The benefits of ball heads elude me...

[Reinhold]

A ball head requires two hands; one to hold/orient the camera, the other to loosen/tighten the head.

A pan head needs only one hand to simultaneously orient the camera and loosen/tighten the head.

Reinhold

www.classicBWphoto.com

[Kilgallb]

Ball heads are cheaper than the 3 axis types. This was important when I started in LF.

Ball heads weigh less and occupy less space than the 3 axis heads, which is important when back packing.

Yes, if you only walk from the car for a km or less, a 3 axis is superior, but if you walk a fair distance, I put up with the ball head.

[Tom Hoskinson]

Does the quick-release plate of the Feisol clear the film spool buttons that pop out on the Mamiya? Kerry didn't have one handy to test for me.

The Feisol QP-144750 QR Plate that came with my Feisol CB-30C Ballhead does not clear the film spool buttons that pop out on the Mamiya 7ii.

However, my Really Right Stuff B53C QR Plate does clear the film spool buttons that pop out on the Mamiya 7ii.

[2F/2F]

They are quick. That's about it. You don't have to level the tripod very well, and you don't have to take as long framing your shots. They are good for situations where you will be re framing a lot and/or moving the tripod a lot. They are not the ideal head under controlled and/or slow-moving circumstances, but they do have their uses!

[roodpe]

A ball head has much greater strength for weight than a pan-tilt head or a gear head, and is more compact than a head with long handles. I've always preferred three-way heads, but one can get used to a ballhead. I find it helps to use a circular bullet level with a ballhead, rather than a cylindrical level, so the bubble corresponds more directly to the motion of the ball.

My favorite head is the Arca-Swiss B2, which has the strength of a ballhead and the control of a pan-tilt head. If only they made a smaller version, because one doesn't always need a head with a capacity of 150 lbs.

I ordered an Arca Z2 head about 7 months ago after hearing about it from Phillipe Voight. It is the updated lighter version of the B2. The B2 will no longer be made. I am still waiting.

[David A. Goldfarb]

When it arrives, I'd be very interested to see it.