I bought the tripod, Gitzo GT2530, but what ballhead? After reading enough about them to give me a headache I decided that all of the major players build quality products that would be more than adequate for my photography skills. So it all comes down to secondary features that meet my needs.
I wanted a lightweight setup because I knew that a heavy tripod/ballhead would more than likely stay in my closet instead of being used; advantage Markins Q3 and Acratech V1/V2
After spending so much on the tripod I wanted the most economical solution, advantage Markins Q3, Acratech V1, Kirk BH-3.
I appreciate innovative design; advantage Acratech, RRS.
Acratech was the only one to make all three lists, and since they are based in my hometown I gave Scott, the owner, a call and asked if I could drop by and see his products in person.
It's not a big operation, a few suites in a nondescript small industrial park in an LA suburb. Scott originally owned a job shop doing outsourced aerospace machined parts. He was an amateur photographer and when he wanted to move up to a quality ballhead about 7 years ago Arca Swiss was the obvious product. But several of his photographer friends told him they were great as long as you didn't get them dirty or wet, two of the most common conditions he encountered as a landscape photographer; and they were heavy, too heavy he thought to lug around with him comfortably.
He decided to try and make his own using the materials and techniques he was using for aerospace. He said he had no intentions of selling it, but when he took his original Ultimate Ballhead out on shoots people would ask him about it and tell him they'd buy one if he ever decided to make them. He finally decided to take the plunge and built 50 to see if he could sell them. A fortuitous ballhead review in a photography magazine and The Luminous Landscape website introduced his product to wide audience and the rest is history.
You really have to see the Ultimate Ballhead and the V2 version in person to appreciate them. All of the pictures I've seen make them look much more massive than they really are. In your hand they are like a precision instrument, no wasted material and no extraneous weight. And the innovative design is even more striking in person. The Arca Swiss/Markins/Kirk ping pong ball in a coffee mug ballhead design looks stale in comparison.
He told me that when they introduced the V2 he assumed the V1 would be history but it turns out that many people, including me, like the V1 design. For me it was mostly economics, the lower price didn't seem to come at a significant cost in features.
The V1 diagonal brace design which makes rotating the panning base necessary for some shot setups didn't seem such a hassle to me and the lack of a separate tension knob wasn't a deal breaker either. By loosening the ball knob slightly you get the same effect, the ball can move but not enough to fall over.
On the positive side, I found that I prefer the freedom the diagonal design gives over the traditional design. A traditional ballhead gives complete freedom in a northern hemisphere space, but going below that space restricts you to the vertical slot in the base. The V1 design gives complete freedom in an east/west hemisphere space. Going beyond that hemisphere requires rotating the panning base, but after doing that you again have complete freedom in the opposite hemisphere. I found the limitations intuitive and not restricting. I also liked the real innovation that was going on at Acratech and was happy to support someone who is trying to bring different products to the market.
So I bought the original Ultimate Ballhead and 30D camera plate. If you're in the market for a ballhead and Acratech isn't on your list I would suggest you take a second look. Their products are not for everyone but they're impressive, innovative and beautifully made in America.
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