Uniqball ... how does it work?

[KirbyKrieger]

I'm having trouble wrapping my ossified headpart around the double-ball featured in the front page review.  How does it work?  The Uniqball site refers to a "built-in limiting mechanism"* that constrains movement of the inner ball to pan and tilt (it forbids roll).  How?

*Taken from the 3D Simulator page (http://www.uniqball.com/3d_simulator)

Bonus: what is the best way to use for recording exposures to be combined into panoramas or grids?  The Uniqball site says (on the FAQ page) "If you set the horizontal plane on the leveling base, you can make a panoramic image by rotating your camera around the vertical axis of the inner ball.".  What does this mean?  Rotate using the inner ball's pan faculty while manually keeping the tilt the same?

(Added) Bonus 2: what purpose does the panning mechanism on the "45" serve?

Thanks.

[AJSJones]

Took me a little while to figure it out, too!  The inner "ball" isn't really a ball and can only pan in a horizontal plane and "tilt up and down" - it can no longer roll (tilt "side to side") - so the horizon level in the camera will always read "horizontal" even if the camera points "up" or "down".

The examples on the manufacturer's site and the B&H pictures do not show the panning clamp on the top of the unit, like the one shown in the article.  If you want to make a pano stitch by horizontal panning, it seems as though you need to 1) level the base and 2) level the clamp using the levels on the top and then 3) loosen the friction to allow the inner "ball" some panning motion - it's not clear to me if you can get it to allow only panning without also allowing simultaneous up and down (that would be undesirable for a pano stitch).  Perhaps that's why Nick's photo has a panning clamp on the top as well - it would make the pano-stitching option easy, but only uses the "leveling base" part of the UniqBall's capability - you would have to level the base, level the clamp then loosen the panning control and pan normally (i.e., without moving the inner ball at all).  Did I get that right? 

The UniqBall comes into its own presumably when you need to be able to pan and have up and down motion freedom (mimicking a gimbal for example for BIF?) but want to ensure you stay "horizontal".  So with a panning clamp on top, the unit can be either a gimbal-like device (panning clamp staying horizontal no matter what vertical angle) or a pano-stitching clamp - depending on the need at the time.  I'm interested because I already have a panning clamp and could dispose of many other bits and pieces I've accumulated for "gimbal" operations or pano stitching and simplify the bag a lot:D

[LesPalenik]

Thanks, Nick for reporting on this interesting product.
Watching the video by Andy Rouse in the provided link helps to visualize the typical use for this ball head. I found another useful video by Steven Kersting of SharpShooter Industries. His attire is not as spectacular as Andy's, but he provides more technical information, including demonstration of add-on Novoflex short and long rails and also an L-plate.

To answer Kirby's question, Steven says that although you can do panoramas with the Uniqball, it is not the most ideal setup for this application.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9pCP7jr91w

[AJSJones]

Thanks for that link, Les.  Indeed a more comprehensive evaluation of pros and cons for different purposes than Andy Rouse's birding application.  He confirms the need for an independent panning clamp for pano stitching (and the benefit of a nodal rail for that application and balance in general).  I have always preferred an L-bracket to get portrait mode (I hate the flop method:D) so with L-bracket, nodal rail and panning clamp (all of which I already have) I will be able to do almost everything with the UniqBall as my only head: regular landscape, pano stitch and gimbal for medium-long lenses (I no longer use the very heavy ones). With all reviewers noting the smoothness of the pan/tilt motion, I might even contemplate trying video:D

[Ian Anderson]

I bought the UBH 45 a few months back and am very pleased with it.  The only negative is that tightening the inner ball moves the camera up a bit.  It's predictable and you get used to it, but other than that, I love the head.  It's well-built and has survived beatings in my trunk, a fall, and most recently, heavy salt spray while shooting waves on the beach. 

The leveling feature is brilliant and works very well for all applications.  I shoot architecture as well as nature, and need level shots.  Also, for quick shots, locking the inner ball and just using the outer ball works quite well.  As for the accessories, I took photos of all of the configurations:

Uniqball Facebook page - click through the whole album to see the configurations

The gimbal option works well, but my tripod is too short to use it effectively.  Also, with a 1D X + 300 f/2.8 + 2x, it won't fall over, even if the ball drops all of the way,

Finally, with RRS pano head, it works extremely well and is extremely easy to work with.  Here's a quick pano I took while trying it out for the first time:


When I went to stitch, the photos were perfectly level!

I'll stop rambling, but unless you need a gimbal (600 / 800mm stationary shooters) or a precision head (Cube or other geared head), I can say it really is a ideal solution for most shooting situations.

[OldRoy]

If there's something I don't understand I'm open to enlightenment. Every time a thread that involves stitching arises someone mentions the requirement for "perfect levelling" when shooting. This puzzles me. When stitching, every pixel is remapped. In the case of the application I've been using for years, PTGUI, there's the capacity to adjust the geometry of the stitched composite image - including, obviously, the horizontal component: ie levelling. I'd assume all other stitching applications have the same functionality. So what's all the concern, again, with levelling when shooting?

As for the product itself, it looks like yet another solution looking for a problem.
Roy

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

If there's something I don't understand I'm open to enlightenment. Every time a thread that involves stitching arises someone mentions the requirement for "perfect levelling" when shooting. This puzzles me. When stitching, every pixel is remapped. In the case of the application I've been using for years, PTGUI, there's the capacity to adjust the geometry of the stitched composite image - including, obviously, the horizontal component: ie levelling. I'd assume all other stitching applications have the same functionality. So what's all the concern, again, with levelling when shooting?

Hi,

That's correct. Perfect leveling is not a strict requirement, unless one wants an image with the horizon in the middle of the vertical FoV. Approximating a leveled shooting setup and then adding pitch will work just as well. When one gets too much roll in the image, one may need to crop a bit more of the vertical FoV, so that's the only benefit of leveling, less cropping, especially on very wide panos.

Cheers,
Bart

[Ian Anderson]

If there's something I don't understand I'm open to enlightenment. Every time a thread that involves stitching arises someone mentions the requirement for "perfect levelling" when shooting. This puzzles me. When stitching, every pixel is remapped. In the case of the application I've been using for years, PTGUI, there's the capacity to adjust the geometry of the stitched composite image - including, obviously, the horizontal component: ie levelling. I'd assume all other stitching applications have the same functionality. So what's all the concern, again, with levelling when shooting?

As for the product itself, it looks like yet another solution looking for a problem.
Roy

Bart answered this well, but I'll add a little bit.  For single-row panos like this one (just a test shot BTW) if the rotation isn't level, you end up with a stitched set of shots that's at an angle, or in an arc depending on what isn't level.  The problem with that is the shot then has to be cropped and you end up cutting off the top and the bottom. Sometimes this is severe to the point where the shot is unusable because key parts of the composition are cut off from the shot.  Obviously you always want to leave some room at the top and bottom of any pano for cropping, but sometimes you don't have that luxury, particularly with real estate/architectural work where your back is against the wall.

Also on the last statement - if you've ever tried to use a big telephoto lens (i.e. 200mm f/2 or larger) on a ballhead, you probably understand why it doesn't work well and can tip over your tripod.  Additionally, when you're tracking birds in flight or other animals, cars, etc. by panning the big lens only to end up with a crooked horizon, you would also see a benefit here.  The solution is a gimbal, but that ends up being bulky & heavy, plus it's not practical for use without collared lenses and simple landscape shots.  So before Uniqball, the solution, if you wanted to shoot landscapes and wildlife, for example, was to bring both a gimbal and a ballhead, which was a real pain.  The Uniqball isn't perfect, but it's an extremely good compromise that replaces a leveling base, gimbal, and ballhead all at once.  

So if you just shoot with big lenses, a gimbal (with leveling base) is best, and if you just shoot landscapes and general purpose stuff, a ballhead and going to work very well.  If you want to shoot both, however, the Uniqball is definitely a great solution.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I've always used a rather inexpensive solution to tripod leveling:  a Stanley dual spirit bubble level that fits right on the head of the tripod ball.  I can get this leveled in less than five seconds and then pop the camera on and am ready to shoot.  There are a bunch of small dual and triple axis spirit levels that will plug into the hot shoe of your camera and could do the same thing though I've not tried any of those.

I do like the Uniqball solution and am considering purchase.

Alan

[AlfSollund]

I still dont get this. In many photos of this head the upper base is NOT level. So whats the point? Assuming you get the base level you only need a rotational base on top, not another ball that un-level the first? In fact this solution only introduces another error source in terms of less stabilty.

Sorry, please just credit me for being a bit slow 

[ndevlin]

Once the bottom ball is locked level, the upper ball (ie: the main head) cannot go out of level.  It can rotate anywhere on a 360 degree basis that remains level to the set horizon. 

Remember, level doesn't mean FLAT to the horizon, it could mean tilted up or down based on your framing of the shot. 

Dual-axis 'levelness' is a pano thing.

- N.

[Isaac]

I've always used a rather inexpensive solution to tripod leveling:  a Stanley dual spirit bubble level that fits right on the head of the tripod ball.

$3.47 Cross-Check Level from Home Depot or Lowes or … ;-)

[AlfSollund]

Once the bottom ball is locked level, the upper ball (ie: the main head) cannot go out of level.  It can rotate anywhere on a 360 degree basis that remains level to the set horizon. 

Remember, level doesn't mean FLAT to the horizon, it could mean tilted up or down based on your framing of the shot. 

Dual-axis 'levelness' is a pano thing.

- N.

Thanks,

then the upper ball is not a ball, but a rotatinal base. It has a "arm" that allows more instabilty. A rotatinal base can be purchased and mounted on top of a ordinary ball head and would probably be more stable.

[Torbjörn Tapani]

Alf, it can be pointed up/down and rotate. But not tilt out of level with horizon. It's not the same as a panning clamp on a regular ballhead.

Speaking of that I think the fixed direction of the clamp is less than ideal. Ok for a lens foot but not great for a L bracket. So I asked them today. Early next year they will offer a panning clamp to replace the fixed quick release.

[AJSJones]

. Early next year they will offer a panning clamp to replace the fixed quick release.

Like the one in the article:D
It would be nice if they offered it without any clamp, too, so we can add our own one of we already have it.