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Burzynski ballhead exploded view

Lars

Active member
This is the ballhead I use with my 8x10 monorail, it's made by Rainer Burzynski. Great piece of engineering, simple in design, strong, durable.

As you can see, there are only five parts, plus the bolts. The RRS clamp was added - the ballhead comes with a 3/8" thread.
 
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Lars

Active member
The base fits straight into a 3- or 5-series Gitzo, replacing the tripod plate and thus lowering actual height by about 25 mm.
 

Lars

Active member
Something about its operation:

The two knobs have the same function.
You loosen both, then tighten one to set friction.
Position the camera, then tighten the other knob to lock all dimensions including panning.

Torsional locking power is on the border to ridiculous. I don't remember the exact number but it's somewhere around 300 Nm - which means it will hold still a 30 kg weight hung at the end of a 1 meter pole attached horizontally. Don't try this on your B1.

With regards to 3-d movements the design is different than regular ballheads. The two sides apply pressure to two opposing points on the ball rather than around the entire ball. This means that one dimension - sideways leveling - is more locked than the other dimension - tilt. So you can set the camera to be level, then pan and tilt while keeping the leveling. Very clever.

If you use long lenses, 600-2000 mm, then the tripod (even a 5-series Gitzo with legs fully collapsed) becomes the weak link - the solution is two tripods. For a DSLR the Burzynski is way overkill WRT locking power and not convenient for panning - a Wimberley style or a monopod is a better solution if shooting moving objects with a long lens.

Assembled on the Gitzo:
 
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Lars

Active member
UPS in Europe is a complete ripoff, they leverage the brand name to charge exorbitant prices. I suspect that had something to do with Isarfoto's high shipping quote. If you want to ship from Europe, ask specifically for post parcel.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
looks great; all you need is to replace the RRS clamp with the RRS pano clamp. of course no 90 degree rotation
 
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carstenw

Active member
Lars, it looks like I will be trading my RRS BH-55 for a Burzynski, but I am not sure how to attach a RRS LR clamp to the ballhead. Does the regular RRS screw used for their own heads screw directly into the Burzynski?

Which RRS plate do you recommend for attaching to the bottom of the Chamonix 4x5? This is maybe more a question for Jack, who used to own the Chamonix, and who I believe also uses RRS Arca-style plates.
 

Lars

Active member
Lars, it looks like I will be trading my RRS BH-55 for a Burzynski, but I am not sure how to attach a RRS LR clamp to the ballhead. Does the regular RRS screw used for their own heads screw directly into the Burzynski?

Which RRS plate do you recommend for attaching to the bottom of the Chamonix 4x5? This is maybe more a question for Jack, who used to own the Chamonix, and who I believe also uses RRS Arca-style plates.
Carsten, the Burzynski head has one 3/8" thread - I guess your clamp has the same if not 1/4". As you probably saw in my pics, I have an RRS clamp on mine. My clamp also has two 1/4" threads, I use these with two locking hex bolts to keep the clamp firmly in place. As far as I recall the bolt was included, but I might be mistaken.

Generally a plate with large surface area is a good idea. it's also a good idea to use 3/8" bolts if your camera has 3/8" thead.

Ideally this ballhead replaces the head plate on a Gitzo tripod. I have a 5 series so I had to purchase an extra adapter. I got mine from Isarfoto.

Keep in mind that you will end up with a head that is a bit overkill for a wood 4x5. I like using it but some people might not. It certainly eliminates the head as a weak link.
 
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Pomorec

Guest
Dear Lars, could you please tell, how much does Burzynski ball head weigh? There are different versions in the net, from 775g to 1030g, so it is best to ask an actual owner :) Thank you!
 

Lars

Active member
Pomorec,
I'm in California and I didn't bring my 8x10 on this trip so I can't tell you until October. My guess would be closer to the lower number (without clamp) but I could be mistaken. Isarfoto.de, where I got mine, lists it at 847 grams.
-Lars
 
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Pomorec

Guest
Thanks a lot, Lars! Now I'll start looking for a used one to replace my AS Z1. My only concern was about weight, but ~850g is allright for me.
 
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