How to use friction control on head

[jaswinder]

What is the use of friction control and how it is used on a ball head.

[Wilt]

If you have a heavy lens, the friction control permits you to loosen the lock without the lens and camera free falling due to the weight of the lens...it provides a bit of drag rather than free fall

[jaswinder]

If you have a heavy lens, the friction control permits you to loosen the lock without the lens and camera free falling due to the weight of the lens...it provides a bit of drag rather than free fall

Thanks. Now my next question is if I have a head which does not have a friction control knob then I will be tighten the lock, but when head has friction control do I titen both lock and friction control to maximum?

[Wilt]

Thanks. Now my next question is if I have a head which does not have a friction control knob then I will be tighten the lock, but when head has friction control do I titen both lock and friction control to maximum?


With a ballhead with a lock and a friction control, you preset the friction control and for that lens, then you never change it (until you mount a different weight lens) and you unlock and lock the lock control only.

[jaswinder]

With a ballhead with a lock and a friction control, you preset the friction control and for that lens, then you never change it (until you mount a different weight lens) and you unlock and lock the lock control only.

Thanks. This is what I have understand from what you have said.

First adjust the friction knob so that the camera is not moving becasue of the weight and then tighten the lock. Am I right here?

[Wilt]

Thanks. This is what I have understand from what you have said.

First adjust the friction knob so that the camera is not moving becasue of the weight and then tighten the lock. Am I right here?

'not moving because of the weight' might be a little too much friction, since it might be a bit difficult for you to make minor positional adjustments upward when the lens does not fall downward due to its weight.

[jaswinder]

This means that friction knob should be loose enough that camera can be moved for minor adjustment and after that lock can be used.

[Wilt]

Precisely

[Lowner]

The exception is Markins. They encourage users to rely totally on the friction control adjusted to the "sweet spot". They claim to have done tests that prove it works better that way and who am I to argue with them.

[bohdank]

I often forget to lock down the main control on my M10, the friction works so well. I can still reposition my camera/lens and it stays. I haven't tried it with anything bigger/longer than a 300F4IS, since I don't have anything bigger/longer.

I wouldn't reccomend doing that but it's what it is.

[jaswinder]

I am going to try on my 498.

Before this I did not had idea about how to user friction control.