Really Right Stuff

[Robert DeCandido PhD]

OK I will chime in again: RRS is overpriced; overhyped; and seems to be worshiped by some (many) on obscure photo listservs. But really, a ballhead is a ballhead and most anyone can make even a lousy one work in one's favor...so long as it does not break in use!

I find the rrs owner's politics, at least as practiced in California, reprehensible - how can any person spend money to limit the rights of a group of people simply because of sexual orientation? What year is this?

And yes their ballhead came apart in my hands - almost ruining a 500mm Canon lens that I fortunately caught before it hit the ground. They were nice enough to acknowledge there was a problem with some of their heads when I pressed them via phone...they were not nice enough to apologize; offer to cover shipping expenses either way...or fix the problem sans charge - a problem they knew about but failed to alert their loyal customer base about...Remember it was their product that failed in normal use!

I never had a problem with a ballhead before my BH-55 experience...and given the owner of the company's politics, I refuse to buy RRS...Yes I vote with my feet and my money.

Really Right Stuff needs the negative feedback more than the good stuff...that way they can make a change for the better.

By the way, greetings from New Zealand...and my Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and Kirk (small) ballhead are doing great! I can go back to lighter tripods/heads with the new mirrorless cameras (Sony A9 and A7R4) and lighter long lenses as well.

Robert DeCandido MS PhD
NYC

[Martin Kristiansen]

I inherited a RRS ball head on a Gitzo Carbon Fibre tripod from a friend of mine. It’s a lovely head but to be honest I think I prefer using my Sirui. I like the look of the RRS but in use it’s just another ball head. I have Manfrotto, Gitzo, Kirk and Sirui ball heads. They all work and don’t give any trouble. They endure hard commercial work and travel and hiking. Can’t comment on RRS tripods, never used one. Currently I use Manfrotto, Gitzo, Sirui and Benro. My current favorite is the Benro which weirdly is very reasonably priced. Oh I also have a Rollei tripod and head.

Perhaps I should get rid of a few tripods now that I think about it.

[Rand47]

All the more reason not to. If they aimed their gun-related stuff to hunters, OK. But a sniper is a person who kills people from a distance. So someone will use RRS gear to conduct a mass killing. Whoopie. RRS is off my list.

So, if say... you make knife sharpeners and your target customer is executive chefs in fancy restaurants, but they become popular with “slashers” and there are posts on the “Slashers.com” web site touting how good these knife sharpeners are.... well, you “should” get the point, but I’ll bet money you don’t.

Rand

[mistymoon]

So, if say... you make knife sharpeners and your target customer is executive chefs in fancy restaurants, but they become popular with “slashers” and there are posts on the “Slashers.com” web site touting how good these knife sharpeners are.... well, you “should” get the point, but I’ll bet money you don’t.

Rand

One is real and one is fantasy. I am SO sick of the perverted obsession with guns. I will be less likely to buy from RRS in the future.

[Kevin Sholder]

Peter,

Thank you for the timely topic, as I'm also considering a new tripod purchase and have narrowed it down to RSS and Robus Supports.  I'm leaning toward Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 at this point as the specs are pretty much identical as the RSS version, but several $$$ less expensive and they get outstanding reviews.  The down side is they do not have any heads, so I'll have to purchase a ball head from another vendor.  I'm looking at RSS and Kirkphoto which is also American made and again, great reviews and $$$ less expensive.  They have L brackets that allow access to battery and remote release compartments as well.  I'd just love to get my hands on it before I purchase.

My hang up is I'm so used to a center column and am in quandary about the need for a center column or not.  I understand the pros and cons or having or not having one, and if I've got a 70" set of legs, is there really a need for it.  I've been using a center column since 1985, so the thought of having to move the legs for an inch or so adjustment frankly scares me.  But hey, sometimes you just have to jump in and believe in what your doing.

Kevin

[John Hollenberg]

So, if say... you make knife sharpeners and your target customer is executive chefs in fancy restaurants, but they become popular with “slashers” and there are posts on the “Slashers.com” web site touting how good these knife sharpeners are.... well, you “should” get the point, but I’ll bet money you don’t.

Actually, the correct comparison is if you made knives for chefs and found that "slashers" had an interest in them and then went about providing specially designed knives that would appeal to "slashers" but not be useful for chefs.  RRS makes chassis specific rifle mounts which would not apply to the type of "shooting" that photographers do:  https://soar.reallyrightstuff.com/soar-plates/chassis-specific

That said, I own a number of RRS L-plates, a couple of ball heads and have never had any problems with them.  In spite of their politics I plan to continue buying from them. Now if they started making products that specifically targeted school shooters looking to maximize their number of kills...

On the other hand, I will never do business with Hobby Lobby or Chick-Fil-A.

[PeterAit]

So, if say... you make knife sharpeners and your target customer is executive chefs in fancy restaurants, but they become popular with “slashers” and there are posts on the “Slashers.com” web site touting how good these knife sharpeners are.... well, you “should” get the point, but I’ll bet money you don’t.

Rand

It's a non-point. No one has ever committed mass murder with a knife.

[Jeremy Roussak]

If I see one more irrelevant political post in this thread, I will shut it down. Discuss RRS's politics, if you really must, in the Coffee Corner.

Jeremy

[RobertJ]

The Gitzo systematic 5 series tripods are the best, IMO.  I wouldn't use anything else.  Really Right Stuff, at times, seems like they're out of business.  Their products go out of stock for 6 months at a time sometimes.  It's very strange.  With Gitzo, you have a complete system that is always available.

I have an RRS BH55 that is 11 or 12 (or 13?) years old, and it still works the same as it did the very first day I received it.  I can't imagine it "breaking."  However, it is JUST a ball head.  It's nothing special.

I tend to use my Manfrotto 229 pan/tilt head nowadays, but the best ball heads in the world are the FLM ball heads.  I have the 48 and 58 variety, with Kirk clamps permanently attached with red Loctite on big 3/8 inch studs.  If you've never used an FLM ball head, you need to try one before you even consider a BH55.

The FLM 48 is much smaller than the BH55, including the ball, but if you just turn the lock knob a few turns to the right, you can tell the FLM is many many times stronger than the BH55.  You also have smoother control with the FLM, where the BH55 is "sticky" instead of smooth.

The FLM 58 is in another dimension.  But even the best ball head in the world is still just a ball head.  I now prefer pan/tilt heads and am looking towards a geared head.

If you were just asking about tripod legs, I apologize for my rant about ball heads.  Good luck!

[Rand47]

It's a non-point. No one has ever committed mass murder with a knife.

Don’t want to get this thread closed for stupidity, but you are “history deficient” even recent history deficient.  Ever hear of the Rwanda genocide?  Besides which, the logic of this response is seriously flawed. 

Sorry J.,  I just could not let this affront to simple logic stand, as is.  I promise to not even look at this thread further or respond.  Don’t nuke the thread on my account.

Rand

[Jeremy Roussak]

Sorry J.,  I just could not let this affront to simple logic stand, as is.  I promise to not even look at this thread further or respond.  Don’t nuke the thread on my account.

I'll allow it; but no replies in this thread.

Jeremy

[Lightsmith]

[inflammatory post deleted and thread locked by moderator]