I see the main difference in using the ball heads versus the pan/tilt types
is that the movement of the camera on a ball device is a two-handed
operation. When releasing the lock on the ball the camera needs to be
supported with the other hand. If not, you have to trust the friction to be
set correctly and it must might not be. With my Bogen pan/tilt head the
lever you rotate to release the head for movement is the same lever you use
to move the camera so it tends to be a more one-handed operation. Operator
error can always be a problem though. The buyem and tryem approach can get
expensive if you're using the high-end ball heads. Most are over $400US and
some are well over $500. My Bogen 3038 is very heavy at 3.6 pounds. It seems
to work well but carrying it is a pain.
I've just taken a look at your ballhead over on the B&H Photo site:
http://tinyurl.com/9lvd
Those controls look awful large and protruding, just begging to snag a
camera strap. If they also interfere with your camera body and attached
motor drive then that's another strike against that kind of design philosophy.
Now compare your head design to mine:
Gitzo G 1377 M: http://tinyurl.com/9lre
The weight's about the same and the price is similar. The big difference we
can see is the size and design of the control knobs. I don't know how well
the friction control works on the Bogen to hold gear, but it sounds as if
that might be an issue as well.
It's the same deal with the Arca Swiss B1, except for price, which is about
twice as much at B&H, though still far short of what you suggest, Keep in
mind that while there are more expensive ball heads around (for instance,
pound for pound almost anything from Linhof is more expensive--check out
the Profi-III at the link directly below for six and a half bills) that
doesn't necessarily mean these higher-priced heads are better performers in
the field.
Profi-III: http://tinyurl.com/9lu3
Anyway, here's the link to the Arca Swiss B1: http://tinyurl.com/9lst
On top of that, you could buy that B1 cheaper still from Robert White (~$314):
http://tinyurl.com/9lth
Trial and error has its uses, but it isn't necessary to personally own each
and every product on the market to find a good one. If you read around and
discriminate carefully the best gear can be found.
Tris
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|