Who makes a good reliable ball-and-socket head?

TP wrote:

I would hope that I can get a well-designed, reliable ball head for a small
camera without paying $279.95 for an Acra



You cannot. That is the "ball head conundrum".


Nonsense. A basic Manfrotto mini-ball is both well designed and
reliable for use with a small camera. I'm not claiming it is as
good as an Arca, but certainly more than enough for a small
camera kit.



No, it isn't nonsense.

Of course you are confusing "Arca" with "Acratech", which was being
discussed as "Acra". It is a lot cheaper than an Arca. I suspect the
brand name was chosen specifically in order to confuse, and it
certainly worked on you!

I'll grant the point on the misspelling.


But Manfrotto are yet to make a decent ball head; they have made junk
ballheads for years and the current, revised range are no better.

BS. I have two ball heads that are as good as the day I bought
them despite subjecting on of them to loads beyond its design. I
have friends who have been on the same Manfrotto ball heads for
over 10 years and they still do the job.

Note that the poster said "well designed, reliable", and that is
what the Manfrottos' deliver. Not the best, but certainly that
requirement.



So what does a keen shooter choose? Arca, Acra(tech), Kirk,
Wimberley, Novoflex ... they are all expensive, but they all work well
for people who need a competent, reliable tripod head.

But for people like Alan Browne, who appreciate mediocrity in all
things, anything will do, and a Manfrotto is probably overkill.

You are a boor, as always. Post some photos.

--
--e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.--

"Jonathan Sachs" wrote in message ink.net...
I'm looking for a ball-and-socket head to replace my trusty old Leitz head,
which just came apart in my hand.

Actually the base of the head was attached to a copy stand, and the platform
was attached to my camera... which just happened to be safely supported by
my hand when the breakup occurred.

I'm rather shocked that a Leitz product could fail this way, even after
years of good service. I want to buy a replacement that will hold my camera
with the optical axis precisely vertical, without drooping or slipping, and
will NOT let go without warning. What should I look at?

Another Leica ball head, of course.

http://www.adorama.com/LCBSHL.html

Alan Browne wrote:

I'll grant the point on the misspelling.


It isn't a mis-spelling. It is a completely different brand.

Damn the troll.. I've been avoiding this thread thinking it's one of those smut
spam posts he makes... can't there be better names than "ball-and-socket head"?

"Sabineellen" wrote in message
...

Damn the troll.. I've been avoiding this thread thinking it's one of those
smut
spam posts he makes... can't there be better names than "ball-and-socket
head"?

Consider yourself lucky... a couple of months ago I came close to getting
sued because I ignored a couple of e-mail messages whose sender I did not
recognize, and whose subject lines made them appear to be spam.

Jonathan Sachs said:

"Sabineellen" wrote in message
...

Damn the troll.. I've been avoiding this thread thinking it's one of
those
smut
spam posts he makes... can't there be better names than "ball-and-socket
head"?

Consider yourself lucky... a couple of months ago I came close to getting
sued because I ignored a couple of e-mail messages whose sender I did not
recognize, and whose subject lines made them appear to be spam.

How can you be sued for ignoring an email? Is there some kind of law in
existance somewhere that forces you to pay attention via e-mail?

Get real!

--
R.I.P. Ray Charles
I've got Georgia on my mind

"Jonathan Sachs" wrote in message
ink.net...
TP, perhaps you have given me my answer.

If the Benbo is "well made but just too basic," it may be exactly what I
am
looking for. I need something to level the camera on the copy stand, and
occasionally let me swing it 90° (to the position that would be vertical
if
I were using a tripod). You can't get much more basic than that.

Is there anything about it that would need to "basic" for this?


If you only need this one axis of movement, why not get something like a
panning base or a monopod tilt (depending which axis it is you want to swing
through)? This would be cheaper than most mid-price ballheads, and more
rigid than any but the most costly ballhead.


Peter

"Dallas" wrote in message
news
Jonathan Sachs said:

"Sabineellen" wrote in message
...

Damn the troll.. I've been avoiding this thread thinking it's one of
those
smut
spam posts he makes... can't there be better names than
"ball-and-socket
head"?

Consider yourself lucky... a couple of months ago I came close to
getting
sued because I ignored a couple of e-mail messages whose sender I did
not
recognize, and whose subject lines made them appear to be spam.

How can you be sued for ignoring an email? Is there some kind of law in
existance somewhere that forces you to pay attention via e-mail?

Get real!

Yeah....They would have to send you, "registered email." Or have a Notary
Public send you the email.....And even then, you could sue your server if
you didn't get it.......

"Dallas" wrote in message
news
How can you be sued for ignoring an email? Is there some kind of law in
existance somewhere that forces you to pay attention via e-mail?

Well, there are laws that require one to return property borrowed from
another when asked to do so. The sender was entirely within his rights to
expect me to return his laptop computer, and understandably upset when after
two weeks I had failed to reply to two requests... except that he assumed I
was ignoring them, when I never saw them.

Get real!

The school was about to turn the matter over to its in-house counsel. That's
pretty real.

Jonathan Sachs said:

"Dallas" wrote in message
news
How can you be sued for ignoring an email? Is there some kind of law in
existance somewhere that forces you to pay attention via e-mail?

Well, there are laws that require one to return property borrowed from
another when asked to do so. The sender was entirely within his rights to
expect me to return his laptop computer, and understandably upset when
after two weeks I had failed to reply to two requests... except that he
assumed I was ignoring them, when I never saw them.

Get real!

The school was about to turn the matter over to its in-house counsel.
That's pretty real.

Sure, but I don't think they can use the fact that you never responded to
email as a grounds for a law suit. If he really wanted the laptop back
surely he should have called you on the phone? Or better still, come
around and got it?

--
Oh dear. Looks like my signature took off...
Reward offered.