ballhead lockdown knob creep testing...does every ballhead creep?

Here's what I did for testing:

- use a 70-100mm lens (typical macro lens) or some heavy lens

- adjust tension knob on ballhead so the camera moves smoothly

- align viewfinder w/ an object w/ vertical lines and point 45 degrees down or up at object

- look in viewfinder as you tighten/loosen lockdown knob and watch the lines move off the object :-(

- loosen lockdown knob

- use timer/MLU to take image of object

- tighten lockdown knob

- use timer/MLU to take image of object

- flip between images in playback mode or download images to computer and look at how much the image moved :-(

 

At any rate, for those of you with a ballhead you think doesn't creep, please give this a try and let me know how

it did and what body/lens you used...

 

I suspect the answer will be to avoid using the lockdown knob and just tension it enough so the camera doesn't

shake when the mirror goes up...

it would be helpful to know what ballhead you used.

What brand of ball head?

on which ballheads do or don't creep when following the above procedure. I'm specifically curious whether an Arca Swiss or Kirk has any lockdown movement. I'll mention mine in a bit...just wanted to avoid mentioning it for now to avoid biasing the testing/replies... :-)

FWIW; In casual shooting (not admittedly your setup) I haven't noticed this with the Really Right Stuff BH-40 and BH-55 ballheads.

I didn't notice it until looking for it as well...a friend bought the same ballhead and noticed the bubble level on the clamp moved as he tightened the lockdown knob so I tried the above test (target subject was only 2' away so it shouldn't have been that noticeable in the viewfinder at 70mm). Give the test a try when you get home if you don't mind...

There are several factors in "creep" - the head itself, flexibility in the QR system and flexibility in the tripod itself.

 

An high-quality head like an Arca-Swiss, RRS, Kirk or Acratech will not change the aim point when you do the final lockdown. Furthermore these heads use Arca-type QR systems which are very solid when used with a fitted plate. "Universal" plates which attach with a thumbscrew are not nearly as solid and slip badly when the camera is in the vertical orientation.

 

A Gitzo series 3 or larger tripod is very stiff, especially when used without a column, and does not flex in use. A series 2 Gitzo is usually OK, but anything smaller is too flexible for serious use. Manfrotto tripods (3021 and larger) are comparable to Gitzo series 2 tripods.

 

I have more flex in the tripod collars of my lenses (80-200 and 70-200) than in the head or tripod itself.

The ArcaSwiss does not have any creep due to the asymetric design of the ball. The more the off-axis pressure the

tighter it locks up.

Edward: just FYI, my testing was done on a Bogen 3021BPro w/ all leg sections collapsed. Camera was K10D w/ a RRS plate. I did this test multiple times to verify. I'm hoping someone has a few moments to test their heads using the above method...

I had problems with my old offset style Gitzo ball head creeping. I gave it away and bought the Kirk BH-! head. No more problems even with my 500 f/4, Sidekick, and 1.4X TC.

Not a problem with my Arca-Swiss B1 and B2 Monoballs. Shouldn't be a problem with the Really Right Stuff BH-55.

I use a Bogen 488RC2, and the problem isn't in the ballhead. It's creep free, but there is definite play in the QR plate/clamp. If I hold the head itself when tightening, no problem, but if I hold the camera or lens, it "settles" when I release it.

 

Also, the QR plate has no lip, though they were at one time available, so in vertical mode there may be slippage

Jack: that's why it's better to get camera-specific plates...the RRS plate for my K10D has two lips and no cork/rubber, so there's no movement whatsoever. It's definitely not that and the creep/play is in the lockdown knob.

FYI, found a thread on Fred Miranda on lockdown creep:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/594051/0

 

Sounds like I'll have to save up for an M20...

Ken,

 

I might be confused. I was referring to the downward movement, when, after the head is locked, the camera on the plate settles into it's base.

 

But are you referring to some sort of hoizontal (or other) movement off the vertical axis, caused by the final few ounces of pressure?

Jack: yep, something different. In my test steps above, I have my hands off the camera when I confirm the viewfinder grid is aligned w/ an object...the camera is held in place by the tension which you adjust to move smoothly but not droop when you let go. I look through the viewfinder, then only tighten/loosen the lockdown knob (I don't touch the tension knob). The lockdown knob apparently pushes the ball to lock it in place...in my case, I see a diagonal movement to the upper right (more if the tension knob is looser, less if it's tighter, but when it's tighter, the camera movement is pretty jerky).

 

I had a Bogen 3437 pan/tilt head...their generic clamps are horrible..cork on the bottom which compresses and when you rotate the camera, the cork plate sometimes rotates. The arca-swiss type plates are much better as long as you get a camera specific one...no movement whatsoever...no cork...no rubber...lips on both edges of the body. Not sure if yours uses a generic plate.

 

I dug up a lot of threads on creep...apparently on the creep list are the BH-40, BH-1, GV2, BH-55, B1. The only ones that seem to consistently not have creep are the Markins and Arca Swiss Z1 heads (at least their users claim so but don't detail how they tested like I did above).