Sold! Really Right Stuff BH-55 My scuffed up Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head, ready to use with my Feisol CT-3372 tripod. I also liked its smaller size, which could easily accommodate travel tripods without banging its pan knob against the tripod, and even allowing the tripod legs to fold over it. You may position it upside down to function as a leveling base for panoramic photography, keeping everything parallel to the horizon. It seemed like a winner.Īs a bonus, the GP-s could convert into a panoramic tripod head easily. I chose the Acratech GP-s because it was highly regarded, lightweight at less than a pound while still holding 25 pounds and relatively small. It may be light, but it holds up to 25 pounds without breaking a sweat … not that I’ve ever seen a ball head sweat. Acratech GP-s ball head My scuffed up six year old Acratech GP-s ball head. Someday, right? What did I choose?īecause I had two cameras and was purchasing two tripods, I also purchased two ball heads.
However, more than six years later, I still have not done a panorama. I was hoping to find a ball head that allowed me to easily pan in reasonably precise, smooth adjustments. The pan adjustment is used to rotate the camera from left to right without adjusting the tilt at all. And the wind in the desert sometimes seems to gust out of nowhere! Pan adjustment for panoramas Sure, I could probably achieve portrait mode with a ball head by turning it on its side, but I felt this might introduce some instability, as I photograph frequently in high-wind areas in the desert. I like using L-brackets because I can quickly adjust the camera to portrait or landscape mode. I looked for a compatible mounting base that would easily let me open the clamp, slide the camera in and secure it easily. My two cameras already had a special kind of quick release plate called an L-bracket attached to them, all of which were Arca-Swiss compatible. This is particularly helpful when adjusting the main ball head, as it provides enough tension so that it isn’t too tight requiring extra force when positioning, but not too loose so that you risk the camera flopping or have difficulty precisely positioning the camera. I also wanted to have a separate tension knob where I could precisely dial in the amount of tension that I wanted. I wanted easy-to-turn knobs that were logically placed. I did not want to use a headlamp every time I positioned the ball head in the dark, so this was also a must. After all, many of us night photographers use a heavy DSLR and ultra wide-angle lens combination. Ball head features that are useful for night photographers StabilityĪbove all, I wanted a ball head to be rock solid and not sag, vibrate or move and could accommodate a large amount of weight. I purchased my ball heads over six years ago and am still happily using them, so I apparently didn’t choose too poorly! I used an Acratech GP-s ball head for this star trails photo, showing the perceived celestial movements over 12 minutes of time. Like tripods, I really wanted to purchase a quality ball head once and use it for many years to come. A ball head is relatively light and compact and would allow me to easily compose in either landscape or portrait modes, aiming the camera easily at various angles. However, it seemed a little large and chunky and overdone for night photography.
Maybe not.Ī gimbal head moves fluidly and is great for tracking, making it popular for wildlife or sports photography. The few times I’ve used one with a handle for night photography, I’ve rammed my teeth on the handle. And much of this is a matter of preference and practicality.Ī pan and tilt head separates horizontal, vertical and panning motions into three separate axes - often doing so precisely - and are popular for video. I used an Acratech GP-s to take 17 photos in succession to “stack” them in an effort to reduce noise a little.
We’ll go through my decision-making process together.
#Really right stuff panorama video series
If I am adjusting the ball head in the dark for a series of photos for stacking for Milky Way photos or two-hour long star trails, I want something easy to use and rock solid. I do long exposure photography almost exclusively, so I look for specific qualities in ball heads.
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