Ball head

General Digital Photography DiscussionGeneral Digital Phot...

660 posts
15 years
Edinburgh,
Scotland

Posted 24/05/2011 - 23:11 Link

As mentioned a while ago in another thread I'm looking to get a lighter and more compact tripod that I can carry around fairly easily in the near future. At the moment I only have a great big Vanguard which is just too big and heavy to carry around unless I know for certain I'm going to need it. I don't know exactly how heavy it is but I'm guessing it can't be far off 4 kilos including the pan and tilt head.

Anyway, the Velbon Ultra REXi L is looking like an excellent option. What I'm not so sure about is a head to go with it.

Disappointingly, Velbon don't give much useful information about their ball heads on their site, but unless I'm mistaken they don't seem to offer any with a friction control unless the single twist lock control they have somehow doubles as one.

Could anybody recommend a decent ball head with a friction control that would work well with the Velbon legs? Preferably not too expensive i.e. not more than £60 and preferably even a bit cheaper if that isn't too much to ask. Thanks.

My Flickr • Pentax K-5 • K-5 II • Sigma 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 DC HSM • Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD ASL • SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F/2.8 ED [IF] SDM • SMC Pentax-DA 55-300mm F/4-5.8 ED • SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] WR • Vivitar 100mm F/3.5 Macro AF • Metz Mecablitz 58 AF-2

Edited by MarkTaylor: 24/05/2011 - 23:13

jules jules

2342 posts
16 years
Storbritannia

Posted 25/05/2011 - 08:27 - Helpful Comment Link

Slightly above your price range, Isn't everything always that way! I'm using one of these and it's excellent and even better than the 300 quid Acratech I was using previously!
http://www.3leggedthing.com/ballheads.html?price=8%2C10

This Joby has No friction control but supposedly excellent for it's price!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002CVU4G0/ref=asc_df_B002CVU4G02974763?smid=AB7BTT7DWCK5Z&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22242&creativeASIN=B002CVU4G0

Or this other Joby one, looks excellent too?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0038YWLCU/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i7?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=11T9KRC621NFWCG8G4XG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128473&pf_rd_i=468294

Manfrotto's are always a reasonable option price Vs Quality wise and just been revamped so presumably even better than before?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-496-Ball-Friction-Control/dp/B002N56F2M/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1306308348&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-496RC2-Ball-Friction-Control/dp/B002N5NRSC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1306308348&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-494RC2-Ball-Friction-Control/dp/B002N5CV8Y/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1306308348&sr=1-2

I'm steering clear of Unknown Ebay Items here!

Cheers Jules...

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My other viewfinder is 5.76,000,000.

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Edited by jules: 25/05/2011 - 08:46

bretbysteve bretbysteve

728 posts
21 years
Aldridge,
West Mids.

Posted 25/05/2011 - 10:17 - Helpful Comment Link

Check out Speedgraphic. They are UK, they have many ball heads, they give excellent service and only sell a restricted range of quality items.

http://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/

claudefrog claudefrog

53 posts
15 years

Posted 25/05/2011 - 14:01 - Helpful Comment Link

Just buy a new Tripod with a ball head.

I use the Hahnel Triad 30 and it comes with a great ball head plus it goes right down the floor and you can reverse the column. Been using mine for 2 years now without any issue, looks as good as the day I bought it.

http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/photographic/tripods/amateur-tripods/hahnel-triad-3...

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Metz 50 AF-1
Pentax SMC 50mm 1.4
Sigma 70mm 2.8 MACRO
Sigma 17mm-70mm F2.8 - 4
Pentax 18mm-55mm f3.5-56 DA WR
Pentax 50mm-200mm f3.5-5.6 DA WR

CoDa CoDa

1384 posts
18 years
Bedford

Posted 25/05/2011 - 15:48 - Helpful Comment Link

Redsnapper ball head link

Colin

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797)

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Edited by CoDa: 25/05/2011 - 15:49

MarkTaylor MarkTaylor

660 posts
15 years
Edinburgh,
Scotland

Posted 25/05/2011 - 19:57 Link

Thanks for all the suggestions. Now I'll go and exhaustively research them all! (I'm like that).