You might try a Bogen/Gitzo 3039/229 heavy duty 3-axis head, or even the older 4047 model.
You might try a Bogen/Gitzo 3039/229 heavy duty 3-axis head, or even the older 4047 model.
Best,
Dennis
My preference for an 8x10 head has been the old Hollywood Senior Baco head. They also manufactured a Junior, too small for 8x10. I like the tilt for shooting straight down, which I do quite often. Any other leveling is done, as Drew suggests, with the tripod. I tried a ball head for a day, and disliked it for the 8x10; fine for lighter cameras.
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...highlight=baco
I really like this head for the Toyo 810MII but its load capacity is only 1/2 of what I need: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...red_3_way.html
Another possibility if I can find a plate to convert to accept arca swiss: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...al_Geared.html
I put a Kodak 2D 8x10 on a set of Burlbach legs. The camera has a tripod sliding block under the bed rails, so it can be well centered and balanced.
I have used a ball head at times without it bothering me; seems to be effective and managable.
However the tripod has a leveliung post which provides enough movement for most situations. Doing without the massive ball head or th pan head alternative cutsd a couple of pounds out of the kit when working outside.
Drew Bedo
www.quietlightphoto.com
http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo
There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!
I have 2 Baco heads on Otto tripods, love both. I had a Ries with their pan-tilt head and hated it for many reasons including weight, and that damn rod sticking out the rear.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ball_head.html
Very strong ball head.
I've been using this one https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...1_sp_with.html on a 4 section Gitzo G1349 mk2 for 10+ years with P67, Toyo 45AX and Toyo 810 MII cameras and it works great. However with the 810 it's tedious to properly zero the camera in the horizontal and vertical position because of the cameras weight and I have been thinking on and off about a geared 3-way head which would greatly facilitate setting up. The Manfrotto 405 combined with the Hejnar conversion would preserve the work that I already did to strengthen the camera to tripod connection.
Thank you all for the feedback and opinions. I'll be looking for an appropriate pan/tilt head and save my ballheads to use with my much smaller digital camera bodies. Not sure which one I'll end up with, and it depends in part on what I might find on the used market or at my local (Seattle) photo supplier.
The thing with ball heads is that the vast majority of them are mildly terrible, in that they're either "locked" or "free", with very little in between.
I've got one that actually has differing levels of friction, and it works well with my lightweight 4x5.
I also recently picked up an inexpensive leveling base, and I suspect for at least 75% of the time, that'll be preferable to a ball head or a pan/tilt.
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