Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

Everything about this ballhead seems almost too good to be true for the price. The tension knob works well, and the lock knob really locks down solid. Fit and finish is very nice and the quick release system works well and is very solid.

The only thing that's not good is the panning base. The panning is well damped but uneven (some areas in the rotation turn easier than others) as I rotate the head, with the lock knob all the way loosened. Also, if you tighten the pan knob, you get a really cheesy grinding feeling at anything other than tightly locked down. I removed the panning base to see what was going on and discovered that the lock knob just drives the head of the bolt into the aluminum bearing inside the panning assembly. The aluminum bearing was already scarred up from me playing with the panning function.

I considered returning the head, but I still think its a bargain in spite of the panning problem. I adjusted the screw that holds the base onto the panning assembly so that the panning is nicely damped but not too tight. Then I only use the pan lock knob to tightly lock the panning into place - it's an all or nothing proposition. Also, since the screw that holds the base in place loosens easily, I added a thin wavy-type lock-washer to keep the screw in place. This solution seems to be working fine and I have a workable panning solution just by adding a $.06 lock-washer to the panning base.

So again, I wish the panning base was nicer, but for the money this head seems like a real bargain to me.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

A heavy-duty, pro-grade ball head for an amazing price. I like the dual levels and ability to adjust the tension. The pan knob is especially useful for panoramas.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

I read so many reviews on ballheads I got confused. I decided to take a chance on this one, and I am sure glad I did. This ballhead is a cross between a piece of jewelry and a brick. The Manfrotto panhead it replaced suffered from poor machining and a very cumbersome design, I hated it so bad that I rarely used my tripod.
This ballhead came packaged like something made for king. It does everything it is supposed to with flying colors. It is very heavy built but moves smooth as silk. It is the three knob design and is very natural to use. With a Canon 30D, battery grip and 70-200mmF4L it locks in place with just a twist of the knob. The only flex in my system is from the tripod mount on my Canon battery grip. I recommend this with the Giottos MT-9371 tripod, an awesome combination.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

I had to drive down to NY to actually put my hands on the many different Ballheads. I just couldn't bring myself to spend $400 on a Ballhead without sampling the less expensive selections. This Vanguard SBH-200 is a great unit for well under $100. Sure the $300-$400 units are be better, but for the limited use I might be using it, this unit is perfect.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

I looked hard at all the available options and there were many that seemed to fulfill my criteria for a strong ballhead that would be stable for my Canon DSLR with my lenses, have a variable tension knob, a separate panning knob, and a quick release plate. The beauty with the SBH-200 is that it provides all this but at a very affordable price. Other ballheads that had comparative features were at least twice as much as this. I can't imagine that those more expensive brands could be any better than the SBH-200 because it is rock solid and easy to use. My only criticism is in a design decision. A lever to tighten the ballhead would be faster to use than a knob, but I haven't experienced any problems tightening the knob.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

Used this cost-effective ball head(with my 30-yr-old Gitzo Reporter tripod legs)to do HDR nature photography.

Inexpensive relative to other options. Made it very easy to position my cameras (digital SLRs, Pentax 6X7) rock solid for longer exposures ...including portrait position. Does everything I expect it to do.

Zero complaints.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

I shoot with a Canon 20D DSLR and frequently use Tamron 70mm to 300mm and Tamron 28mm to 300mm telephoto lenses. The weight of the extended lenses caused my previous ball head to slowly droop. The Vanguard SBH-200 holds the lenses solidly. This ball head does everything I need and I recomment it highly for capability and price.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

Nice lightweight head. This thing easily supports my "Bigma" on my dslr. At just over a pound and for the price, it's a great deal.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

I bought this head based on what I read about it. For the money it is definitely worth the price. I was very impressed with the construction and how smooth the ball, knobs and button works. With my D300 and 18-200 VR mounted this doesn't move at all.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

It works well. Just a little tricky after using a pistol grip tripod head for many years

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

I bought the ballhead strictly on the description. I trusted that the description was accurate. I am happy to say the ballhead is everything I hoped for. I used it with my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR and various other lenses. The controls are precise and the construction is strong. The two bubble levels are just what I was looking for to do HDR photographs.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

The Vanguard SBH-200 ball head is very affordable to own. In fact it locks very tightly once you figure out how to lock it properly. The main locking knob will lock the ball about 80% tight, but to lock it completely tight, you have to make sure that the pressure controlling knob is also locked tight, otherwise the ball is movable with medium force.

Other than that, the ballhead have a very solid construction and seems durable.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

Great tripod ballhead for the price. Looked at other brands but came back to this for price. Have it for 3 months love it.

Comments about Vanguard Vanguard SBH-200 Ballhead with Quick Release for the Elite and Tracker Tripods, Supports 44 lbs.:

Locks solid for portraits in the studio, but can be moved fast enough for sports/action shooting. First time using a vanguard product, definitely going to purchase more. Rock solid construction.