UKC

Ok, I've already got a decent heavy duty tripod and pano head, but I've been wondering about getting a ball head instead as I'm just finding it a faff for most of my current landscape work where I'm often using the camera vertically and on such uneven ground (ruins!) that I can't get the top of the tripod itself level.

Pros/cons/experience etc. much appreciated!

Ta,

PP.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

Personally I prefer ball heads for much the same reasons. If you do get one then try to get a good one. It might be worth getting one rated for a heavier camera than the one you plan to use as even good ones can slip slightly.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

If you're doing panos all the time, you can't beat a proper pano head but they often need a ball head to be mounted on: depends what you're doing. 99% of the time for general use, a standard ball head will suffice, your standard £50 manfroto will do the job well.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

My Manfrotto pano head was crap but fixed to the tripod and I didnt really want to buy a new tripod so I just butchered it and put a £15 eBay ball head on it, its much easier and can lock it off totally now, I wouldn't go back to Pano now.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

One of my favorite bits of kit is a pistol grip ball head. They are ace for quick easy setting up and I've done a few panoramas on it, but video's not really my bag so can't really comment for that. I have the VANGUARD GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head, which works well for my Pentax even with an old heavy film tele.