Ball head talk!

[Abel]

since ive been shopping for a new tripod i stumbled across this new ballhead on BH. its a 468MG. has anyon heard anything about these? i sure hope theyre better than my old 488 head, that one drooped a lot with my came mounted to it...



e Bogen/Manfrotto 468MGRC2 is designed to meet the demands of professional photographers who require a light weight head but at the same time want to support heavy camera loads up to 22 lb.

The 468MG series uses a hydraulic system to lock the ball mechanism in place. Using hydraulics instead of a mechanical system produces a super-tight lock from a minimal turn of the locking knob, without sacrificing the smoothness of the ball's movement when unblocked. To keep weight low, the head is made of magnesium; and to provide smooth movements the 2" aluminum ball is Teflon coated. The oversized ball locking knob allows for easy control even when using gloves.

This head further offers a range of handy features: independent pan and tilt locks with a 360° pan movement; +90/-90° tilt movement; a graduated engraved panoramic base; and a calibrated adjustable friction control on the main knob.

The 468MGRC2 version uses the popular RC2 (3157N) quick release system, which is small and light enough to leave permanently attached to your compact or SLR camera even when not using a tripod.

Key Features
• Magnesium cast head, with 2" aluminum ball, Teflon coated
• Independent pan lock, with calibrated 360° panning bed
• Oversized ball locking knob

[jeffkohn]

It may be nice, I don't know. But for that price I'd go with something that uses the Arca-Swiss clamp/plate system. That little RC2 plate just can't compete with an Arca-compatible plate made specifically to fit your camera. You can get a Kirk BH-3 and a QR-plate for the 20D for about the same price. Or for a little bit more get the L-Bracket, makes shooting verticals much more convenient.

[JamesB]

i want to get one of those pistol grip type ball heads, its on my wish list, which usually means I just keep wishing I had it.

James

[Bill Huber]

Originally Posted by JamesB

i want to get one of those pistol grip type ball heads, its on my wish list, which usually means I just keep wishing I had it.

James

James,

I have had mine for just about a year now and would not trade it for anything. It is so nice to work with and it holds very well. I have had the E1 + 54-200mm lens + Fl-50 flash on a bracket and it held it just fine.

When I decided I wanted one I did the old jar on the dresser thing and every night all the change in my pocket went in it... It really adds up fast.

[JamesB]

Originally Posted by Bill Huber

James,

When I decided I wanted one I did the old jar on the dresser thing and every night all the change in my pocket went in it... It really adds up fast.

I do that as well, but now that Im married that pocket change is suppose to pay for bills now :x , oh well. I did show one to my wife and said it was something I would like to have one of these days, and she said it was nice to know for later on. So I might get one if she does not forget about it


James

[TheObiJuan]

how would you compare this head to your manfrotto one Bill Huber?
http://www.amvona.com/v7/shop/?page=...ct_id=2013#tab
it is the ATH 918 Ball Grip Head by DynaTran. relatively cheap.

any reason why I should look for just a regular ball head instead of a grip action one?

[Bill Huber]

Originally Posted by TheObiJuan

how would you compare this head to your manfrotto one Bill Huber?
http://www.amvona.com/v7/shop/?page=...ct_id=2013#tab
it is the ATH 918 Ball Grip Head by DynaTran. relatively cheap.

any reason why I should look for just a regular ball head instead of a grip action one?

It looks like a copy of the Manfrotto all but the quick release.
I don't know anything about the company, have never used any of their products.
My head sells for $83 at B&H.

[Gordon]

This is the head I use

http://acratech.net/

The AcraTech ultimate ball head. Uses Acra-swiss plates, is really light, locks up solidly in all sorts of weird angles and is generally great.

I use it in combination with a RRS L bracket, on a D60. Biggest lens I hang off it is the D60, with 1.4x tele and a 70-200 F4L Not sure how well it copes with bigger/ heavier gear.

I've tried the 3 adjustment '3D' heads and hate them. I don't like the 'in-line' pistol grips because of the extra wiggle room they give (extended lever from the top of the tripod- might as well use a monopod or extend the center column after a certain point (yes I'm being controversial for fun ;) ) There are some grip action heads that are off to the side of the main support, which seems a more stable arrangement (less wiggle/ vibration involved)

Only down side to the acratech head is getting used to the 120 degree angle of freedom of the main ball ajdustment - you need to pan the head (via a different screw) for a wider rotation. Takes a bit of getting used to, but better than most balls that only have one or two slots for a side 'flop'

I've been really happy with it.

[Gordon]

btw, if you want to spend silly amounts of money for tripods etc, then http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/ is the place to go for great, solid, functional things you never even realised you were missing.

[mattchow]

322RC2... pistol grip from bogen. its a bit shorter than the one posted and it works great.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by mattchow

322RC2... pistol grip from bogen. its a bit shorter than the one posted and it works great.

That one must work both ways. Horizontally and vertically??? Built in level too. Nice.

11lbs horizontally and 5.5 lbs vertically.

[Abel]

markins head came in, i ordered it on friday and it came in this morning!!!

this thing is so sweet... i am VERY impressed thus far.

[Jeff Medlin]

Hey Abel, I also am a Markins user. I have the M10, it is incredible. The service I have received from Steve Yoon in Canada is just as incredible. I would highly recommend the Markins to anyone!!! I use the really right stuff "L" plate on my 1DMarkII. If anyone in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex would like to see a Markins in person, just let me know.

[Abel]

u bought the markins and the RRS L plate. i even bought the RRS lever clamp plate which i mounted on my Markins... this thing is slick.

i think i made a very good decision in this setup.

[jazzdiver]

Ultra-nice though the Markins and Arcatech heads are, they're too rich for my blood. My latest purchase was more of a bargain basement special in contrast...

For anyone curious about the Amvona tripods, as the owner of a Bogen 3020 which I've had for 15 years or more, I'd say that an Amvona AT-828 tripod with grip head compares very favorably against the Bogen. In fact, without a current Bogen/Manfrotto tripod to directly compare to the Amvona, I'd bet that what I've seen in manufacturing differences are more likely a difference in age and that the current Bogen/Manfrotto in a comparable model would be identical.

I bought this tripod simply for being interested in trying out a pistol grip head and figured a lower-cost investment by way of an eBay purchase would be the way to go. Whether the Amvona tripods come from the same factory as Bogen/Manfrotto and are simply renamed and sold for less, or if they are in fact cloned by some other manufacturer, the differennces are negligible. Looking at the online catalog of Bogen products, it appears that the lever flip-locks on the legs vary with the model of tripod and that some use the same locks as my old Bogen while others use what appears to be the same lock as the Amvona. Ditto for the visible external bolt on the leg hinge...while hidden on my old Bogen, new Bogens appear to have a similar external bolt from what I could tell in the photos. Meanwhile, looking at the underside of the tripod platform, the older Bogen has used locknuts where the nuts on the Amvona appear to be standard hex nuts (but perhaps a locking compound was used?). Again, this could be true also of current Bogens.

But, here's a comparison of my own...not the highest quality "product photos", but hopefully telling enough that anyone considering the purchase of an Amvona will be a bit better educated. In my case, I'd consider the $58.57 paid to be a steal for a tripod and grip head of this quality. Oh, and as for the grip head itself, it looks to be identical in design, if not in the exact finish, as what Bill shared a photo of earlier.

One thing I still favor with my old Bogen is the split center column which allows the bottom half to be removed for ground-hugging low tripod positions. However, if I really need that feature very often and yet use the Amvona tripod more (spirit levels are handy), then I can always swap the columns out and ignore the color difference. I do like the nice bronzed aluminum color of the Amvona. The one change I made, was swapping out the retractable spikes/self-leveling feet of the Amvona for those of my Bogen. Both are add-ons, but the Amvona feet slip over the ends of the legs and have an outside tightening screw that isn't quite as elegant an approach as the Bogen spikes that mount inside the leg tubes. The only difference is that the rubber Bogen feet when extended over the spikes aren't self-leveling, but I don't see a great need for that.

Regards,

Daryl