How do you pick the size of a ball head?

[prabhu_v]

<p>I got a Fesiol travel tripod (<a href="http://www.feisol.net/feisol-traveler-tripod-ct3441s-rapid-p-38.html">http://www.feisol.net/feisol-traveler-tripod-ct3441s-rapid-p-38.html</a>) along with the photoclam 36NS ballhead (<a href="http://reallybigcameras.com/PhotoClam/PC-36N_NS.htm">http://reallybigcameras.com/PhotoClam/PC-36N_NS.htm</a>). Now I plan to exchange the Feisol travel tripod for the tournament one (<a href="http://www.feisol.net/feisol-tournament-tripod-ct3442-rapid-p-31.html">http://www.feisol.net/feisol-tournament-tripod-ct3442-rapid-p-31.html</a>) which is slightly bigger. Does this mean I need to get a larger ball head? How do you determine what sized ball head is right for you? Does it depend on the kind of tripod or does it depend on the kind of camera you will be mounting?<br /> For the tournament tripod, the photo clam 40 NS seems to be the popular choice on the web. But I am wondering why that would be better than the 36 NS.</p>

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[h._p.]

<p>Pretty much the camera. The diameter of the ball tends to dictate the friction available and therefor the weight of the camera it can support. </p>

<p>I have standardised on the Manfrotto 494: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-494-Ball-Friction-Control/dp/B002N5HLNY">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-494-Ball-Friction-Control/dp/B002N5HLNY</a> as it is strong enough to support my Hasselblad and light enough to use with a reasonable sized table-top tripod. It's remarkably good value in my opinion.</p>

[peter_j2]

<p>Total the mass of your heaviest DSLR and lens. Add L-brackets, camera/lens plates, LensCoat covers, cables, flashes, gimbal head sidekick add-ons, flash modifiers, etc. that will also be supported by the ballhead. Then, multiply the total mass by a safety factor of 2.0 to select your ballhead. Then, size your tripod in accordance with the total mass (safety factor included) + the mass of the ballhead + suspended mass of a loaded camera bag from the tripod. Buy the ballhead once for life. May I recommend the Arca Swiss Z1 sp Classic as a start?</p>

[SteveH]

<p>What Peter J says above. I have personally put my heaviest stuff (500 mm Canon f4 plus 1 DsMk3) on Really Right Stuff's BH55 with no problems for several years of travel and tough use. The good tripod heads come with a weight rating, so go with that estimate. </p>

[johnw63]

<p>The ball head is all that keeps your camera and lens and what ever else you have attached to it, in place. To do that, it's all about clamping forces and friction. But, it's not just about pure weight or mass. Lots of ball heads can hold a given weight just set on them or moved around, but when you add long lenses that put more of that mass off center and increase the torque on the ball head, you find out which ones can hold your gear very solid at those weird angles and which ones just claim to. As a general rule, the larger the ball the more it can hold. The PhotoClam 36 NS uses a 36mm ball and the 40 NS has a 40mm ball. They show a 10 lb difference in max weight. If your gear will not be anywhere near those to amounts, then the 40NS is not worth the change in price.<br>

<br />The larger the ball head, the larger the base it all pivots around on. If you put a big ball head on a small tripod or mono pod the base of the ball head will over hang the mount point. It will look funny, but pretty much all tripods and monopods use the same mouting screw, so it will work. </p>

<p>I was really looking at those PhotoClams when I started my quest for a ballhead. I'll be curious how it works out, if you get one. They get pretty good reviews. I ended up reading too much and used a cash back bonus from my credit card to get an AcraTech ball head. <br>

http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=69&cat=1&page=1</p>

<p>Probably way over kill for what I have and how much I use it, but ... it was "free money" and will probably last for decades at this rate. I doubt I'll ever wonder, " Will my ball head be able to hold THAT lens and camera ? " when I go into a camera store. </p>

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[Ed_Ingold]

<p>There are two things that distinguish a good ball head - holding power off-center and freedom from slip-stick motion under partial tension. In both cases, the large the ball, the better the operation. Price is a good indicator too - $400 being the magic number.</p>

<p>The best use of a ball head is to set the tension just enough so the camera can move easily, yet stay where you put it while you lock it down. Arca-Swiss heads do so well in this department, the best thing you can say about other heads is that they're almost as good as an Arca. If the head chatters, or must be loosened completely, it's next to useless. Likewise if it sags once you let go of the camera.</p>

[c_watson1]

<p>"<em>There are two things that distinguish a good ball head - holding power off-center and freedom from slip-stick motion under partial tension. In both cases, the large the ball, the better the operation. Price is a good indicator too - $400 being the magic number</em>."</p>

<p>I can get away with a far lighter head with a Bronica SQ-B or huge Mamiya RB67 Pro S than I can with a an F5 or D300s and a 300/2.8. It truly depends not just on mass but where it's distributed. The money argument is more truism than truth: "spend more get more" can be overkill. Looks like the OP neglected to say what he's shooting.</p>