Tripod head recommendations

[Nill Toulme]

I love my RRS BH-55 and BH-40, but for very precise and deliberate framing/alignment/adjustment, I switch to my Manfrotto 410.

Nill

[Graham Mitchell]

Another happy Arca Swiss Z1 user here.

[joern_kiel]

Arca Swiss C1 Cube.
Expensive? Yes, at first look.
By far the best tripod head i´ve ever used.

[BJNY]

I will probably buy the Arca-Swiss Z1,
but don't understand why the panning lock is a teardrop lever that swings below the bottom level?
This is a problem especially when used in conjunction with a ground plate.

[Jack Flesher]

Arca Swiss C1 Cube.
Expensive? Yes, at first look.
By far the best tripod head i´ve ever used.

Amen. And once you use it you'll never go back to anything else

[asf]

if you'll pay the prices of a mfdb, the cost of the c1 is inconsequential

it is a joy every time i use it

[erick.boileau]

Nope, the L-Plate stays on my H body all the time. I have put it on last year and just left it on since.

I have a L plate on H body too

[jmvdigital]

Wow, I'd never seen the C1 before. Pretty neat little contraption. It looks to be a bit clunky and ungraceful compared to a traditional geared head though. Is it just for precise studio and landscape work? I can't really see using it everyday on street and what not.

No matter, it's out of my price range. $2400 is consequential to me, ESPECIALLY since I invested so much so recently in my mfdb. Right now, my photography is more a labor of love than a high-paying career, but I'm getting there.

-J

[asf]

clunky and ungraceful? maybe you should see one in person

didn't realize they were $2400 now, got mine when they were $1500

[Tim Gray]

I love my RRS BH-55 and BH-40, but for very precise and deliberate framing/alignment/adjustment, I switch to my Manfrotto 410.

Nill

I have a soft spot for the Manfrotto (but use a Markins)  I'd get a Manfrotto if they had a geared 3 way head without their clamping mechanism, I'm not in love with the idea of attaching one QR to another.

[Jack Flesher]

It looks to be a bit clunky and ungraceful compared to a traditional geared head though.

It is anything but clunky and ungraceful, exactly the opposite.

Is it just for precise studio and landscape work? I can't really see using it everyday on street and what not.

It is useful any time you want to level your camera quickly and perfectly, while also being able to make fine tune adjustments either to the horizontal or vertical axis without affecting the other one, all with no time wasted locking or unlocking anything; dial it in and you're done.  In use, it is as close to perfection as you can get for a tripod head...

~~~

[MarkKay]

I agree with Jack. I have the Cube and a BH-55.  If you are trying to shoot something that is going to be moving around, the cube is not the best choice but for landscapes, macro, buildings etc-- great choice.

I do have one comment mentioned by a poster above--- re:   ballhead freezing in cold weather.  I did have my BH-55 freeze once while in the mountains of Colorado so even that particular model is not immune from such occurrences.

It is anything but clunky and ungraceful, exactly the opposite.


It is useful any time you want to level your camera quickly and perfectly, while also being able to make fine tune adjustments either to the horizontal or vertical axis without affecting the other one, all with no time wasted locking or unlocking anything; dial it in and you're done.  In use, it is as close to perfection as you can get for a tripod head...

~~~

[jmvdigital]

The C1 does look tempting. I'll have to keep an eye out to see it in person.

In the meantime, my BH-55 came yesterday. Holy crap, it's on a whole other level than the Gitzo. The Gitzo feels like a $50 Bogen in comparison, and I thought it was a splurge at $350 something when I got it. The RRS ball has fantastic smoothness-- the knobs and build quality in general feels very precise and worth the cost.

I ordered it with the PCL rotator on top of the ball head (no QR), and got the short nodal rail and L-bracket to start with. They say the short rail is good for primes, which I'm obviously shooting. Anyone find a need for the longer rail with Mamiya lenses? Eventually I'll upgrade to the full Omni Pro package.

-J

[Jack Flesher]

Eventually I'll upgrade to the full Omni Pro package.

-J

Justin, PM me --- I have the "rest" of the Omni Pro package you need sitting unused in my camera cabinet and I'd be happy to make you a deal on it.  Basically it is the OmniPro package missing one PCL: so from the bottom up, it includes the base rail, 90-degree vertical rail, upper PCL, and long sliding clamp rail all in the RRS pouch.

Sidebar note: The Cube's pivots are nodal to the clamp at the top of the head.  For the rare occasion I need to do a multi-row pano, I find it is "close enough" to accommodate my needs and thus no longer use the Omni-pro parts.  

Jack

[geesbert]

food for thought:

Arca cube review

[asf]

interesting review

have to say my experience is entirely different. i've used mine for years in all kinds of situations, never had one bit of trouble or fiddlyness.
much faster and more precise than the 410. that said there's nothing really wrong with the 410 either.

[Kumar]

I use the Manfrotto 405 with a Sinar and a Betterlight scanback. Rock solid and a pleasure to use, even in the cold with gloved hands.

Kumar

[David WM]

Nope, the L-Plate stays on my H body all the time. I have put it on last year and just left it on since.

When I looked into an L plate for my H1 I had the impression that you lose the use of the flash synch plug ..... is that your experience?

David

[BJNY]

David,

That's not the case at all (with my RRS),
especially if one mounts the L-bracket
further away from the side of the camera body.
That's my preference because the bracket then acts as a grip
like how it is with a Pentax 6x7 with its wooden grip.

Otherwise, a hotshoe to PC adapter is another solution

Billy

[Dustbak]

When I looked into an L plate for my H1 I had the impression that you lose the use of the flash synch plug ..... is that your experience?

David

Nope, you don't however.....


If you use a sync cable you have somewhat of a problem. It doesn't fit really well especially when the bracket is already fitted. If not you can fit the sync underneath the L-Bracket but in that case you have to unmount it before taking the cable of again. If RRS would have made a small dent in the bracket at the appropriate places it would have been ideal. Now, it works but I find it not optimal.

Anyway, in my case it became a lesser issue because now I use the Elinchrom skyport (of which I have 2) so it will be really an exception when I do use a sync cable.

Mounting the bracket further away from the body is not something I personally would like to do. I prefer to have it tight against the body so it is the sturdiest and keeps the whole package as small as possible.