Looking for new pro ballhead with ONE knob

<p>I'm looking for a new heavy duty ballhead that can support at least 15 pounds. I only want one knob though. I have been looking at RRS and Manfrotto but it seems that all of their big ballheads have multiple knobs for pan/ tightness/ lock. I find this slows me down too much. Can anyone recommend one? I have several manfrotto plates but wouldn't terribly mind switching to arca swiss type. (The only problem I have with arca swiss is that I've accidentally loosened the locking plate instead of the ballhead in the dark which really scares me.) Ballpark price range would be $100-$300.</p>

<p>I don't know of larger ball heads that have only one knob, but there may be some. You can decide not to use the controls you don't need. As far as accidentally loosening the clamp and dropping your camera when you mean to adjust the main knob, you can turn the Arca-Swiss so that the two knobs are on opposite sides, making it less likely that you'll suffer a costly mistake.</p>

<p>Even with the 3-knob heads, you typically leave the friction knob alone. Tighten the pan knob, and your 3-knob head becomes a 1-knob head.</p>

Arca-Swiss Z1 but the panning knob is seperate.

I really don't want a pan knob. I like to switch back and forth between vertical and horizontal.

<p>Have you looked at FLM ?</p>

<p>Les</p>

Thomas, look for a used Arca-Swiss B1e. It's a B1 mono ball without the panning base.

<p>You know I have a camera with lots of knobs, dials and buttons. I have to learn which ones I need to fiddle with whilst preparing to make a photograph, and so does everyone else. Mostly this happens successfully with a bit of practice. </p>

<p>It's the same with ballheads- I have a RRS ballhead that I think will be beyond your budget in any case, but although there are three knobs they are so different in size and shape (not an accident I'd guess) that there's no way you'd reasonably confuse them after a little time using it. This is helped enormously by the fact that the two smaller knobs can be set for the duration and on a shot by shot basis all you need to use is the larger, well-designed knob on the other side of the head. Typically I'll set up the ballhead so I operate this main knob with my left hand leaving the right to manage the camera. The reverse would work too; the important thing would be to set the ballhead up the same way each time, then IMO anyway there's no real chance of undoing the wrong knob.</p>

<p>If you want to switch quickly and safely between landscape and portrait orientations, then get an L plate. It will simply transform camera and tripod handling from a speed and safety point of view and would I believe take away many of your concerns over knobs. But you can't go that way with a Manfrotto head. Equally if you want to avoid having a screw clamp then get a lever clamp- there's no way you're going to confuse a lever with a knob no matter how dark it gets. </p>

Have a look at my "heads for every budget" thread in this forum. The Triopo RS-3 has only one knob - loosened slightly it'll turn to allow

panning, loosened more it releases the ball (and release a lot more to use the slot for portrait orientation). The default plate is useless, but an

Arca-Swiss-style QR plate is a cheap and easy-to-fit accessory. The ball's "knob" (is this sounding rude yet?) is pear-shaped, so you're not

going to mistake it for the clamp - it pulls out to let you re-orient it. My only complaint about the handling is that the distinction between

panning and moving the ball is hard to judge, but if you don't *want* a panning knob, that's not going to bother you. Mine cost me less than

$100 (equivalent, I'm in the UK), and that's with high UK taxes. It's absolutely solid - mine has held my 200 f/2 no problem, and there are

reports of owners using them with 500-600mm primes (though I'd always use a gimbal with something like that); someone tested for

slippage and the screw broke first. I'd recommend at least trying it, given the price.

 

An alternative, if you can get one, is a Burzynski - but they cost a lot more.

 

I second that an L plate is a nice accessory. I'm less sold on flip clamps, just because they need to be adjusted to fit the plate, and if you have

plates from different manufacturers they may disagree slightly, meaning a fiddly readjustment when you switch lenses. Not a problem if you

get all your plates in one place, but I prefer the option and stuck to screw clamps (which are plate-agnostic and make it easier to feel when a

lens is secure).

 

(I've no affiliation with Triopo, despite my tendency to recommend them, just for the record.)

 

Good luck.

<p>The Arca Z1 is the only ball head with one control knob for both tension and lockup. The tension is applied very gradually. The ball is oblate, so the tension automatically increases with tilt.</p>

<p>The Z1 has a separate pan knob, but you don't have to use it (it's better if you do). The best way to switch between vertical and horizontal format is with an L-bracket. RRS and Kirk make good L-brackets which work with Arca-style QR clamps.</p>

<p>Edward - I believe Thomas doesn't want the separate pan knob. There are many Arca-Swiss clones that have a similar tension dial integrated into the main control knob, though the aspherical ball is possibly unique (and certainly patented). I should clarify that the RS-3 I mentioned doesn't have a tension control (though you can obviously just loosen the head by less; I've never been all that convinced by the use of separate controls on ball heads that do have it, but I presume some find it important) and, obviously, no aspherical ball (though it can't flop into the slot unless you loosen it much more than usual). I've no direct experience with a Z1, and the aspherical nature is something that intrigues me, so I'm not going to vouch against it - it obviously has many happy customers.<br />

<br />

If you're getting an L bracket anyway, the Burzynski head is worth a look. (It has two knobs, but they're interchangeable so there's no issue with grabbing the wrong one.)</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The Arca Z1 is the only ball head with one control knob for both tension and lockup.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The Markins and Photo Clam ballheads have an identical arrangement to the Arca-Swiss Z1 without the aspherical ball. (They are Z1 copies after all!)</p>

<p>Sorry Andrew I didn't see your prior response hiding away here on page 2. ;-)</p>

<p>:-) Thanks for the back-up, Peter. Glad I got it right!</p>

<p>I also don't like to use multiple controls on a ballhead, either. I bought a used Canon ballhead, which is a crude piece of equipment compared with Kirk and Arca Swiss products. But it is large and quite strong. Long discontinued, but I believe Velbon currently makes something similar, though it is no beautiful example of industrial design. Not sure if these less exquisitely made heads could hold 15lbs, but they are fast to operate because of the single control.</p>

<p>! I didn't know Canon ever made a ball head. It's not easy to Google for either (even after you stop the autocorrect to "cannon ball"). :-) (I'd certainly take the RS-3 over the Velbons, but each to his own!)</p>

<p>The Canon ball head is kind of clunky and the fit and finish are hardly precise, but because of its size it is pretty strong and the single lever allows for quick adjustments. I usually put a RRS clamp on it.</p><div></div>