Ball head vs. pan/tilt head

[ChrisN]

I just saw the pics of Wayne's new tripod and head (here), and that got me thinking.

I have a Manfrotto 055CB tripod with the 141RC pan/tilt head. That's a pretty heavy tripod (by my standards) and will certainly provide as much stability as I need for the Speed Graphic and my medium-format kit. But the head is quite awkward to pack and carry with the handles sticking out everywhere. I'm also thinking about a ball head. I've used a ball head with a lightweight tripod, and I like the compactness and the ease of handling with just one knob to lock or unlock for movement.

Two questions:

1. What are the pros and cons of a ball head against a pan/tilt head?

2. What do people think of the Acratech products compared with the RRS ball head that Wayne chose? Has anyone handled the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead?

Thanks!

 

[RObert Budding]

I like to be able to make small adjustments in a single plane when I shoot LF.

 

[Solinar]

Chris, I have two gripes concerning ball heads.

The first is the way that they install onto the camera. I prefer a tripod head with a wide platform and a finger screw - so the camera does not move or pivot easily on the mount. On a ball mount - I sometimes literally twirl the camera to install it onto the head and must be careful not to over tighten, yet the camera must be secure enough so that it doesn't come loose when in the portrait orientation.

Second, a ball mount usually positions the camera pretty close to the tripod head when the camera is portrait orientation - and - the center column is not raised.

I prefer an L assembly, similar to my Bogen 3028. However, it is a bit of monstrosity. It's a large tripod head, but it does unmount in a jiff for transport.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I always considered the pan/tilt to be for movies, and the ball to be for stills.

 

[David Goldfarb]

Ball heads tend to be very strong for their weight, and they are nice and compact, but if you are using a view camera because you like straight lines and level horizons--well, they're not for everybody, because you can't adjust the two axes independently.

There are a couple of exceptions to this. One is the Arca-Swiss B2, which I use on Gitzo GT5540LS legs, and has two concentric balls (the balls are aspherical, so maybe "concentric" isn't quite the right word), one for each axis, so it functions as a pan-tilt head. The panning is as smooth as a fluid head. It's incredibly strong, but it's also a pretty large head--about 4 lbs and about the size of a can of tomatoes.

There is also a head made by FLM that is something of a compromise between a B2 and a traditional ballhead. There is just one omnidirectional ball, but it has a braking mechanism that locks the left-right axis once you're satisfied and then pivots so you can adjust the fore-aft tilt. I haven't tried this one.

 

[Finder]

I perfer ball heads as well. I use them for medium and large format. They are compact. I like, as you say, loosening one screw and then moving the whole camera - make sure you have a good grip on the camera, but because you are using the camera grip, it is much easier to position that using the levers on a pan/tilt. It is easy to make small adjustments to the camera position and because you are gripping the camera, it feel more natural. I have never missed any of my pan/tilt heads.

Most Arca Swiss, Linholf, RRS, etc, are simply too big and heavy for most cameras. You can always use a model smaller than you think - for some reason folks go for a head that is rated for 130lb cameras and weigh 10lbs and then mount them on tripods rated fo a 20lb load (the 10lb weight of the head uses up half the load rating). Ball heads are very sturdy and can be very light (I like my mag-alloy model).

 

[ferider]

I like my inverted Acratech head:

Strong enough for my Hasselblad, and real flexible and smooth in movements.

A tripod is the wrong place to save money, IMO.

Roland.

 

[venchka]

I agonized over this too. I was offered 2 Gitzo 3-way heads, the 1750M and 1350M. Either would have met most of my needs. I can give you the persons contact information if you like. The other head I pondered was the Bogen 410. A compact geared 3-way head. Very nice for LF. In the end, my other need for using long telephoto lenses on 35mm SLR bodies convinced me to go to a ball head.

I was also offered a Gitzo 1348 CF tripod if anyone wants that person's contact information.

 

[ChrisN]

Thanks all - plenty of good thinking material here.

Roland - is that the Acratech? http://acratech.net/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AOS&Product_Code=ubh

 

[ferider]

Yes, Chris. Best,

Roland.

 

[Photon42]

055 Manfrotto / 141 was my first one, too. Since about a year or so I switched to a Markins "Emille" ball head with Arca quick release and a smaller carbon fiber tripod. Perfect for me. This ball head is easy to pack, light, yet very solid. I can tilt the camera without locking/unlocking any screw. However, it's not really made for micro adjustments.

 

[peter_n]

A tripod is the wrong place to save money, IMO.

Roland.

Couldn't agree more. I use a small Linhof head on a Markins base that mounts the ballhead directly on the top plate of the Gitzo 1228, so I have no center column.

 

[venchka]

Peter,

The new Gitzos allow you to have both: center column or flat plate on top. That sold me. Or rather cost me over any other tripods.

 

[kmack]

I found a used Majestic 1200 with the 4x6 platform. At six lbs it is a little more than twice as heavy as the Arca Swiss B2, I really like the ease of setup, leveling and the rock solid stability of this massive gear head.

 

[Tarzak]

I use one of these (manfrotto 222 joystick) for my Rolleiflex and I think it's too big and way too heavy. the head is about 0.75 kg.
To qualify that; I use it when I hike into a (my local) national park. It usually seems much heavier on the way out than it did on the way in.

I'm looking for a lighter one.

 

[kmack]

I use one of these (manfrotto 222 joystick) for my Rolleiflex and I think it's too big and way too heavy. the head is about 0.75 kg.
To qualify that; I use it when I hike into a (my local) national park. It usually seems much heavier on the way out than it did on the way in.

I'm looking for a lighter one.

"If it's more than fifty yards from the car, it's not photogenic"
attributed to Brett Weston

 

[jan normandale]

I always considered the pan/tilt to be for movies, and the ball to be for stills.

I use ball heads for another reason.. you don't have to worry about losing a plate that attaches to the camera. I have lost several and finally opted out of the benefits of that style for the security of knowing I have a "simple" system.

Also as Roland suggested, "don't cheap out" on a tripod purchase, it's a false economy.

 

[peter_n]

Peter,

The new Gitzos allow you to have both: center column or flat plate on top. That sold me. Or rather cost me over any other tripods.

Glad to hear they went to that design Wayne. When I bought mine the smallest tripod that allowed a plate on top was the G-1325.

 

[David Goldfarb]

I've owned two Majestic heads and they were rock solid, but the Arca-Swiss B2 is lighter and ROCK solid, plus the panning motion is smoother, if that's a feature you need. For the money, though, it's hard to beat the Majestic.

 

[Tarzak]

"If it's more than fifty yards from the car, it's not photogenic"
attributed to Brett Weston

excellent!

Not very green but it did make me laugh.