Veteran Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Posts: 12,285 | | Review Date: December 28, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $24.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid, inexpensive, flexible | | Cons: | fit & finish not top notch, plastic knobs | |
I didn't want to remove my Manfrotto 496 head from the tripod to use on the new monopod, but I didn't want to spend a lot on a new head for a monopod. After reading a couple threads here and reviews online I thought I'd take a look at the Beike BK-03 head. The reviews said solid aluminum, good construction, and arca-swiss plate compatibility. It also has a panoramic 360 index on the base and a control knob for rotating the head, which might prove useful. For $24 shipped it sounded like it might work.
The packaging is spartan. The head in a plastic bag inside a a black box with a UPC code on it. No documentation whatsoever is included.
The head is solid, metal, and has all the features described. There is apparently some variation in the production as some come with a level on the top and the tension knob for the plate, mine came with only the level on the tension knob.
The scale on the base is misaligned and does not 0 out at the very front of the unit. Not a big deal but there are several scratches on the gold index as well, again doesn't impact functionality so its not a big deal. The head moves smoothly when the base tension knob is released so panoramics should be fairly easy with this head. The head screws onto a 3/8th in stud on tripods and monopods but does not have any other attachments (such as the 3 recessed screws used by Manfrotto and others around the perimeter of the base).
I've tried to get the ball to move with significant force, with camera + large lens attached, and have yet to get it to budge with the tension knobs set on both sides. I can see how this might be a bit of a fumble to have to tighten two knobs in the field for precise adjustment but I'm using it on a monopod not a tripod so precision is not as big an issue. Still, the overall stability of the ball head is impressive - particularly at this price point. To get a full 90 degrees tilt for portrait orientation the head can not have the tension knob straight down as it contacts the base of the head thereby limiting the tilt to ~85 degrees. This is easily dealt with by reversing the head and having the tension knob point upward in this orientation.
The grip on the plate is tight. The jaws open from 1 1/2 to 1 5/8 inches. The plate is 1 9/16in wide x 1 3/4in deep and has four rubber grips built into the plate.
Overall this is an impressive ball head for $24. I've taken a point off for no additional attachment points and the f&f issues mentioned.
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