[barondla]

Thinking about adding an Acratech head to the Feisol CT3342 tripod. Can buy the GP used for $200 less than the replacement GXP. One gripe TheCenterColumn.com had about the GP was the pano lock didn't completely lock. The GXP description doesn't mention improving the pano lock, but says there is a new pano pointer to mark starting position. Acratech does say the ball capacity has improved from 25 to 50 lbs. Anyone have a GXP?

Thanks,
barondla

[7.62lew]

Don't have the GP but I do have a GV2 (with knob clamp, not quick release). I have not had any issue's at all with the ball head. It is very light and locks up solid. It is very well made. I think it is rated for 25lbs. The most amount of weight I have put on it is probably around 6-8 lbs.

From what I have read the company has very good customer service.

When i had my 400mm sigma lens. I would use it like a gimbal head. Worked very well for that.

I went through some cheap ball heads before I went with Acratech. Probably will never need to buy another ball head but would be another Acratech if I did.

[jatrax]

I think @stevebrot has one

[stevebrot]

I think @stevebrot has one

Yes...I do!

Here are a few bullet points:

• The pan knob works quite well. Edit: After reviewing the TheCenterColumn.com review of the GP, I can confidently report that I can twist my GxP off the tripod using just the Arca clamp with no slippage, though I would usually use the knurling on the base.
• Yes, the head can be inverted to provide a leveled platform with azimuth markings (5 degree increments), but I would probably not use it that way except in a pinch. A leveling base with panohead/rail is a much better approach, IMHO.
• Yes, there is an index pointer for the pan scale that may be positioned independent of the base rotation.

To be honest, I don't remember why I got the GxP over the GP, but I think it had to do with the nicer knobs. At the time, the two were less than $10 apart price-wise.


Steve

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Last edited by stevebrot; 04-28-2021 at 06:31 PM.

[barondla]

Don't have the GP but I do have a GV2 (with knob clamp, not quick release). I have not had any issue's at all with the ball head. It is very light and locks up solid. It is very well made. I think it is rated for 25lbs. The most amount of weight I have put on it is probably around 6-8 lbs.

From what I have read the company has very good customer service.

When i had my 400mm sigma lens. I would use it like a gimbal head. Worked very well for that.

I went through some cheap ball heads before I went with Acratech. Probably will never need to buy another ball head but would be another Acratech if I did.

Good to know. Sounds like a great product and company.

---------- Post added 04-28-21 at 09:37 PM ----------

Yes...I do!
Here are a few bullet points:

• The pan knob works quite well. Edit: After reviewing the TheCenterColumn.com review of the GP, I can confidently report that I can twist my GxP off the tripod using just the Arca clamp with no slippage, though I would usually use the knurling on the base.
• Yes, the head can be inverted to provide a leveled platform with azimuth markings (5 degree increments), but I would probably not use it that way except in a pinch. A leveling base with panohead/rail is a much better approach, IMHO.
• Yes, there is an index pointer for the pan scale that may be positioned independent of the base rotation.

To be honest, I don't remember why I got the GxP over the GP, but I think it had to do with the nicer knobs. At the time, the two were less than $10 apart price-wise.


Steve

Thanks for the bullet points. I'm not sure why the CenterColumn reviewer didn't grab the head by the knurled base. Perhaps it wasn't thick enough for him to get a hold of it. I swap head and tripod combos pretty often, so the pipe wrench remark grabbed my attention. My medium size Linhof ball head holds the 645Z pretty well, but the panning base slips sometimes. I'd rather avoid that.

Agree with you about the inverted pano mode. It only works for a perfectly level lens. For Panos I'd use a leveling base.

The $200 difference is a used GP vs. new GXP. I'll have to think on that.

Thanks for the help,
barondla

[DWS1]

This may be worth looking into for me.