pan and ball locks small

will not lock up totally is any force is applied

This can only be used for light weight equipment. When you tighten the ball screw as hard as you can, you can still move the head. Even my $25 strobo ball head will not do this.

Similar Products Used:

stroboframe medium cullman pro

lightweight
holding capacity (not 13lbs though!)
separate panning knob( this is a nice feature)
price

no quick release... might get a kaiser small quick release
no friction control... but for this price and size, you be hard pressed to find this... but the higher up giotto has it

I am glad I got this to match my gitzo 01. It does not have friction control, but then I would have to move up to the next size ballhead, which means more weight and size. This tripod can hold my n90s and 180/2.8D fine in the horizontal direction. It doesn't drift after I tighten it down. The pan knob is a real convenient feature. However, in the vertical position the camera body began to twist from the top plate, which made it unusable in this direction. I might buy or make the really right stuff adaptor to attach camera bodies vertically, why keeping the body above the ballhead. Note, the ballhead itself was not slipping in the vertical direction, it was more of the twisting effect that caused it to fail. Bottom line, this is a beefed up version of the bogen mini head, which is worth the price and weight difference. This isn't the same as the arca swiss, but what is?

Customer Service

When inquiring about the hold capacity of the smallest ballhead of 9 lbs, he confirmed this weight, but suggested I get the next biggest size for a camera, due to the separate panning knob. Also, he said the holding capacity is stronger for a just a few more oz of weight.

Similar Products Used:

bogen miniball head(see review)
bogen 3055
arca swiss b1qs