Vanguard BBH-300 Ball Head with Quick Release, 66 lb. Load Capacity

2012-09-15T21:00:00

I have been using this head for about a year. At this price point, it should be a good head, and it is. I use this head weekly, doing photo shoots of flowers, indoors and in low light. The good--nicely made, beautifully finished. The Arca-Swiss type of shoe works with other brands of camera plates (e.g., Kirk L-bracket). A sturdy thumb knob loosens and tightens the tripod shoe, and it gives a very strong grip on the camera plate--and the knob doesn't need to be tightened a lot to clamp the plate. Built to last. Vanguard, in my experience, is good with customer service. Vanguard says it will hold 66 lbs--I seriously doubt that, but it does well with my gear, which averages about 3 lb. Requires loosening 2 separate levers to both pan and tilt the camera shoe, but I have gotten accustomed to it. Not so great---the mechanism for locking the shoe in a horizontal position requires pushing a slide lever to one side, rocking the camera until you feel it lock, and then clamping the ball with its lever. Seems a bit cumbersome, but if I don't do that, the camera may tilt when I carry the tripod over my shoulder. All in all, I am satisfied with the head--I have had several others, each with its own characteristics--this is the best of the bunch.

rstanley