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advice: Ball Head for Mamiya 645

faneuil

faneuil

Member
ok.. prob an old topic, but:

need advice for ball head for Mam 645AF.
quick release.
under $400

sounds dirty if you aren't a photo wonk..

Eric
 
F

felix5616

Member
Photo clam. runs about $169 for the smallest version. i have the larger version and like it.
also look at a markins Q3
 
Don Libby

Don Libby

Well-known member
Acratech GV2 Ballhead $370.00.

I have this (been collecting dust since I got the Cube) however I still use it for wildlife.

Used everything from 1Ds w/400DO to Mamiya 645 AFD and 300.

Great ballhead.

Don
 
carstenw

carstenw

Active member
I have the RRS BH-55, and although it is very good for a ballhead, I must say that I am a little disappointed that it still moves a little as I tighten it. I am not sure if I am being totally unrealistic, but I recall when I bought my baby BH-25, this was my exact beef with it, yet people reassured me that the two larger brothers didn't have this problem. As soon as you have tightened down a ballhead, and it moved slightly, you stand there, realizing that there is no way to tweak the angle *slightly*, other than opening it up, and then trying again. I guess I am ripe for a Cube, but I can't (yet) get over that price tag, even the discounted $1700. I wonder if I should have bought the Z1?
 
kdphotography

kdphotography

Well-known member
Another fan of the Acratech GV2. But watch out for that Don guy, Eric. Before you know it, you'll be assimilated and we'll see you in the Cube thread just below.....

:D
 
Don Libby

Don Libby

Well-known member
kdphotography said:
Another fan of the Acratech GV2. But watch out for that Don guy, Eric. Before you know it, you'll be assimilated and we'll see you in the Cube thread just below.....

:D
Click to expand...
More than one person has succumbed to the call of a Cube.

Resistance is futile.... :eek:
 
J

jmvdigital

Guest
Carsten, too bad with your BH-55. I had a cheaper Bogen ball head first, and then a nice Gitzo ball head, and both drooped after locking. So far, I haven't found this to be big problem with the RRS BH-55. Maybe the weight/distribution of our rigs is different. However, I also found that my tripod legs were causing a fair amount of the problem. When I first got the BH-55, I had it on a smaller aluminum leg set (Slik Pro 700DX, don't laugh, they are actually pretty good legs). After vibration and drooping problems, I swapped to a Gitzo Systematic carbon legs, and everything was firm and steady.

Eric, don't skimp on this. Not that you can't get a good head in your budget, but learn from the experience of us (collectively, on this board). Pay more and buy it once, or pay even more and buy it twice. A tripod/head is a critical piece of equipment that shouldn't be underestimated, especially not with medium format. What legs will you be putting this head on? I found the hard way that cheap and lightweight legs suck, and end in headaches and a lighter wallet.
 
T

thomas

New member
faneuil said:
need advice for ball head for Mam 645AF.
quick release.
under $400
Click to expand...
I use the Gitzo GH3780QR: http://tinyurl.com/l2ovex
Quick release with clamp (you don't have to unscrew the plate).
The big ball lock is easy and fast to handle and very solid.
I wanted a ball head with double leveling (no circular levels but tube levels) so I decided for the GH3780QR.
Regards, Thomas
 
carstenw

carstenw

Active member
jmvdigital said:
Carsten, too bad with your BH-55. I had a cheaper Bogen ball head first, and then a nice Gitzo ball head, and both drooped after locking. So far, I haven't found this to be big problem with the RRS BH-55. Maybe the weight/distribution of our rigs is different. However, I also found that my tripod legs were causing a fair amount of the problem. When I first got the BH-55, I had it on a smaller aluminum leg set (Slik Pro 700DX, don't laugh, they are actually pretty good legs). After vibration and drooping problems, I swapped to a Gitzo Systematic carbon legs, and everything was firm and steady.
Click to expand...
I use a Manfrotto 055C tripod. I plan to upgrade at some point in the not too distant future, but when I was working with it, and my Contax 645 w/ 35/3.5 and 120/4 Macro, my impression was not that the legs were sagging, but that the head would move slightly when I tightened it. I was often trying to get something lined up exactly, but with the final twist, while looking through the viewfinder while tightening, the angle would move slightly. Given the resolution of a scanned MF negative, this was highly annoying. I could live with it if I could somehow tweak the angle slightly after tightening, but this is not the case. Here is an example of an image I was trying to line up exactly. I had to try several times before I was happy.

View attachment 17480
 
P

Paratom

Well-known member
I also use the Gitzo GH2780 and think its a nice head - good relation between weight-price-handling and most important stability.
 
T

thomas

New member
carstenw said:
I use a Manfrotto 055C tripod (...)
I had to try several times before I was happy
Click to expand...
are you sure this is caused by the gear? My feeling is that you stand a little bit too wide on the right side (nice tonal values though!).
BTW: this is why 2 tube levels are very good (actually the GH3780QR has four). I use my ball head on a Berlebach (wood) triopod. Not the smallest combo to cary but still okay... and very solid.
Regards, Thomas
 
carstenw

carstenw

Active member
To be clear: the photo attached was not meant to show any problem, just that I need the sides to be vertical, and I had to loosen and tighten the ballhead 3 or 4 times before I got that.

I couldn't move to the left due to other junk there, so I just accept the slight angle.
 
faneuil

faneuil

Member
thanks to all for the advice.
Liking the gitzo or acrarech.
Anybody selling now that the cube seems to assimilated you all?

Eric
 
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