[jpzk]

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This is a bit off the direct topic, but worth sharing in my opinion...
I am an avid monopod user - especially when I travel. I keep a quick release mount on the 1/4-20 screw ... it has been accepted at several museums that otherwise won't allow stability devices, because I come in using it in its other purpose - a walking assistance device - and where the staff might object if they saw a tripod screw, don't give a second glance with the quick release. (however, I abide by rules - if it sadly says 'no photography', I don't).

At any rate, this setup is great for landscape mode shots but not portait mode. So this thread made me think that adding a ballhead wouldn't be a bad idea. Then (Click!) I remembered an old (1970's) ballhead plus grip with hidden tripod feet. I dug into my dust bin and sure enough - it also has a tripod screw socket at the bottom of the grip.

So, I ordered another matching quick release. I stuck the plate at the bottom of the grip, (it is small enough the tripod legs could still be deployed) and the release on the ballhead screw. I can attach the camera to the monopod's quick release, or with little additional work attach the ballhead-grip to the monopod via quick release and attach the camera to the ball head's quick release. This gizmo actually stores better in my field bag in the portrait position. Oh and my new quick release was less expensive than a ballhead. So, long story ... thanks for getting me thinking.

Thanks for getting me thinking...

I went down that road as well, using a ball head on my monopod but it just won't be sturdy enough for a larger lens (than my 300/4).
Even then, it tend to tilt on its own due to the weight not being distributed centrally ... i.e.: tilts forward.

But your setup is just great when you use smaller lenses, of course, and a good idea when visiting museums!

JP

[JimJohnson]

I went down that road as well, using a ball head on my monopod but it just won't be sturdy enough for a larger lens (than my 300/4).
Even then, it tend to tilt on its own due to the weight not being distributed centrally ... i.e.: tilts forward.

But your setup is just great when you use smaller lenses, of course, and a good idea when visiting museums!

JP

Agreed - except my shooting style with a monopod and a long lens is to have a minimum of one hand on the camera to release the shutter, and likely my second hand under the lens to balance and stabalize the rig's forward/back motion. There really shouldn't be much stress on the ball joint in this circumstance. If I move the monopod with the camera attached, I tend to carry the camera rather than the monopod, or both the camera and the monopod. I can see where a flimsy ballhead would be an issue if I only held the monopod. And actually, carrying just the monopod (or tripod for that matter) would be a lot of stress on the camera's tripod mount and lens mount regardless whether or not a ballhead was used. Unless the distance is a half-dozen or less steps, I will frequenty use the quick release to dismount and remount the camera during transit.

My point in posting was not to argue the relative merits of a beefy or wimpy ballhead. Again, I'm delighted that the discussion made me think about a good repurposing of existing tools.

[jpzk]

Agreed - except my shooting style with a monopod and a long lens is to have a minimum of one hand on the camera to release the shutter, and likely my second hand under the lens to balance and stabalize the rig's forward/back motion. There really shouldn't be much stress on the ball joint in this circumstance. If I move the monopod with the camera attached, I tend to carry the camera rather than the monopod, or both the camera and the monopod. I can see where a flimsy ballhead would be an issue if I only held the monopod. And actually, carrying just the monopod (or tripod for that matter) would be a lot of stress on the camera's tripod mount and lens mount regardless whether or not a ballhead was used. Unless the distance is a half-dozen or less steps, I will frequenty use the quick release to dismount and remount the camera during transit.

My point in posting was not to argue the relative merits of a beefy or wimpy ballhead. Again, I'm delighted that the discussion made me think about a good repurposing of existing tools.

Hi Jim.

I tend to think that this is my style as well but I suppose I am leary of havinga sudden tilt during an exposure or simply when carrying the gear.

It is really a good idea to just release the cam from the tripod while walking along .... never thought of that!!

You see ... I have learned something new again today!

Cheers.

JP

[snostorm]

Hi JP,

Coming in pretty late on this thread, but thought I'd add what I can.

For a monopod head, I use a Manfrotto 234 (actually I have an older model that this one replaced) with an inexpensive Arca Swiss (AS) compatible clamp. The 234 is the least expensive tilt only head, and this is all you need for a monopod since you pan by pivoting the monopod. You can, of course tilt the monopod, but this unbalances it, and you have to support at least a fraction of the weight, which somewhat defeats the purpose of the monopod.

The Manfrotto 234
Manfrotto 234 Swivel Tilt Monopod Head - Supports 5.5 lbs 234

An inexpensive clamp
Sunwayfoto DDC-60 60mm Clamp Arca Compatible / Tripod Head 1/4" 3/8" Sunway NEW | eBay

For a ballhead, I regularly use two. For heavier gear, I have a Manfrotto 468MG with a Wimberley conversion clamp (AS compatible, but now discontinued). The head is very good, not too heavy, and is easy to lock solid as it uses hydraulics to lock the ball. The panning base is very smooth and doesn't bind at all when the weight is concentrated off center in relation to the head. This last is very important as I regularly use this head as the base for my Wimberley Sidekick gimbal with heavy lenses like my FA*300/2.8 (6 lbs 10oz), and the weight is all concentrated on one side of the ballhead in this application.

A new clamp conversion specifically for the 468MG can be found here:

Clamp 4 Manfrotto 468MG head arca swiss kitk markins rrs wimberley acratech | eBay

It has a roll pin that fits the 468MG's ball to prevent rotation of the clamp on the ball.

The second ballhead I use is a Vanguard ABH 120K for lighter weight gear. This head is also very good, is also AS compatible, has a separate tension adjustment, has a smooth panning action, and easily supports the Sidekick with the heaviest of my lenses, but I tend to use it and a smaller tripod and smaller lenses for a more portable support system.

The Wimberley Sidekick is my gimbal of choice. I will not carry a lens that is heavier than the FA* 300/2.8, and the Sidekick is the most versatile and compact-to-carry quality gimbal on the market that is suited to this class of lens (under 6-7 lbs). Since it fits on an AS compatible ballhead, I don't need to dismount one head and mount another to switch between ball and gimbal, just dismount the Sidekick from the AS clamp on the ballhead. The Sidekick also gives me more versatility in vertical movement range as the arm can be tilted either up or down while a full gimbal's arm is always parallel to the center post plane of the tripod. For anything heavier, most recommend the full gimbal as a better choice.

I've tried a few of the budget gimbals and have not been impressed. Many lack the better bearings of the high quality gimbals, and the customer support is either slim or non-existent. I finally chose Wimberley largely because of the very knowledgeable help I received from their CS. The also have a 90 day no risk "test drive" period plus a 90 day no-questions-asked return policy that kicks in after the "test drive". Unfortunately, I think that the test drive is only available for US customers.

Some good relatively inexpensive suppliers for some novel AS compatible devices and accessories are:

Lens Plates, Camera Plates and Clamps items in Hejnar Photo store on eBay!

He'll make custom plates if needed.

Oec Camera

They offer 10% off with the purchase of any three items from their Amazon store.

Filter accessory, Filter Adapter Tube items in RainbowImaging store on eBay!

Some very low cost AS compatible plates, and some interesting photo products like a 49mm clip on hood.

Scott

[jpzk]

Hi JP,

Coming in pretty late on this thread, but thought I'd add what I can.

For a monopod head, I use a Manfrotto 234 (actually I have an older model that this one replaced) with an inexpensive Arca Swiss (AS) compatible clamp. The 234 is the least expensive tilt only head, and this is all you need for a monopod since you pan by pivoting the monopod. You can, of course tilt the monopod, but this unbalances it, and you have to support at least a fraction of the weight, which somewhat defeats the purpose of the monopod.

The Manfrotto 234
Manfrotto 234 Swivel Tilt Monopod Head - Supports 5.5 lbs 234

An inexpensive clamp
Sunwayfoto DDC-60 60mm Clamp Arca Compatible / Tripod Head 1/4" 3/8" Sunway NEW | eBay

For a ballhead, I regularly use two. For heavier gear, I have a Manfrotto 468MG with a Wimberley conversion clamp (AS compatible, but now discontinued). The head is very good, not too heavy, and is easy to lock solid as it uses hydraulics to lock the ball. The panning base is very smooth and doesn't bind at all when the weight is concentrated off center in relation to the head. This last is very important as I regularly use this head as the base for my Wimberley Sidekick gimbal with heavy lenses like my FA*300/2.8 (6 lbs 10oz), and the weight is all concentrated on one side of the ballhead in this application.

A new clamp conversion specifically for the 468MG can be found here:

Clamp 4 Manfrotto 468MG head arca swiss kitk markins rrs wimberley acratech | eBay

It has a roll pin that fits the 468MG's ball to prevent rotation of the clamp on the ball.

The second ballhead I use is a Vanguard ABH 120K for lighter weight gear. This head is also very good, is also AS compatible, has a separate tension adjustment, has a smooth panning action, and easily supports the Sidekick with the heaviest of my lenses, but I tend to use it and a smaller tripod and smaller lenses for a more portable support system.

The Wimberley Sidekick is my gimbal of choice. I will not carry a lens that is heavier than the FA* 300/2.8, and the Sidekick is the most versatile and compact-to-carry quality gimbal on the market that is suited to this class of lens (under 6-7 lbs). Since it fits on an AS compatible ballhead, I don't need to dismount one head and mount another to switch between ball and gimbal, just dismount the Sidekick from the AS clamp on the ballhead. The Sidekick also gives me more versatility in vertical movement range as the arm can be tilted either up or down while a full gimbal's arm is always parallel to the center post plane of the tripod. For anything heavier, most recommend the full gimbal as a better choice.

I've tried a few of the budget gimbals and have not been impressed. Many lack the better bearings of the high quality gimbals, and the customer support is either slim or non-existent. I finally chose Wimberley largely because of the very knowledgeable help I received from their CS. The also have a 90 day no risk "test drive" period plus a 90 day no-questions-asked return policy that kicks in after the "test drive". Unfortunately, I think that the test drive is only available for US customers.

Some good relatively inexpensive suppliers for some novel AS compatible devices and accessories are:

Lens Plates, Camera Plates and Clamps items in Hejnar Photo store on eBay!

He'll make custom plates if needed.

Oec Camera

They offer 10% off with the purchase of any three items from their Amazon store.

Filter accessory, Filter Adapter Tube items in RainbowImaging store on eBay!

Some very low cost AS compatible plates, and some interesting photo products like a 49mm clip on hood.

Scott

Thanks for the reply snowstorm and my apologies for responding late ... been busy reading on the K-01!

OK, so this company "Oec" seems to have pretty much all I need AND it is quite a bit less expensive than the Acratech brand.
Now I wonder whether it is "as good" in build-quality and whether their "after sale sevice" is any good, just in case one encounters a problem.

The Wimberley Sidekick : Wimberley Professional Photo Gear - The Sidekick is simply "added" to your ballhead, right?
Looks like a very interesting combination/choice, and the price is right.

Cheers.

JP

[stormtech]

I've been following along with jpzk's quest for a ball head as I am going to purchase one myself within the month.

From a previous post of mine some time back, plus snostorm's advice both on this thread and my previous one, I've come down to 3 choices.

Acratech GP
Photoclam PC-36N
Manfrotto 468MG

While the Acratech is the most expensive by far, it looks like the build quality is the best. Plus, I like the "faux" Gimbal feature.

The Photoclam has great reviews from what I've read here.

I didn't have the Manfrotto 468MG on my list until recently. I suffer with Rheumatoid Arthritis which has made me change a few items of my gear so I can handle them. The hydraulic action of this head is appealing to me as it is supposed to be very easy to turn the lock down knob. Now with snostorm's excellent review here, I am leaning toward this head more now.

One thing for sure, as I have learned the hard way now, is to get what I really need the first time. I've been through the same scenario with other gear with buying a little cheaper at first only to end up upgrading afterward.

My 2 main uses for a ball head are for my close-up flower/greenery shots with my DFA 100 WR, and a planned purchase of a 300mm 2.8 lens which will be used only on a tripod since I can't hand-hold such a lens. The combination that snostorm states of the 468MG head plus a Wimberly Sidekick seems to be almost a perfect solution for me, but the cost of both together puts that above the price of the Acratech.

Thanks once again snostorm for your in depth opinion - it has helped me narrow down my choices to the 3 mentioned above. Now to make that final decision.........

[interested_observer]

Just from reading posts - for the larger faster lenses, the Wimberly Sidekick appears to be the universal choice. It is also nice to see that more companies are finally making a turntable that can slide under the clamp and on top of the ballhead. When I found mine, only RRS and Acratech offered the capability and they are both expensive.

[demp10]

The Manfrotto tilt only head for monopods, also comes in a quick release version 234RC, which make it very convenient if you have other Manfrotto gear like ball heads or pan-and-tilt heads with quick release systems. You can move your camera from tripod to monopod without unscrewing plates.

[cmohr]

Jpzk...

Here's that write-up I was talking about doing. I have actually not included "Brands" as such in the thread, more just about what My solution is.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-field-accessories/174187-my...ml#post1810600

Arrrrrrrrr.
cmohr

[jpzk]

Jpzk...

Here's that write-up I was talking about doing. I have actually not included "Brands" as such in the thread, more just about what My solution is.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-field-accessories/174187-my...ml#post1810600

Arrrrrrrrr.
cmohr

Excellent thread !!

You have taken time and effort to get the pictures across, visually very informative, and I appreciate immensely.

Cheers.

JP

[cmohr]

Excellent thread !!

You have taken time and effort to get the pictures across, visually very informative, and I appreciate immensely.

Cheers.

JP

No Worries, Glad to help.


Arrrrrrrr.
cmohr

[panoguy]

OK, so this company "Oec" seems to have pretty much all I need AND it is quite a bit less expensive than the Acratech brand.
Now I wonder whether it is "as good" in build-quality and whether their "after sale sevice" is any good, just in case one encounters a problem.

I've dealt with them only through their eBay store, and have been very happy on many occasions. They are the best place to get Marumi filters in the US/Canada, but no idea about the quality of their other offerings...

The Wimberley Sidekick : Wimberley Professional Photo Gear - The Sidekick is simply "added" to your ballhead, right?
Looks like a very interesting combination/choice, and the price is right.

Yes, the Sidekick is much smaller and more portable than a full gimbal, but requires a quality ballhead with a progressive-tension panning function (most have this). My Markins Q-3 *almost* fits the bill as a perfect ballhead for it, except the tension on the pan controls is not very progressive. Still, the Sidekick balances very heavy lenses with no problem!


**If you look at the above, you will see you really need to trust your ballhead and the Sidekick, both in terms of clamps and fit and finish. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend the "knock-off" sidekick-style attachments - the full gimbal knock-offs would be much more trustworthy.

[jpzk]

@ panoguy:

Thanks for the links and the photo.

I would assume then that the Acratech ballhead would be sufficiently trustworthy to handle a Sidekick, plus the camera/lens.
Since I have my eyes on the Pentax 550/5.6 now (I mean since they announced that it would be released in 2012, according to the lens roadmap), instead of the hugely expensive Sigma 500/4.5, I would think that the setup will be adeqate:

Acratech ballhead
Sidekick
Camera plate
Camera-tripod clamp (QR or with the knob)

Hopefully, this is all I will need for a very lonnnnnnng time!

Cheers.

JP

[stormtech]

As I have been following along here, your list posted would be the ultimate setup for me also.

But.......

Just checking the prices, I am now considering an alternative.

Acratech GP head - $400.00
K-5 camera plate - $40.00
5" lens plate - $47.00
Winberly Sidekick - $250.00

Total - $737.00

I'm sorry, but that is just too much for me to spend. I know from past experience that you should buy it right the first time so you don't keep buying to upgrade, but for myself I just can't justify that much money.

I am going to research snostorm's suggestion of the Manfrotto 468 hydraulic head some more. I am also looking at just the Acratech head alone since you can sort of "gimbal" with that. I'm also going to look at the Photoclam heads again.

I am also hopefully planning on the new DA 560 lens if it isn't too outrageous in cost - if I don't get that, I know I will probably end up with another 300mm 2.8 lens of some flavor. I need to be sure that what ever I do end up buying will support a 5-8 lbs lens.

All the input in this thread has been very helpful - if only money wasn't an issue here!

[cmohr]

My Gimbal head came complete for $143.00, it was delivered with an arca compatable 50mm lens/camera plate, but I used a 120mm lens plate ($41.00) for my lens. I might update my Tripod head Solution thread with the actual brands and prices of the products I used.