Smith-Victor BH8 Metal Alloy Ball Head with Quick Release Plate, 40 lb. Capacity

2014-09-30T21:00:00

I recently got a BH8 to use on an older Gitzo G1348 tripod. I'm using alongside a far more expensive "name brand" ballhead with similar ratings. Functionally, there is little difference. However, like others, when I first got it I found the panning axis of the BH8 very stiff. Took it apart (3 screws in the bottom) and found the problem was very heavy grease they'd used to lube the ball bearings. Cleaned that out and replaced with heavy oil (bicycle chain lube I had on hand) and it's now very smooth operating with light dampening. Also, there's a lock mechanism built into the quick release platform, that prevents using other than Smith-Victor lens/camera plates. This is also a very easy fix. It simply unscrews to allow any standard Arca-Swiss plate to be used. Finally, I was a bit worried that the rubber grips on the knobs would loosen and fall off.... and maybe they will in time. But so far, no problem. If they ever do, I'll just glue them back on or replace with grippy tape of some sort. For the money, this ballhead is a steal. It's not perfect or fancy, but it does the job impressively well (as well as heads that cost 8X as much!). This is not a small ball head... it's fairly heavy duty, rather large and quite sturdy.

amfoto1

2013-12-22T19:00:00

This is a sturdy, massive ball head. I've noticed no creep with a Canon 5DMkii and either a 70-200 f2.8 zoom, or my 180mm macro with extension tubes. It's a great match for my old heavy-duty Bogen tripod. The rubber knob coverings slip, but I used some rubber cement & haven't noticed any more issues. For the price, this is a great value.

JERRY W.

2013-01-22T19:00:00

Other folks get off on the brand names of their equipment. I look for value and performance. The BH8 is a very good ball head and I highly recommend it to anyone that really doesn't give a rat's butt about being a brand snob.

TedG

2011-09-03T21:00:00

One screw had the head stripped out, Acra quick plate would not fit my existing Acra style quick release plates. Ball had rough machining marks in it, also had burrs at drilled hole. Ball sounded bad when rotating it. Grease is stiff and will not allow unit to turn/rotate like it should. I disassembled my unit, polished out machining marks, cleaned out old grease and use Super Lube teflon grease. Fixed broken screw, nicks and gouges from Mfg. Is an ok ballhead for price point, but I will be buying a better quality one, later this year.

Brad

2011-01-24T19:00:00

One screw had the head stripped out, Acra quick plate would not fit my existing quick release plates. Ball had rough machining marks in it, also had burrs at drilled hole. Ball sounded bad when rotating it. Grease is stiff and will not allow unit to turn/rotate like it should. I disassembled my unit, polished out machining marks, cleaned out old grease and use Super Lube teflon grease. Fixed broken screw, nicks and gouges from Mfg. Is an ok ballhead for price point, but I will be buying a better quality one later this year.

BRAD H.

2010-09-15T21:00:00

I like Arca ball heads, but my budget doesn't really allow for a $385-$500 head right now. After looking at a number of sub-$100 heads, I chose the S-V based on reviews and the generally good quality of other S-V products. Short story: This is a solid, well-made head. It doesn't have the smoothness of an Arca-Swiss, but it locks down more securely than the old Bogen ball head I was using, and the detent insures that your expensive camera won't take a surprise fall when you accidentally turn the wrong knob- as happened with the Bogen!

mikeyj