I'm Done With My Ball Head 

A quick correction; you can buy these in the UK, but I couldn't find any that shipped from the UK & I needed one fast for an upcoming trip. X

I somehow much prefer accessory reviews than camera reviews. Every single camera has a 100 videos about it but those QOL improving things are hard to discover!

I've had an Acratech ballhead for at least 15 years, and it's still working perfectly. It so simple and very well made, with very little that can go wrong.

Umm, yeah, i'm that guy... So glad you picked one up off E-bay Thomas. As others have mentioned you can use this head with a 'leveling base' on a standard tripod. I use an Acratech one which has proved to be a great combination. I see Slik make a relatively light and inexpensive 'Leveling Unit II' which might be worth a crack but the locking mech might be a bit fiddly. For those of you who are a bit skeptical (especially at the price) I have been using this system for about 8 years and found it to be flawlessly efficient for switching between standard and pano compositions. The key is once the base is level, the plane of rotation is always horizontal, even when tilted. Panning clamps (like 3 Legged Thing in the video) must not be tilted. This might be contrary to standard panoramic practice but I have found it to be especially useful for a standard 'tilted' composition, plus a left and right shot for a 'wide format' easy stitch. If it doesn't work you still have the original composition. My workflow is full of 3-frame horizontal format options. There are caveats like wide angle but you might be surprised what you can get away with. When needed, you can easily tilt the clamp to horizontal, rotate the L- bracket to vertical and boom! - full on pano mode (especially if used with a nodal rail). Still not convinced? This is simply how a 2-way video head works which always need a level panning motion, but also perpendicular tilt. I still use a ball-head occasionally but find the 'infinite' adjustment a nuisance when altering compositions. This thing stays level to the horizon no matter how I pan and tilt. I have never regretted my rather expensive decision.

The Acratech ball heads are also PHENOMENAL. I’ve had one for years and it’s been through hell and back, and it still works perfectly. The ball head is open so they rarely stay dirty, don’t get jammed and are so easy to clean. I can’t think of a better ball head for landscape photography. Oh, they’re lightweight too. Oh, and you can flip the head to create a level plane for panoramics.

Wow, awesome thumbs up! We are truly honored to have your unsolicited and honest review. Our sincere thanks!

Congratulations Thomas!! You are now the proud owner of one of the best Tripod heads out there. I have been using the ACRATECH GP BALL-HEAD, Panoramic Head & the Leveling base for years. They are highly engineered to outlast anything out there on the market. Simple and lightweight. I have never had an issue with any of the items. You should look at getting the Leveling base & GP Ball-Head to complete your suit. You'll never regret it.

Not sure if someone mentioned, but two items, that is a bowl adapter on the tripod, not ball head. Also, you can add a separate leveling base to any tripod. In fact, I use a leveling head atop my monopods, allows me to have more freedom of movement. Good video, glad you are finding solutions

Three words... Really Right Stuff! They make the best ball heads, camera plates and lens plates. Absolutely rock solid!

I got the same problem with a L- bracket for my D750 and solved it by getting a Wimberley C-12 quick release clamp....now at least this issue is fixed....i bought the Manfrotto ballhead cause of your recommendation....so if we ever meet at one of your workshops....you owe me a beer...😂 Great video....by the way

I love my old Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod and Manfrotto 804RC2 head, heavy but a proper set up, ideal for heavy lenses

Interesting comments, Thomas. Just FYI, Acratech also makes a nice leveling base. In addition, I think that another important piece of gear to mention for Quality panoramas is a Nodal Plate. This makes it easy to rotate one’s camera around the lens’ nodal point, which effectively eliminates distortion when stitching multiple images.

Fortunately I watched a video(s) similar to this over 6 years ago. Never bought a ballhead. Bought a Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head with QR plate combo. The precision it provides and the reassuring click of the plate lock is outstanding.

Thomas I for one love a good gear video that doesn’t say “hey look at me what I got”... no you did a great gear video of “look at what works and what doesn’t work”.... that’s a good video Thank You and Waffle On..

Thanks for the great video. I just had this same quandary a few month ago, and was surprised at the dearth of heavy-duty leveling head-bases, and the few that would work didn't have a bubble level. I found my solution in one of the Feisol Elite Series tripods with their accessory leveling base that has a bubble level offset from where the head mounts, making it perfectly visible in all situations. The leveling base works just like the one you demonstrated. Can't believe other mfg's don't offer something similar. The model is the Feisol CT-3372 M2 Elite Rapid with the Feisol LB-7572 Leveling Base. For the head, I went with the FLM CB-43FTR with SRB-60 Quick Release Clamp. So now I have bubble levels everywhere and so far the combo works brilliantly with an L-bracket. Feels very solid and didn't break the bank..

I recently bought a uniqball head. Levelingbase, pan/tilt and ballhead all in one. Works fantastic as soon as you get used to it

I've been using an Acratech ball head for 2 years now and love it. Acratech heads are great products.

Yes! This will change your life, trust me! I can’t believe more stills photographers don’t get the benefit of a bowl for levelling, and the fact that a video head ensures that everything is now square and level when panning or tilting!!!! I use a video head, but will never go back to a ballhead! Wait until your other members of the fab 4 see it!

I really appreciate your taking the time to share the problem-solving process and not just a recommendation with a list of benefits and features. For anyone else seeking a similar solution, such a head is essentially a type of gimbal, and frequently marketed as a "video pan head". Of course one needs to do the research and due diligence: a bargain-basement gimbal or pan-head will likely be just as wobbly as a ball head, and worse a major annoyance if the axes aren't truly normal (square) to each other. My own frustrations with ball heads shifting when the locking mechanism is tightened pushed me into looking at a geared head. Similarly, the problem of perspective control and precise composition for landscapes has pitched me down the rabbit hole of researching shift-lens solutions for digital cameras. Sure, I know how to make "corrections" in software, and there are a number of cameras that claim they can do this automatically, yet once you've seen what a shifted lens can achieve, it is difficult to "unsee" it.

You can't beat the Really Right Stuff combination of ball head and leveling system. I've been using it successfully for years.

If you are looking to replace your ball head in a wallet friendly way I highly highly recommend the neewer ball head, it's about £15 on amazon. I was given one brand new and absolutely love it. Very secure very good build and without spending big bucks.

I have an AcraTech GP ball head and its a fantastically well made and simple to use tool! I'm planning to get the leveling bowl for my tripod too.

I love my Acratech and the owner was very helpful when I had a few questions before I purchased. While I don’t have the same one as you ... I have the GP ballhead but the quality build is most excellent . Congrats on your upgrade!

I have watched this video several times, trying to convince myself I didn't need this head. So I bought one, I blame you.

So sorry that you’re out of luck with this tripod but thanks so much for letting us know about this important feature because because those who are inexperienced would not guess and you just saved me from making a mistake so thank you.

I don’t know why people struggle with inferior ballheads. Just invest in an RRS BH-40 or BH-55 with clamp and be happy for the rest of your photography life. Nothing beats RRS for smoothness, function and durability. Having said that, glad Thomas found a solution that works for him.

I’m having the same problems with my Manfrotto ball head, a different model than your’s. Drives me crazy. Thank you for your video. You’ve kicked me into action to replace it!

“Arca-Swiss Monoball p0 Hybrid”. Best head ever and perfect for panoramas.

I've had the original Acratech ultimate ball head for more than a decade. Don't use a tripod that much, but when I do, I still love it. It easy to clean, very fluid, very light and very sturdy.

Really Right Stuff has the best pano and ballhead equipment on the market in my opinion. They are not cheap, but worth every penny for the quality.

Off the back of this I bought a bowl head centre-column for my 055CXPro3 and this head and it is the best combo ever. Just so little faff. With a 5DIV's inclinometer I can get level in all planes so quickly - great for landscape, portraits and architecture. Thanks so much for this vid.

“Internal gubbins” Love it 😂

I owned the Acratech head in combination with a leveling base several years ago to carry my 4x5 large format camera. The leveling base replaces the bawl head of the tripod so I could keep using my old tripod. I sold leveling base and head, when I also sold the camera. Now I went back into LF film and started to look for the head again. The price still is a problem. But in 2023, we have alternatives. I purchased a Leofoto VH-30R head wich works exactly as the Acratech for 1/3 the price (less than 200 EUR opposed to more than 600 EUR here in Germany). And I put the leveling base Leofoto LB-60N (90 EUR) in between. Perfect combination. I am not certain if the Acratech was not a tiny bit more study, but for lack of direct comparison I can only say: It does not feel like it.

You should consider the ball head Arca Swiss P0. Easy to level and use for landscape photography. Well, for any kind of photography, actually.

Thank you, Thomas, for this very informative video! Very educational for someone just starting out.

I've been contemplating a fluid head for quite a while. I think its makes for a great alternative to a gimbal head. And flexible for every application

Love my Acratech GP ball head! Precision made 100% quality piece of equipment!

Arca-Swiss P0 with their Pan system 1 and nodal slide is good for me. Gives the ability to take multi-row panoramas without any perspective distortion. Easy to take a part and I don't need separate L-bracket any more. Very expensive though.

Amazing how people are going for low cost solutions for tripod and are disappointed. I went for Really Right Stuff tripod, head and accessories 5 years ago and convinced this is the only system I will have to buy for a very very long time. It's a bit pricy but well worth the investment while dressing all the use cases described in your video. By the way, I always looking forward for your posts. Continue the good work, thanks!

I posted a video about the clamp issue last year as it cost me a lens and almost my camera... It's clearly a design flaw, and although Manfrotto wouldn't admit this they did concede that there was a serious issue with my individual unit and offered me a replacement.

I am using the newer MHXPRO BHQ2 ball head for more than 2 years, and it doesn't have any of the problems that you mentioned in this older head.

Thomas: the Acratech LLH works great with the Acratech leveling base. This combo can be put on any tripod and allows you to quickly set up a level shot or pano. The levelling base is also available on eBay.

Acratech is an excellent company with wonderful well engineered products. You can also slide one of their leveling bases under the LLH. Been using their GP head for over 10 years.

So I watched this whole video to find out you’ve bought a pan and tilt head. 🤦🏼‍♂️

You can get a bubble level that goes between the tripod and head for just a couple dollars on Amazon and eBay. The bubble part sticks out beyond the head. I have a few, and they work well.

Thomas, they are available in the UK from Bob Rigby Photographic.

I got my marriage in heaven on a COMAN TM386C (8X carbon ply) tripod and a Cullmann Magnesit MB8 ball head. Camera eye point can go as high as 2 meters and can hold steadily camera/lens combos that are more than 10 Kgs. Was so happy with the combo that I got a lighter/smaller duo in the form of COMAN TM256C (also 8X carbon ply) and a Cullmann Magnesit MB6 ball head. Enough for 180 cm eye point and 5 Kgs combos. Happiness...

Love my Acratech GP Ballhead with Lever Clamp!

I can tell you I have an Acratech ballhead. I LOVE it. It plainly just works. It works with heavy gear and it never ever complains. Worth every penny. They make a levelling bast too. Also my ballhead lets me flip it upside down for panos too.

“Moo point” 😂😂 one of my favourite joey from friends quotes 😂

"internal gubbin's"...forty years of mechanical design & engineering and I still love learning new technical words! Thank You, Thomas! ;)

arca-swiss p0 was my solution to this problem. No special tripod needed, no excess of knobs to twist for each axis.

Thank goodness you have ditched the ball head! Watching your magic videos I have been concerned that you used a ball head, I have always hated them, even the top of the range Manfrotto ones. In my professional days I used medium format and large format almost exclusively and found the best head of all was a Manfrotto geared head. Absolute magic for fine, accurate adjustments with big heavy cameras. Glad that you are back on form and looking forward to more in the field videos. Cheers, Bruce

Can you do video about combustion

I'm glad you made this video Thomas. I was starting to believe that you were the only photographer who owned the Manfrotto ball head and didn't have clamp issues. I have exactly the same problem and so does the last 5 photographers I've met who were also using it. And in case anyone is interested, Manfrotto only guarantees that part for a year, then they want £78 to fix it! Time for a change.

To be fair, the clamp issue is not really related to the thing being a ball head. The base issue is. I appreciate the review on the Acratech head though.

Behind the rectangular sticker on the side of this head there is a hidden little tiny allen screw, if you tighten that the play will provably get solved!!!! Same happened to me!!! So maybe you can still use it for something else!!!! Great work Thomas!!!

that clamp that you're describing in the beginning cost me a brand new 5 day old Canon 5D Mark IV and 16-36L lens last year while at the top of Faroe Island's highest point. It malfunctioned and down the side of the mountain and cliffs my camera went and never to be seen again. It just keep tumbling and bouncing and tumbling and bouncing all the way until I lost sight of it. Yeah I never threw up!! ~Ron

Did you consider a Manfrotto fluid video head? I’ve heard they work quite well with bowl tripod mounts.

Great Choice, Acratech, and they make other leveling products, and phenomenal ball heads

I’ve had several heads from Acratech. They make great equipment. They never wobble always tighten without slipping. They are worth the money they charge for their gear.

2 words, Thomas: RRS BH-55 (is that 2 words?) Buy nice or buy twice.

Manfrotto makes a tripod spacer 120-38. They cost about $25. Worth it to buy yourself some room from the base to work those fiddly knobs with gloved hands. Also if you went with the RRS ta-3 leveling base, it’s bubble level is offset you can use the level no matter what head is on it.

Great Vid, one small correction.....I work pro video......BOWL MOUNT, not ball head when its on the sticks.

Thomas, Bob Rigby Photographic are the sole UK supplier of all Acratech products, including a fantastic levelling base. I have used Acratech ball heads for a few years and they are excellent. One tip though, don’t over tighten the mechanisms as that can lead to the same problem you have encountered with the Manfrotto.

Really Right Stuff tripod and ball head,best combo in the market

"I'm Done With My Ball Head." I suppose there's plastic surgery, but really...

Acratech heads rock! Take a look at the Promediagear 42mm tripod bowl system! You won’t want to climb mt with it but it rocks for everything else!

SIRUI K-40X Ball Head with Quick Release Plate Recommended

Older video but note that LeoFoto also has five very similar heads, all beautifully machined and much cheaper for sure than Acratech. The Leofoto VH70R (447g) is in my bag as we speak ;) Leofoto also have leveling bases (either built-in to their tripods or available separately and Sunwayfoto have make leveling bases too (I have one of those). I think Leofoto's are slightly better though having a means to mate to the head to make movement impossible.

Only problem I can see is those bowl head tripods don’t offer as much movement as your regular tripod head so you may find yourself having to level with tripod legs for very uneven ground. 😬

Great solution to a tricky problem!

Those bowl heads have been std equipment for Pro videographers forever.

I don't know if I commented on this video before, but.... thank you for reviewing the acratech head. I had to wait a year to get it, as it was out if stock here in the USA. Now that I have it as nd used it once already, I am never going back to a ball head again. I went through 3 ball heads in the last 10 years. They either locked up with sand / salt. Or, the stem between the ball and plate would not stay tight causing the camera to flop when in portrait position. Even with a small prime lens. Also with the acratech being arca swiss, I can use an l bracket and also switch between my zyhuin webill s quickly without having to switch out plates. The acratech is rather expensive, but with the build. I don't see it breaking down .

Next video: I bought a video fluid head

Hi Tom, as others have mentioned, yes Induro do a bowl and half ball for your GIT304 legs. You need the 75mm bowl and half ball. The Induro one is MLA23 (I think the half ball and bowl come together), but I can't see a uk stockist right now. SRS Microsystems have the Induro Bowl only (MVB23) on offer at £29 and Park Cameras have the Benro half ball BL75, or the BL75S (short tie down for low to the ground work). Another option which is lighter weight (and cheaper) than those options is to use a levelling base that screws on to the existing flat base on your Induro. I have found the Andoer DY-60N to be good (nice smooth adjustment compared to the more expensive sunway foto equivalent and the Andoer N version has the larger 1/4" thread which you obviously want - adapters from 3/8" are a pain). Lots of options to make your Induro tripod part of your new perfect set up. Clive

Awesome video of my favourite photographer! I like Manfrotto! :) Greetings!

Love my Acratech GP-s Ballhead with Lever Clamp.

Three years with your Manfrotto... I purchased a RRS (Really Right Stuff) carbon fiber tripod as well as a ball head, “L” plate and smaller miscellaneous bits eleven years ago, still working perfectly... I did a lot of research, read many reviews, and as they said “Buy once, cry once”.

lol... you are running out of topics so you are doing gear reviews again..

Great advice. If you remember I had spoken to you about the manfrotto ball head I think I was the first public person to have issues the Gary did and they replaced his. I could not get mine replaced. So I went to 3 Legged Thing at the NEC. I love the bowl head. There was a guy there a small company that have some amazing heads think you need to give them a look. I’ll email you the details of the company. Very very nice heads just like that one you have just got.

I would highly recommend the manfrotto 400 gear head; accurate and reliable; big/ bulky; not cheap by any means; rent or borrow one and you will like it. I got a great deal: second hand from Adorama.

I bought the larger TC9 version of the Ifootage when it came out. It's a great stand with one main problem. That stupid bubble level on the tripod mounting surface. With no other level on the tripod. I asked Ifootage about it. They told me to take off my ball head, level it with the bowl, and remount my ball head, then tighten the allen screws back up to lock ball to the Ifootage ball. I asked if they wanted me to do that every time I move my tripod. They said I should get a head with a level on it's base. I even asked about another ball head to have one with a video head and one with a Acratech 1165. It wasn't available. I ate the expense and bought a LeoFoto LM 404CL. It's lighter, Taller, has a bubble level on the top of a leg and a bubble level on the bowls surface you mount your head too. It's also larger leg sections. And I can get extra 75mm bowls, and halfballs and other stuff. Oh, LeoFoto has smaller tripods that have a ball level head to use for travel too. I don't think I used the IFootage ITC9 even once for a shoot.

Just found this video, and this is exactly what i need. The hunt is on!

Did you know that this is 2020 and we now have camera's with IBIS as well as lenses with IS? You simply do not need at tripod of any kind to shoot Pano's. I shoot 6, 8 or even 12 image Pano's and all hand held. It's magic I know but it works perfectly well.

Can you show macro shots of the objects you are showing? Just a little tip for future reviews... Cause I wanted to check them better without leaving the video.

Honestly I don't mind your gear videos. What differs this one from the camera ones is that you seem to be more passionate and interested in the video today. Love your work!

I've been using an Acratech Panoramic & Tilt Head with QR since Feb. I coupled it with the Acratech Leveling Base, which I strongly recommend. I also use their Nodal Rail. The head holds up to 25 lbs., so you can use it for long lenses, too. I find this combination to be ideal for landscapes, seascapes, and woodland photography. It really shines with panoramas. The nodal rail is really overkill and a PIA unless you're doing something like architectural photography. Not worth hauling out in the field. My Kirk BH-1 ball head is suffering from loneliness and jealousy since I switched to the Acratech head and leveling base. Don't forget the leveling base, Thomas. A lot easier than messing with your tripod legs. ;)

I use a Manfrotto geared head. No need to level the tripod, as the head has L/R and U/D bubbles and three dials to adjust rotation, up/down and left/right angle. The only issues are it’s weight and that rotation, although play-free is not quick.

i kept the ball and got an arca swiss clamp and used the origional screw from my old ball head to attach. I also have a 3 way from my view camera that works great too.

I've had the same problem with the head (I own it), and a little bit of grease saved it - it now works like new! Absolutely smooth. Try buying some bearing grease or something like that and try to grease the problematic part(s) properly. I went from fighting with the ball head almsot breaking my camera at one point to loving to use it again. :)

Really right stuff man. That's the best gear. Their service is amazing and the quality is just crazy good.

I’ve had the same issue with my Manfrotto ball head forever. Drives me nuts. Time for another brand. 🙏 ,

The three legged thing one you can also pan it as a regular ball head. It has two places you can pan it from. I have it and have have an issue doing panos with it yet.

Hello Thomas! I recently replaced my Benro ballhead with the Acratech LLH + Leveling base and the combination of both has been absolutely great! After having my BH tip 90d a couple of times with my Sony 200-600mm and coming dangerously close to falling over, I had had enough and started looking for something more stable. These aren't cheap (except when compared with their top line heads) but you can't put a price on the assurance of having your gear stay on top of the tripod and not on the ground.

Thomas, excellent choice! Acratech make fantastic products that are of the highest quality. I use their GP ball head and love it. To solve your problem with your Induro tripod, look into Acratech’s leveling base. I bought one used for $100 Canadian. It screws on your tripod, and then your tripod head screws onto it. It will solve your problems!

I managed to watch the whole video! I like photography, but I don't even consider amateurs and gear is one of the issues I have. Plus I have to photograph at walking and cycling distance. Anyway, congrats for the videos,very inspiring! It's mad how much will yo do stuff you have. I wish I could transfer that will to do photography and other stuff too. Keep on the good work. Ah,I saw one video where you said you read the comments, so I expect a like or whatever the name is! Greetings from a Portuguese living in Dublin, IE.

I don't have advice for panoramas but the Slik 2100 pistol grip has given me security for 20 years. It's not a quick release but I love it.

Ok I used to do a lot of long lens surf photography and obviously the problem I had was you need to find a subject at a shorter focus length zoom and pan while shooting, I didn’t have a lot of money but my solution I still honestly use today for everything was use a manfroto fluid filled video Head , still has tripod thread quick reLease plates , can be locked off to pan or tilt only I’m surprised you haven’t tried one

Really Right Stuff mate! Their leveling base has the bubble on a tab so that the head will not hide the level (poor engineering on the Gazelle). Again, RRS is not cheap but you get what you pay for.