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It took me a long time and a lot of wasted money to finally decide that investing in a good, strong tripod head was worthwhile. This ball head is as strong as any other I have had the opportunity to use, including the Arca-Swiss heads.
This head may be purchased in several different configurations, and I chose to buy one with the quick-release mechanism. This quick release uses the Arca-Swiss type quick release plates for the camera, and Acratech sells several custom fit plates for various types of cameras and configurations.
This head is not only super strong, it is light weight as well. It weighs in at approximately one pound. Once your camera is mounted on the threads or on the quick release plate, there is only one knob required to control your camera position. This knob may be purchased with a rubber grip, which i strongly reccommend. It makes securing the ball much easier work.
This tripod head is rated at 25 pounds, which I think is an underestimate at best. I have mounted my Canon 10d with a battery grip, my 70-200 f/2.8L lens and the 550ex flash on this head and I still can't make the ball slip out of its locked position, either in vertical or horizontal orientation. If your tripod is on a solid surface, the sag factor on this head is non existant. Once you have the ball locked, it won't move. Any sag that I have encountered is due to not having my tripod on a solid surface.
This head also features a 360 degree pan lock that functions flawlessly. The head is mared in 5 degree increments for easy adjustment.
Drawbacks:
The only real drawback I have found with this head is the inability to switch between a quick release configuration and a straight threaded setup. When you purchase this head with a quick release base, that base is fastened to the ball threads with Loc-tite and you can't remove it with any ease. I inquired about this to the manufacturer and they told me that I could heat the head and remove the quick release plate, but I decided agaisnt that. The reason I wanted to do this is because I wanted to fasten my lens collar on the 70-200 lens directly to the ball rather than let it hang on my camera. The alternate solution was to put the quick release plate from the camera on the lens and then muont the lens to the quick release base.
Another potential drawback with this head is that the quick release plate is only secure in the base when the base is in its locked position. If that is not securely fastened, the camera can slide out of the base. Acratech offers a newer model of this base and quick release plate that has a small pin that keeps the plate from sliding in the base. It's always a good idea to hold on to the camera when you loosen the quick release.
My overall rating on this ball head is 5-stars.
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