In search for the ultimate ballhead
By Deevee
Let me preface here and clarify on the word ultimate. There’s no such thing as the ultimate ultimate ballhead. To each style of shooting, there’s a corresponding ballhead. For my shooting needs, mainly hiking landscape photography, the ballhead has to be light, sturdy, easy to use, easy to maintain, simple, allow for panning and affordable. In the process of choosing the ultimate ballhead for myself, the 2 most critical factors are weight and price, value for money so to speak.
First, a few words on tripod
Tripods are no less important in the selection of the ballhead. It has to be able to support the ballhead for once, as if they are made for each other; again, weight for me is of utmost importance, and sturdiness; carbon materials are notorious for being strong yet yielding little weight. A 3-section leg is favored over a 4-section for the simple fact that it’s a little faster to unravel 6 knobs rather than 9! Some may like the 4-section since it’s a little more compact when compressed but I‘d rather not have to deal with 9 unscrews, especially when the subject is not permanent. Carbon also has the nice property of not sticking to your fingers in inclement weather like metal, aluminum for example. Price is also a consideration especially when your photography does not generate any income. All things considered, I found the Hakuba HG-6230C the best tripod which fits all my requirements for the best price. Gitzo 1227 comes in second, not because it’s not capable but because of its steep price. Being not a tall person, the Hakuba max height is just about perfect for me, I rarely have to extend the center column more than half of its length, and this helps make the tripod stay more stable. The min height is also good enough for macro shots but I rarely go that low so it’s not a hindrance for me. The screw type locks are a little slower than the Manfrotto quick snap but they don’t eat your skin as much either (try the snap on out once and you’ll see, ouch!); they are easier to clean, and I suspect they may last longer. In the field, the Hakuba feels very sturdy, it holds up well to windy conditions; it (and most tripods) has a little hook at the end of the center column; this allows for hanging your backpack or something heavy at the end of it to hold down the tripod even more in less than perfect conditions. I’ve had my tripod + camera + lens fly on me once so this is a neat little thing to have for extra security.
Now let’s talk ballheads
When I first started it out in photography, oh a few moons ago, I thought all tripods /ballheads are created equal. I bought the cheapest one I can find, one that includes everything. Needless to say, those tripods didn’t serve me well, nor did they last very long on my hiking trips. Progressively I moved up to tripod with separate ballheads with and without quick release, trigger type vs. ball type ….
I’ve learned quite a bit from all these ballhead purchases, all because I wanted to save a few dollars here and there. The Bogen type plates with the butterfly lock tend to be loose after a while, they can’t hold the camera plate very tightly; some of the balls are not as smooth as they could and should be; some don’t have a separate panning screw, or the panning is too slippery to be of any help….
Then I discovered the so called Ultimate Ballhead (it’s the actual name) manufactured by Acratech; it’s highly vaunted by the press and users alike. Guess what? I bought it just based on reviews alone. The Acratech is a novel type of ballhead, its design is quite elegant and looks quite different from other ballheads. It’s light, very light, the lightest of all ballheads I’m considering here. It’s well machined and is not too expensive. Unfortunately it didn’t fare too well in the field based on my experience. It’s not very sturdy, it doesn’t have the friction control on the ball, so a heavy camera/lens combo can flop on its side easily; the panning knob is too hard on the finger, it’s small and does not hold the base as tight: you’d have to put a lot of pressure on it to tighten the base, otherwise your gear may pan on its own will should you want to carry it on your shoulder; the panning motion is too slippery , not well damped. The vertical setup is awkward since the whole ball head is not that tall; the camera side tends to hit either the ball control knob or the base.
Acratech Ultimate ballhead
Due to these deficiencies, I sold the Acratech and continued my search for the ultimate ballhead. I heard about Arca-Swiss but the price, the weight and the rumors about balls locking up ruled it out of my selection.
Of course there are many other players in the field, but after a thorough research I ended up with 2 finalists: the Kirk BH-3 and the Markins M10.
Kirk BH-3 vs. Markins M10
These 2 ballheads are very similar in specs and in features. They both sport a Quick release Arca type plate which I prefer over any other plates; these do clamp down the camera plate and hold it real tight. It helps to have a camera plate custom made for your camera, they do fit the contour better. I bought the Acratech custom plate for my SLR but Kirk/Arca and other manufacturers do offer them as well.
They both have a separate panning lock, a gradation for panoramic shooting, a ball friction control: the Kirk has a separate knob for this, while the Markins control is done via a little screw inside the main ball control knob, again a la Arca.
Physically the Kirk stands a little taller than the Markins by a mere 10mm, it’s about as wide, but the Markins ball is slightly bigger. The Kirk weighs 567g to the Markins 510g. Kirk site doesn’t specify the max load of the ballhead but I suspect (and from other sources ) it can easily handle a 40 kg (88lbs) load just as the Markins is capable of.
In the field, both ballheads perform magnificently; the ball movement is smooth with the help of the friction control; If you adjust the friction to your camera weight properly, then there’s less likely the chance your camera will flop on releasing the ball control knob; the quick release clamp is precise and tight; the panning well damped and rotation friction is just about right ; the knobs are very easy on the fingers and do not require a lot of force to tighten; vertical setup is a breeze, no problem here like a la Acratech; they are both low maintenance and can be cleaned with a damp cloth with some alcolhol.
The verdict
Both of these ballheads are very well machined gear, precise, look expensive, and do the job well; they won’t sag your frail shoulders on long hiking trips but they do cost a little. So what to do? It ‘s the little things that made the difference for me: I prefer the quick release plate on the Kirk, it seems to be better machined and the knob is easier on the finger, even both clamp down quite well; but asides from that, the Markins shines in other areas: its ball is slightly bigger in diameter and the throat is wider suggesting a stronger hold and tighter control; its gradation is outside the base thus easier to read than the hidden hole cut design of the Kirk; it weighs a little less, every ounce counts when you’re tired; last but not least, its unique Arca like friction control allows for precise and elegant adjustment of both friction and ball movement in one knob; it’s a little strange at first, but once used to it, you’ll find it to be a delight to have; the Kirk design is a little more awkward with 2 separate knobs, giving it a more cluttered look. Value wise, the Kirk is cheaper at $260.00 at this writing, the Markins can be had for $310.00 but it has to be ordered from Korea. So taking price into consideration, the Kirk may edge out here, but me, I’d rather keep the Markins at this very moment.
Now it’s your turn to decide. You can’t go wrong with either. Happy shooting.
Markins M10 on my Hakuba
Other references