on my camera, so who knows, might be able to get away with the 45mm platform. Thanks again for the help.

[Ari]

Ok, Colin, keep us posted as to your progress. Good luck!

[Daniel Stone]

Colin,

Here's an alternative option for a quick release system. It is NOT cheap price-wise, but neither is a broken camera on the ground !

http://store.zacuto.com/tripod-adapter-plate/

http://store.zacuto.com/qr-dovetail/