Ball Heads – Eh, Probably Not

One of the key advantages of a ball head is that they’re relatively cheaper compared to some geared heads. A good example and one of my favorites is the Benro Triple Action Ball Head. This head offers a great deal of control and has a fantastic weight limit of up to 12kg. This is extremely useful because you put mount larger, heavier cameras systems without any issues. The B1 is actually one I personally own and use regularly for a couple of reasons. For one it’s small and doesn’t make the overall size of my tripod unwieldy and difficult to carry. Coupled with the Manfrotto 290 Xtra Carbon fiber gives me a super light, full-length tripod system that I use regularly when traveling and filming. The other is that the B1 is priced at less than half that of the “entry-level” Benro GD3WH 3-Way Geared Head with Additional ArcaSmart70 Plate .

Unfortunately, it’s less than ideal for architectural photography because it simply doesn’t offer the precision control that a geared head does. There have been several occasions where using this ball head has resulted in images that are just slightly off when it comes to the verticals or it’s not quite level. Making minor adjustments are tricky because as soon as you loosen the lock or tension there’s a chance the camera will simply fall over to one side or you’re having to hold the camera with one hand and then make slight adjustments with your other and it;’s just not a comfortable or precise system. For this reason, I will only ever use a geared head when shooting architecture and real estate.

Our Picks for Architecture & Real Estate Photography.

Benro GD3WH 3-Way Geared Head with Additional ArcaSmart70

Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Tripod Head with Quick Release and a ZAYKIR Quick Release Plate

Manfrotto Digital PRO Geared Head, Camera Tripod Head, 3-Axis Movement

Manfrotto MHXPRO-3WG Geared 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head

For More information on Real Estate photography & media visit:  www.MarkJacobsProductions.com 

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