a good ballhead for Tilt shift lens

[geesbert]

I am making 90% of my income shooting food with a tripod mounted Canon with a 90tse. for years I was nearly happy with the manfrotto 410, accepting a little wobble due to the design, but couldn't be bothered with a 405 or even a 400. When the Arca cube was released I was intrigued, but for four reasons didn't buy it:

1.) too expensive, it was more than 2000€, but now it is closer to 1300 for their anniversary. at that time I couldn't see a 2000€ tripod head being a good investment

2.) the knobs where too little, didn't feel comfortable with that

3.) the arca clamp is not very well designed

4.) not enough information could be found at that time (arca still has no website, I am refusing to buy a modern product that doesn't give me any kind of online information or support)

then multiclam ripped off arca's design with the multiflex, but improved on a few pieces like knob design and quick clamp, is was way cheaper then the arca and they even have a website!

delivery took less than 37 hours from Korea to Munich, but then it was stuck in customs for 10 days....

I bought a Gitzo 3541xls with a geared column for it and that setup really rocks. it is reasonably light, it is rock solid, goes up to more than 2m, and it is a pleasure to use. if you're working often from a tripod, it really is worth forking out for the best, I spend too much money and time on too many manfrotto and other maker's tripods and tripod heads (I must have up to ten tripods).

my recommendations:

tripod:             Gitzo
geared head:   Multiflex
Ballhead:         RRS


anything less is not worth the savings

[erick.boileau]

I am already having a Gitzo  GT5540LS with Gitzo leveling base and  RRS BH-55 , BH-40 ,  + their pano kit

you say but then it was stuck in customs for 10 days  I am also in Germany , how much fees did you pay for it ?

thank you

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I use the Multiflex here in Sydney and is great.
I purchased it direct from PhotoClam.
$985 USD.

Make sure to order an extra large knob.

Whoa, US$ 985, with small knobs ?

Looking at the PhotoClam website which shows animated movements, it already became obvious that the tilt in one direction is 0 - 90 degrees, which means that for movements close to level one needs to rotate the camera by 180 degrees when crossing the level position to the other side. That seems clumsy to say the least, especially for architecture when one would e.g. want to include foreground detail and elevated detail. Shooting subjects like food would be fine though, as long as one looks only downwards on a setup.

I am glad I got the Manfrotto 405 (each full turn of large sized handles is only 6.55 degrees of rotation, the least of all 3 geared Manfrottos) for 'only' € 339,00 (incl. all taxes). The 405 is rock solid, spec'ed for gear up to 7.5 Kg, and rotates from -30 to +90 degrees in 2 axes, 360 degrees in one.

Cheers,
Bart

[rethmeier]

Bart,
it has add-on large knobs,to use with gloves.
They slip over the fixed ones.
That was the main complain with the Arca Cube,that cost $2600 USD and is now on "special" for $1600 USD.
The knobs on the ArcaCube are hard to use with gloves.

Cheers,
Willem.

[asf]

When the Arca cube was released I was intrigued, but for four reasons didn't buy it:

1.) too expensive, it was more than 2000€, but now it is closer to 1300 for their anniversary. at that time I couldn't see a 2000€ tripod head being a good investment

Wow, it was 2000 euro over there when it was released? I got probably the first one in N America and paid $1200 from Badger. That's an enormous difference.