Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: Paul Sumi on July 24, 2009, 08:03:09 pm
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I'm looking to complement my Acratech V2 ballhead with a heavier ballhead for those times when ultimate stability is critical. I'm using Canon 1 series bodies and a variety of lenses, the heaviest being the 70-200 f/2.8L, all with Really Right Stuff plates.
I am 99% sold on the RRS BH-55 ballhead and leaning towards the lever clamp. This clamp has gotten great reviews, but I'd like to hear from people who have used this clamp for an extended time in cold, wet, heat, dust and general muck.
I've heard all the pro's - I really want to hear about the con's - any gripes, problems, weaknesses.
Thanks for any help!
Paul
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I'd like to hear from people who have used this clamp for an extended time in cold, wet, heat, dust and general muck.
That would be me, I guess!
I've used the RRS long lever clamp for about a year. I started out using it on the RRS ballhead, but soon switched it over to an Acratech GV2 (solely for weight reasons).
I shoot nature and find myself doing a fair bit of winter mountaineering. I've never had a hiccup with the lever head. I love how it will allow you to slide a plate back and forth when it is half open, but will prevent a plate with safety stops from completely coming out. Opening the lever all the way will allow you to drop or remove a camera or lens.
Works great for Canon, Sinar Hy6, Mamiya and Contax systems, different weights, lenses etc.
Two notes:
RRS cautions against some plates, as their dovetails aren't fully compatibile and could cause a "failure". We all know what that means. If your plates aren't RRS, check with them to be sure.
Be sure that the clamp is long enough to position, for example, a telephoto lens where you want it within the clamp. If you use safety stops, as I do, it means the range you can slide the plate in the clamp will be limited, so to avoid having to shoot with a slightly unbalanced rig, be sure your clamp is long enough.
Hope that helps,
-Brad
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That would be me, I guess!
I've used the RRS long lever clamp for about a year...
Brad, thanks for your reply, I was hoping to hear from someone like you. You say you have the "long" lever clamp, is this the one with the longer platform? If so, is there a special reason you got this version?
Thanks,
Paul
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Hi,
I have an Acratech Ultimate ballhead, too. I used to mix up the pan knob an the QR-knob far to many times, that is my major issue with the Acratech.
Nowadays I mostly use RRS BH-40 with lever type QR. I have only positive to say. RRS has a warning about using their lever type QR bases with some "Arca-type" adapters. I have only RRS and a few Acratech plates and never had an issue.
I'm thinking about retrofitting the Acratech with a lever type QR, but it's nothing you can do own your own.
Best regards
Erik
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I've used the lever clamp in very cold climate, in snow, under heavy rain and in dust environments. I've not had a single problem. When too much dust collected in the mechanism, I simply used a soft brush to remove it and put a very litlle drop of lubricant.
I managed to bend the shaft connected the lever, but the steel is quite soft and didn't break (tripod/ballhead went down with lever in the open position) and I could bend it back in place without any problem or tool.
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I'm thinking about retrofitting the Acratech with a lever type QR, but it's nothing you can do own your own.
Thanks for your info, Erik.
FWIW, I've heard a rumor that Acratech may be working on a lever QR clamp.
Best,
Paul
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I've used the lever clamp in very cold climate, in snow, under heavy rain and in dust environments. I've not had a single problem. When too much dust collected in the mechanism, I simply used a soft brush to remove it and put a very litlle drop of lubricant.
I managed to bend the shaft connected the lever, but the steel is quite soft and didn't break (tripod/ballhead went down with lever in the open position) and I could bend it back in place without any problem or tool.
Francois,
Thanks for your reply, and for relating the story about bending the shaft. I had wondered if the lever in open position could be damaged by dropping or impact and I have read scattered reports.
Paul
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I've been using RRS for a few years and have no cons to report. I have lens plates and L-plates(all RRS, save one), use the BH-55 on a tripod and the MH-01 on a monopod. All the while I've used nothing but the lever release and have never had a problem with the heaviest lens used on a regular basis is the 400 2.8 on the monopod covering sporting events.
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Francois,
Thanks for your reply, and for relating the story about bending the shaft. I had wondered if the lever in open position could be damaged by dropping or impact and I have read scattered reports.
Paul
Paul,
Now, you know! Since that mishap, I ordered a second lever clamp, just in case. FWIW, I shot for years without having any incident at all. I guess it's just a matter of "when" rather than "if".
I believe that a standard clamp (screw) would have been damaged too but probably harder to repair without tools.
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I've been using RRS for a few years and have no cons to report. I have lens plates and L-plates(all RRS, save one), use the BH-55 on a tripod and the MH-01 on a monopod. All the while I've used nothing but the lever release and have never had a problem with the heaviest lens used on a regular basis is the 400 2.8 on the monopod covering sporting events.
Keith, thanks for your information, particularly about the biggest lens you use with the clamp.
Paul
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Paul,
Now, you know! Since that mishap, I ordered a second lever clamp, just in case. FWIW, I shot for years without having any incident at all. I guess it's just a matter of "when" rather than "if".
So the RRS clamp can be changed in the field by the user? That would be a useful capability.
Paul
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I originally got the RRS B2AS II clamp to fit on top of my manfrotto tripod and ballhead. Once the cheap manfrotto ballhead seized up, it was replaced with the RRS BH-40. As far as compatibility goes, the leaver clamp plays nicely with a wimberly P-30 lens plate. Other than that I use RRS plates.
Getting to the dust and muck, I regularly take this tripod to the beach. Often a few stray grains of sand are blown onto the ballhead and clamp. This has caused no worries or problems for normal use. The ballead and clamp clean off rather easily. Once I dropped them directly into the sand. I didn't operate any of the mechanisms until properly cleaned to avoid grinding the sand into the smoothly functioning components. Again the sand cleaned off surprisingly quickly except in the lever's shaft. There is a stack of washers around the shaft (inside the clamp jaw) for precise spacing between the main clamp body and the leaver. It took me twenty minutes or so to make sure every grain of sand was removed. Once cleaned, it was as good as new. I love my RRS equipment, and am currently saving up for their pano-head.
Smith
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So the RRS clamp can be changed in the field by the user? That would be a useful capability.
Paul
If I remember correctly, the RRS clamp comes with a hex key and it's very easy to replace it.
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I managed to bend the steel pin that connects the lever to the clamp as well while transporting the unprotected tripod in my car, though it is easy to bend back with a pair of pliers. The bent pin would still clamp the plate tightly but would not release to the second (wide open) position. Since then I always cover the head with the protective pouch that came with the head when transporting the tripod. The upshot is, this would not be my preferred choice for very rough handling conditions, and probably no QR clamp is. But for normal use this clamp works very well.
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If I remember correctly, the RRS clamp comes with a hex key and it's very easy to replace it.
Yes ... quite easy. I have a Giotto ballhead on which I replaced the original clamp with a RRS clamp. I've taken it apart a couple times no problem.
I love the RRS clamps and plates, but I don't use anything bigger than the Nikon 70-200 VR on a D700.
No issues to report.
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Smith, apq65 and Jeremy,
Thanks all for your replies and information, it's all very helpful!
Paul
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I use the screw-knob as well as the PCL1 clamp, which is basically a screw-knob on a rotating base. I could not be happier. Small turn and no camera can fall out but you can easily slide it in or out. Why would you want to use the lever over the screw-knob?
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I use the screw-knob as well as the PCL1 clamp, which is basically a screw-knob on a rotating base. I could not be happier. Small turn and no camera can fall out but you can easily slide it in or out. Why would you want to use the lever over the screw-knob?
Hi Dustbak,
Ability to visually check that the clamp is securely closed, seems to be a bit quicker to operate. More compact when closed (no knob sticking out).
I'm not convinced one way or the other, but want to know what the pros/cons are.
Paul
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I purchased the BH-55 with the knob instead of the QR clamp for fear of the camera sliding off, etc.
About a year later I went ahead and changed to the clamp ... absolutely no regrets.
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Hi Dustbak,
Ability to visually check that the clamp is securely closed, seems to be a bit quicker to operate. More compact when closed (no knob sticking out).
I'm not convinced one way or the other, but want to know what the pros/cons are.
Paul
I use mine mainly with the H2F/CF combination. The knob stays nicely underneath the camera wich might encount for me not having trouble with it. I am quite adamant in making sure it is securely tightened. With the lever I always felt I might accidently open it but I guess that is also an assumption based on perception rather than a real possibility.
Wayne, why do you prefer the lever over the knob? I need to buy some plates anyway so I might also get a lever clamp to check it for myself but I always love to hear from people that have already tried various options.
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In 2+ years of using the lever clamp I never had the issue of the clamp opening unintentionally. There is a fair amount of resistance. The lever has the advantage of having two opening positions--in the second position, the plate can be placed into the clamp directly, without sliding in sideways. This is a particular advantage if you want to quickly change from landscape to portrait using an L plate on your camera. It takes maybe two seconds, even with a heavier lens. Apart from the potential of bending the bolt mentioned above, this is really an ingenious device coupled with precision manufacturing.
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Ditto to what has been said. I have the 60mm quick release clamp on a monopod with a Manfrotto 243 (just copes with a 40D and 400mm lens) and the 80mm on a Q3 and tripod which copes fine with anything I put on it. I don't look after them that well: they lie in the back of the car, get used in all conditions and sometimes get cleaned, and NEVER give any problems. I have the clamp part under the lens so I operate it with the left hand so when changing the camera from landscape to portrait, the 2 stage lever gives good feedback and is fast enough that my eye hardly leaves the viewfinder.
I like the longer plate in particular in case I get very cold and get confused and take the lever to the half open position without supporting the camera properly (which has happened more than once), the camera is still held securely.
David
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The only con I can think of (and have actually encountered) is that when using 1-series bodies and lenses with their own L-plates (such as the 70-200), the bottom of the 1-series body can block the lever when attempting to open or shut the lever. This would only happen if positioning the lever on the "left side" -- i.e., the side on which the IS on/off, AF/MF, etc. switches are for the lens. I prefer to use the lever on the left side, because I often hold the camera in my right hand and operate the lever with my left hand. You can minimize the issue by positioning the lens a little farther back, so that the front part of the lens plate sits in the clamp; this offers a bit more clearance. There are other workarounds and ways to minimize this issue.
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The only con I can think of (and have actually encountered) is that when using 1-series bodies and lenses with their own L-plates (such as the 70-200), the bottom of the 1-series body can block the lever when attempting to open or shut the lever. This would only happen if positioning the lever on the "left side" -- i.e., the side on which the IS on/off, AF/MF, etc. switches are for the lens. I prefer to use the lever on the left side, because I often hold the camera in my right hand and operate the lever with my left hand. You can minimize the issue by positioning the lens a little farther back, so that the front part of the lens plate sits in the clamp; this offers a bit more clearance. There are other workarounds and ways to minimize this issue.
I have discovered the same thing Eric.
I use both. I prefer the QR clamp at us it most of the time.
I switch clamps if I'm using my Sidekick with the BH-55.
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I have discovered the same thing Eric.
Eric and Dave, thanks for that little tidbit of information. I'll have to borrow a local friend's BH-55 with lever clamp to see whether this is a problem for me or not.
Paul
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I like the longer plate in particular in case I get very cold and get confused and take the lever to the half open position without supporting the camera properly (which has happened more than once), the camera is still held securely.
David
David, other that the confusion issue , does the longer clamp add significantly more security in normal use?
Thanks,
Paul
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I'll put in another vote for the lever release RRS Clamp - got one perched on a Markins N20 ballhead.
I have the lever oriented in front of the camera body so it's a push/pull operation to disengage the L-bracket on my D300. Clamps plenty tight even with the 14-24/2.8 Nikor which is pretty heavy - use a foot RRS plate on the 70-200 VR and swing the ballhead over on its side as a pseudo-gimbal mount. Sweeeeet!
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Wayne, why do you prefer the lever over the knob? I need to buy some plates anyway so I might also get a lever clamp to check it for myself but I always love to hear from people that have already tried various options.
I use the RRS L bracket for all of my cameras, including the H1. I like the lever because it's faster to switch back and forth between horizontal and vertical. I was worried about how secure the camera would be, but haven't ever had a problem.
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If so, is there a special reason you got this version?
Yup, I mention this briefly in the last sentence of my initial reply.
To explain further, I have found that with a short clamp, and a telephoto lens, the system can be front-heavy (eg. 300/2.8), which requires sliding the lens foot further and further back in the clamp to get the system balanced. I have often found myself in a situation where the majority of the foot was sticking out of the clamp--I decided that for better safety and vibration dampening that I wanted a longer clamp.
If this hasn't occurred with the type of shooting you do, I'd ignore this and go for the standard length clamp.
Best regards,
-Brad
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<double-post removed>
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I use my Acratech V2 ballhead with all my cameras. The 70-200 is a bigger lens then I usually use but for anyone that has tried this and the RRS head, is stability and sharpness much improved?
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I use my Acratech V2 ballhead with all my cameras. The 70-200 is a bigger lens then I usually use for for anyone that has tried this and the RRS head, is stability and sharpness much improved?
MarkL,
I'll be able to tell you shortly. I just ordered a RRS BH-55 with screw knob clamp and I own an Acratech V2. The V2 will now become my backup and hiking balllhead.
I've been very happy with the V2 when using Canon 1 series bodies and the 70-200 f/2.8L IS. The only issue is a small one - with heavier lenses there is a tiny but perceptible amount of ballhead "creep." That is, the lens would dip a tiny amount after tightening the controls.
Paul
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David, other that the confusion issue , does the longer clamp add significantly more security in normal use?
Thanks,
Paul
I don't think so, it just feels like it does. But it does give more options when attached to a telephoto (see Brad's post above)
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MarkL,
I'll be able to tell you shortly. I just ordered a RRS BH-55 with screw knob clamp and I own an Acratech V2. The V2 will now become my backup and hiking balllhead.
I've been very happy with the V2 when using Canon 1 series bodies and the 70-200 f/2.8L IS. The only issue is a small one - with heavier lenses there is a tiny but perceptible amount of ballhead "creep." That is, the lens would dip a tiny amount after tightening the controls.
Paul
If you could do some comparison shots that would be much appreciated!
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The RRS BH55 PCL offers only the screw-type clamp. Other than being slower to load and unload the dovetail, are there any other disadvantages to the screw clamp? It seems to protrude more than the lever type, and might be a little easier to use with gloves.
I love the panning capability of the PCL head, but don't want to hate the screw clamp.
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The RRS BH55 PCL offers only the screw-type clamp. Other than being slower to load and unload the dovetail, are there any other disadvantages to the screw clamp? It seems to protrude more than the lever type, and might be a little easier to use with gloves.
I love the panning capability of the PCL head, but don't want to hate the screw clamp.
I use the BH-40 with the PCL-1
I find the BH40 strong enough- only there is little space for the levers to turn because it is so compact.
Doing architecture I find the PCL1 very nice to work with- just put it level and you are done! and the RR levels are precise; usually my photos are within 0,3 degrees from level.
I can imagine the camera might drop when you work ( too) fast- but it is just a matter learning the right behaviour and it will never happen.
Just let the camera go after you are convinced it is secure- that is all.
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The RRS BH55 PCL offers only the screw-type clamp. Other than being slower to load and unload the dovetail, are there any other disadvantages to the screw clamp? It seems to protrude more than the lever type, and might be a little easier to use with gloves.
I love the panning capability of the PCL head, but don't want to hate the screw clamp.
I use the PCL-1. I really like it. The screw is large and does protrude making it easy to grab even with gloves. The knob gives a true feeling of sturdiness . For my H body it might even protrude a bit more so I can grab it even more easily. The things I noticed are; I should not have the screw-knob at the front side of the body since it will touch (or almost touch) 'fat lenses'. The marking of aligning the L-bracket with the PCL-1 should also be on the outerside of the PCL-1 or a bit better readable. Especially with larger bodies it is quite hard to see. The only time you really want this is when doing pano's. Besides mentioned points I have not found things I don't like. I have been using the thing for almost 2 years now.
I use the PCL-1 on top of my Burzsynski head which is a lovely combination but not always ideal to set level quickly. This is why I am looking into trying another head. (Cube, 405,401 or something like that. Not sure yet which).
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I replaced the screw-type clamp on my Arca-Swiss Z1 with the RRS lever clamp. Could not be happier. I have now used it for over a year now and have had nothing but positive things to say about it.
After having used the lever-type "Quick Release" clamp, for the world of me I can't figure out why they call the screw-type clamp as a "quick release" clamp.....should call it a "slow release" clamp, in reality.
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I use my Acratech V2 ballhead with all my cameras. The 70-200 is a bigger lens then I usually use but for anyone that has tried this and the RRS head, is stability and sharpness much improved?
MarkL,
I'll be able to tell you shortly. I just ordered a RRS BH-55 with screw knob clamp and I own an Acratech V2. The V2 will now become my backup and hiking balllhead.
If you could do some comparison shots that would be much appreciated!
Part 1 of 3
MarkL,
I did a quick and dirty comparison today between the Acratech V2 and RRS BH-55 ballheads.
I used a Gitzo 1348 carbon fiber tripod with Canon 1Ds Mark 2, and 70-200 f/2.8 L IS with 1.4x teleconvertor. The teleconvertor was used to increase magnification and the maximum focal length to 280mm to hopefully make any differences more obvious.
The camera was set to manual and I used Singh-Ray's Vari-ND filter to to maintain the same shutter speed (1/15th sec) and aperture (f/8). I used MLU and 2 sec delay for all shots.
The attached image shows the site where the test was conducted. The reddish square shows the area shown in the cropped images to follow in the next messages.
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Part 2 of 3
Continued
These next two images are of my control shot, full frame (left) and cropped (right). This was shot at f/8 at 1/250 sec on the tripod using the RRS ballhead. Again, the reddish square shows the area in the cropped images.
All RAWs were processed in Phase One Capture 1 Pro v4.81 as 300 PPI, 16 bit tiffs in Prophoto color space. The cropped frames were NOT sharpened in Photoshop, and were saved as 8 bit JPGs in sRGB.
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Part 3 of 3
Continued
Finally, here are my 100% crops of the RRS BH-55 (left) and Acratech V2 (right). Camera settings for all were f/8 at 1/15 sec using the Singh-Ray Vari-ND to balance the exposure.
If you look carefully, the RRS crop looks a little sharper IMO, but the difference is pretty hard to see. I suspect that any differences would be more apparent with longer teles, longer exposures or perhaps higher resolution sensors.
Under these fairly benign test conditions, there seems very little difference between the two. However there is more to these ballheads than just stability.
Operationally I found the RRS ballhead to be much easier than the Acratech to set precisely. For example, I centered the lens on the same spot for all captures. Using the Acratech, the lens would droop very slightly after I tightened the controls and I would have to compensate for that. With the RRS there was no droop; tighten the controls and the lens didn't move at all.
At this point I am going to keep the Acratech V2 and use it for my hiking and backup ballhead. But the RRS will be my primary ballhead for those times when maximum stability counts and weight is not a factor.
Hope this helps,
Paul
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unless you plan to use RRS (and/or Wimberley) plates exclusively with your
RRS lever-release clamps, you may have potential compatibility issues with
plates from other brands ... per the following note: LINK (http://reallyrightstuff.com/QR/03.html#LRwarning)
for various reasons i use a mix of plates from both RRS and Kirk. thus went
the screw-knob route for my RRS clamps. so far, no complaints nor regrets.
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Many thanks for the comparison Paul. Given the lenses I use, I'm happy I'm not giving up much sticking with the acratech v2 and it's low weight.
I never had the drooping problem even with my RB67 with 180mm but the tripod mount location always made for good balance.
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Many thanks for the comparison Paul. Given the lenses I use, I'm happy I'm not giving up much sticking with the acratech v2 and it's low weight.
Glad that I could be of help. The V2 is a very good ballhead and mine has given me a lot of good use.
Best,
Paul
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I use the screw-knob as well as the PCL1 clamp, which is basically a screw-knob on a rotating base. I could not be happier. Small turn and no camera can fall out but you can easily slide it in or out. Why would you want to use the lever over the screw-knob?
Personally, because I tried the old "slide out and back in from the side" trick as a means to avoid unscrewing the clamp completely to pull the camera out from the top.
I thought when securing the camera... TWICE... that it was in, when it wasn't. I realized the temptation to save 3 seconds and a couple screw rotations was too high, and after bobbling and catching the camera like this the second time, I opted for the lever clamp which is so fast it removes this temptation.
A $150 investment to save a $10K mistake... worth it to me.
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Small turn and no camera can fall out but you can easily slide it in or out. Why would you want to use the lever over the screw-knob?
The lever has two open positions: one that lets you slide stuff in/out, and the second all-the-way open position that lets you drop something in. I find it much more convenient, and also easier to know for sure if the camera is really secure or not.