Burzynski Ball Head vs. RRS BH-55, Z1, Q20 for Hand-Challenged. Oh no, Arthritis

[shadesofgray]

You may wish to examine the Arca-Swiss Z1, mentioned by Thomas. I have no experience with the heads you’ve listed, but I have the Z1, an Acratech Ultimate and a cheap Benro something.  The difference in the amount of force required to lock the Z1 and the other two is quite substantial.  The aspherical ball of the Z1 allows the camera to be very secure with little tightening force.  I’ve used it with a Pentax 67II and a 500mm lens with no problem. I can easily secure the camera and lens such that there is no creep, yet repositioning is easy.
The Z1 weighs about one pound. You can use a RRS release clamp on this as well, which may be a better choice than the rather awkward AS version.
You can order one from B&H and return it if not to your liking.

Hi tsjanik,

From your summary of the Z1's benefits, it seems to meet my requirements quite well - light tightening force, no creep, easy to tweak. The lighter weight is also a plus. 

In addition to a 500mm, I'm inferring by your response that the Z1 also works well with a lighter load of approximately 6 lbs or 4 kg.

Thanks much!

[shadesofgray]

I have been using the RRS BH-55 LR for about a month now. It replaced my Gitzo ball head. The first thing I noticed was that the amount of tightening of the main knob is minimal to lock the head in place. It locks the ball in place without actually tightening down the knob. The pan knob is smaller, but has the same feature (minimal tightening to lock the position).

Really Right Stuff has a great return policy. They're very knowledgable and helpful. If you buy & try, you're only out the cost of shipping.

Hi Chris,

I'm starting to think that the Burzynski, RRS BH-55 and AS Z1 are all fine ball heads and suitable for my needs. I'm wondering if the amount of effort to tighten the lock, no creep and easy tweaking  may differ with who is operating the gear and the actual load. As you suggested, it may come down to just trying them out myself.

I've heard the RRS BH-55 is fantastic, but many guys complain about it's weight. Perhaps they're hiking far, carrying multiple cameras/lens or have other physical issues like back problems.

I've heard the Markins Q20 is a fine silky-smooth ball head, but it may not be suitable for my specific physical limitations. Would love to hear if anyone disagrees. Not sure if it is available for retail in the U.S. 

Thanks much! 

[shadesofgray]

... The pano head is an excellent tool if you do any stitching.  At first, I was wary of the screw-mount that's necessary with the pano head, but the dove-tail screw mount works fine, even with gloves.

Hi Peter, Ah... I think this means that the pano clamp only is available with the screw-know and not with a lever clamp.

Thanks, I didn't realize that, but I just checked the catalog and you're right. 

[shadesofgray]

Thanks again, everyone, for your help.  It's difficult to decide, but your advice has helped me zero-in on two ball heads. I feel a bit fickle changing my mind as I learn new information. Perhaps some of you can relate.

At the moment, I'm favoring the Arca-Swiss Z1 and RRS BH-55. As good as the Burzynski sounds, the logistics (buying/returning) and the 45 degree limitation are factors against this ball head. Plus the other models have a few more niceties.

Here's a few things that are the main differentiators in my situation. I'd appreciate anyone's 2 cents, especially the items below that are underlined. Let me know if you beg to differ on any of these points.

Z1 Pros:

• Easier to lock down.
• Less chance of flop.
• Z1 is about .5 lb lighter.
• Issues of breakage with early versions of the Z1 have been fixed.
• Predecessor had lockup problems, but seems like it has been fixed with Z1.

Z1 Cons:

• Z1 could possibly rust if immersed in water. Or if living in a climate with salty air. See post at
  
  http://www.precisioncameraworks.com/Pages/monoball_core.html#anchorclean

BH-55 Pros:

• All rustproof components.
• No lockup problem that can't be corrected on the spot.

BH-55 Cons:

• It's about .5 lb heavier.
• Relative to Z1, more prone to flop.

Mostly I'm interested to know if the lockup and breakage problems with the Z1 have been fixed. Also, if the Z1 also still has steel or other components that could rust as mentioned in the link above.

Since I'm not considering the Burzynski at the moment, let me know if I should post this in a separate thread.

Thanks again!!! 

[marcmccalmont]

if weight is a factor I have always liked the Linhof Profi II I've found them as new on ebay for around $200
they will hold a lot of weight, will not creep and are lighter than the RRS BH-55, I use one on my hiking tripod
Marc

[ThomasPoeschmann]

Issues of breakage with early versions of the Z1 have been fixed.

Make sure you get one of the newer models. I use a Wimberley Sidekick rarely with my Z1.

Predecessor had lockup problems, but seems like it has been fixed with Z1.

I had a B1 before until it was stolen. It was one of the latest series and I only had it for ~1 year. It never locked up. But I was on a tour with a friend as his B1g locked up.

I now have a Z1 for 1.5 years and use it very often. I have two isses with it:
1) The panorama plate has a screw, this one could under very rare conditions slip under the panorama tension mechanism. In this case, the panorama rotation (on the bottom) slips one or two degrees when tightening. I had a call with Arca, got an immediate help on the phone: open pano tension, move the pano mechanism very fast a few times so that the small screw gets out of the way of the tension.
2) In very cold conditions (-10°C/14°F) the ballhead could move rough. It is not that smooth any longer even if friction has been openend completely. I also had this issue with my B1. However, it does not lock up, its just that you need a little more power and it stops rougher.

Z1 could possibly rust if immersed in water. Or if living in a climate with salty air.

I never heard this before, but notice that this website talks about a B1. You should ask Precision Cameraworks directly!

Honestly, I think that choosing between BH55 and Z1 is like choosing beween Canon and Nikon. For me as a european I am sure I will never buy complex RRS products (like ballheads and tripods) again. Thought I own a BH40 and are very satisfied with it, there is no repair service in Europe. A friend's BH55 that required service is currently stucked in US customs since 1 month now as to current terror warnings. I know RRS is a small company, and how they started, but in the end our globalized world is sometime not-so-globalized at all.

[shadesofgray]

if weight is a factor I have always liked the Linhof Profi II I've found them as new on ebay for around $200
they will hold a lot of weight, will not creep and are lighter than the RRS BH-55, I use one on my hiking tripod
Marc

Hi Marc,

That looks like another excellent ball head. We're fortunate to have so many good choices. It also makes it really difficult to pick just one. That's a very reasonable price. I'm surprised it's not more popular. Thanks for the suggestion. 

[shadesofgray]

I had a B1 before until it was stolen. It was one of the latest series and I only had it for ~1 year. It never locked up. But I was on a tour with a friend as his B1g locked up.

Hi Thomas, That's very unfortunate your B1 was stolen. 

I now have a Z1 for 1.5 years and use it very often. I have two isses with it:
1) The panorama plate has a screw, this one could under very rare conditions slip under the panorama tension mechanism. In this case, the panorama rotation (on the bottom) slips one or two degrees when tightening. I had a call with Arca, got an immediate help on the phone: open pano tension, move the pano mechanism very fast a few times so that the small screw gets out of the way of the tension.
2) In very cold conditions (-10°C/14°F) the ballhead could move rough. It is not that smooth any longer even if friction has been openend completely. I also had this issue with my B1. However, it does not lock up, its just that you need a little more power and it stops rougher.

It sounds like the Z1 is much improved over the B1. Thanks for the warning about the issues. I don't operate very well in cold weather either. 

Honestly, I think that choosing between BH55 and Z1 is like choosing beween Canon and Nikon. For me as a european I am sure I will never buy complex RRS products (like ballheads and tripods) again. Thought I own a BH40 and are very satisfied with it, there is no repair service in Europe. A friend's BH55 that required service is currently stucked in US customs since 1 month now as to current terror warnings. I know RRS is a small company, and how they started, but in the end our globalized world is sometime not-so-globalized at all.

You're probably right that the inconvenience and cost due to international support issues may outweigh the feature differences between ball heads. I had a similar concern with the Burzynski and the time and expense if it needed servicing. Though I really liked the integration of the head with the legs.

Thanks!