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Review Summary
2024-03-14T10:36:37
It's very early in my experience with and learning of the BH-55, but i am really impressed with it so far.. Large and very stable ball, large knobs which hold, no creep in the head and intuitive to use. I look forward to learning and getting used to it starting with the April 8th total solar eclipse in the Texas Hill country. I think this ball head will last a lifetime unlike others I have owned.
H.S G.
2022-04-07T16:53:31
Solid but fully and easily adjustable. It will last longer than you are likely to live! It will be the only ball head you will have to buy.
DENNIS L.
2022-03-09T17:05:08
Excellent Quality, and rugged build. Well worth the price. I once had a weaker ball head, that started drooping with my cam and lens on it as I was taking long exp in a swamp, and the cam. lens and tripod fell into the swamp. Lesson learned! I was lucky I had water intrusion in only the lens, which was cleaned-to as new condition inside and out by my local cam shop repairman at low cost...with no problems, mold etc..
RICHARD B.
2022-02-01T08:33:29
No substitute for this head. You will never regret the purchase.
CHRIS H.
2021-12-16T07:40:03
Absolutely the best quality on the market. Smooth as glass and a joy to use. Really much better tan I expected. I am sold on this company and their products.
Eric E.
2021-12-02T14:11:39
I am very pleased with the Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head. It fits my large hands perfectly. I highly recommend this ball head.
CLIFTON C.
2021-11-14T07:25:31
It weighs a lot but it's a great camera mount. RRS is expense but high quality. The quick release is amazing, especially when coupled with the RRS L-bracket.
Lloyd S.
2021-11-09T07:26:58
Well made, and made in America.
DANIEL H.
2021-09-13T17:04:11
Very solid ball head. Received recently, but have yet to try on a tripod. Has a bit of weight to it, but feels like it will easily last several years. Went with the clamp knob over the quick release for a bit of versatility to work with different off brand L brackets. Would recommend.
PETER T.
2021-09-10T08:25:56
Have not found anything comparible to this ball head. Its the second of two I own.
GERALD O.
2021-09-02T10:07:39
very good. expensive but good.
gary v.
2021-07-28T10:47:08
Smooth, great handling, very sturdy
LYNDA M.
2021-06-09T08:23:56
Very sturdy and meaty Ball Head. Also very fluid movements and good functional lock. As soon as you hold it in your hands you know this is going to last forever.
Jorge C.
2021-05-19T09:34:23
I?ve only had the BH-55 for a couple weeks and will never look back. You can feel and see that the head was built to last. Smooth operation and easy to use with perfectly sized tension knobs. You will feel confident putting your expensive gear on this bad boy and forget about getting and sag. Well engineered, well built and worth the price tag.
DAMON S.
2021-04-29T08:25:44
It?s a RRS product so it is very well engineered. The smoothness is fantastic. The base turning axis on my unit is a little stiff but I imagine that will get better with time. I use my head for 4x5 cameras and it does a great job at keeping these large cameras stable during light winds. I?ve got it mounted on a 3 series tripod and it looks amazing (as well as performs equally as well). Highly recommended if you can afford it.
Andrew O.
2021-04-28T06:35:55
very nice and well made product.
DANIEL M.
2021-04-22T14:32:01
Extremely sturdy ball head with smooth operation. Locks solidly and doesn?t drift. Using with a full frame camera and grip along with 70-200mm 2.8. Love it
jim r.
2021-04-17T10:38:05
Very, very stable ball head that's so easy to use it is amazing. Mounted on a serious tripod it is absolutely stable. Control knobs make composing photos a breeze. I just wish I had picked this up years ago.
JIM L.
2021-03-15T15:32:59
I researched for hours for the best Ball Head for my Induro Stealth CLT tripod and decided on this due to the reviews. When I received it I thought, oh my, you have really over done it this time! After using the RRS BH-55 ball head it is perfect for my Nikon D850 and Tamron 150-600 lens. I no longer worry about stability with this combo!
GINA M.
2021-01-19T11:25:15
Excellent product. Combined with the Induro Legs this creates a rock steady tripod set.
DAVID S.
2020-12-16T03:22:21
Great clamping security, no slippage. Easy to use and ease of access to knobs and tensioners.
Steve L.
2020-09-12T07:17:18
Awesome! Have been very impressed with this ball head so far, and definitely recommend.
JASON P.
2020-08-31T15:59:47
I owned a RRS BH-55 for 3 years until it was stolen from me in Oxford-UK a year ago. I had to go back to my old Manfrotto 498RC2. Nothing wrong with the Manfrotto ball-head. I was good for my Nikon D90 and a 18-200 lens and still is. But when I bought a Nikon D4s,I felt a little uneasy with this ball-head holding a more heavy camera. At that time I switched to the all around professionals advertised RRS-BH-55. And they were right. It is a beautiful, solid, well built and very functional ball-head. I felt more secure with this RRS-BH supporting a D4s and heavier lenses like the 70-200/2.8. So, when my RRS-BH 55 was stolen, I knew I had to get another BH-55. It took me a few moths as it is a little costly but I believe it is worth every penny. This new BH-55 is now insured as the rest of my gear. The only thing I would improve in this ball-head is that the lever release is a little hard to turn it on and off to secure and release the camera. I guess the the screw-knot clam is an alternative but I never owned one with that clamp. Otherwise everything is perfect, and My first BH-55 worked without any problem for the years I had it.
Gilberto V.
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Browse our FAQ
Ball Head
3/8"-16 Female
Arca-Type
50 lb (23kg)
1
Yes
Yes
Aluminum
-45 to +45 Degree
0 to +90 Degree
360 Degree
2.2" (55.88mm)
2.9" (73.66mm)
Height: 3.7" (94mm)
2 lb (0.9kg)
Impressive piece of equipment
By H.S G.
It's very early in my experience with and learning of the BH-55, but i am really impressed with it so far.. Large and very stable ball, large knobs which hold, no creep in the head and intuitive to use. I look forward to learning and getting used to it starting with the April 8th total solar eclipse in the Texas Hill country. I think this ball head will last a lifetime unlike others I have owned.
BH 55. Ball Head
By DENNIS L.
Solid but fully and easily adjustable. It will last longer than you are likely to live! It will be the only ball head you will have to buy.
The BH-55 is the culmination of years of iterative development based on first-hand experience and abundant input from seasoned professionals and enthusiasts. Our goal was to build the best ball head out there. Our premise was that aesthetics didn't have to suffer for the sake of functionality - that operation should be intuitive and predictable.
We also had you, the photographer, in mind in that we believe that your investment should be rewarded with years of satisfaction. The BH-55 offers up to 45 degrees of tilt in all directions, and up to 90-degrees in the two drop-notches. The knurled main lock knob independently controls the tension of the main ball joint.
The midsize knurled knob features independent control of the panning base, which features laser engraved degree markers every 2.5 degrees. The smaller spade knob works in concert with the main lock knob to set a minimum amount of resistance on the ball joint at all times, independent of the main lock knob being fully loosened or not.
Extensive field use has proven the utility of our innovative design. The BH-55 delivers solid performance in all weather and temperature ranges. Its low profile, precision control knobs, and rugged housing make our BH-55 the Ball Head of choice for both seasoned professionals and enthusiastic amateurs.