Tripod ball head

[Islas82]

Looking to invest in an entry level tripod, am not competing or doing any hunting/hiking mostly just want to try tripod shooting. Am looking at the shadow tech tripod as my most likely option but do you guys have any recomendable arca ball heads? I would say my budget would be around $100-150.

 

[msstate56]

Just save up and get a RRS Anvil 30. You’ll want one eventually anyway. But if you want to blow $100 first, and buy the Anvil 30 later- the Desmond Demon 44 ball head off of Amazon is pretty damn good for $85. I’ve used that one for a couple years. Shot up to 300 win mag off of it. But now I’ve cried twice and got an Anvil 30 anyway.

 

[Islas82]

Just save up and get a RRS Anvil 30. You’ll want one eventually anyway. But if you want to blow $100 first, and buy the Anvil 30 later- the Desmond Demon 44 ball head off of Amazon is pretty damn good for $85. I’ve used that one for a couple years. Shot up to 300 win mag off of it. But now I’ve cried twice and got an Anvil 30 anyway.

Actually I have been looking at that desmond closely and am glad you brought it up and you have actual shooting experience with it, thank you. Do you feel like the upgrade to the RRS was necessary or just a want? Did you see a decline on performance from the Desmond over the 2 years?

 

[msstate56]

Actually it still locks up tight. No rifle movement. But it can still shift if you crank on your rifle. The pan can shift if you put a lot of side to side movement in your rifle. But locking it on target- it works. I regularly shoot with it. However, as RRS mentions in one of there Anvil 30 videos- when you lock down the 30, you don’t get any shift. With most ball heads, you get some shift when you lock down the ball or the pan knob. You most certainly can “get by” with the Desmond, but once you go Anvil 30 you can’t go back.

 

[Islas82]

Thanks so much for your input.

 

[Islas82]

Actually it still locks up tight. No rifle movement. But it can still shift if you crank on your rifle. The pan can shift if you put a lot of side to side movement in your rifle. But locking it on target- it works. I regularly shoot with it. However, as RRS mentions in one of there Anvil 30 videos- when you lock down the 30, you don’t get any shift. With most ball heads, you get some shift when you lock down the ball or the pan knob. You most certainly can “get by” with the Desmond, but once you go Anvil 30 you can’t go back.

Purchased both items, thanks for the advice. Excited to see how it’ll work

 

[msstate56]

So did you go with the Anvil 30?

 

[Strykervet]

I guess you already got it but I was gonna say to call up Doug at Cameraland and tell him what you need it to do and he'll square you away. He sold me a nice Sirui tripod w/ball head for $126 --it's as nice as a Manfrotto, goes lower than any other they sold and it supports a lot of weight.

I got a cheap ball head to go with it, I wasn't sure what I really needed, but now I know I want a pistol grip ball head --that's a must whether this if for shooting or for spotting IMO. It's a pain in the ass trying to get it where you want it with one hand and manipulating a knob with the other. The pistol grip makes this way easier.

 

[msstate56]

What "pistol grip" head are you using? I don't know of anyone still using those unless its on an ancient Manfrotto.

 

[502Chevelle]

I have the Leofoto 55mm ballhead and it works really good. However, I got it before I knew that Leofoto knocks off all their stuff from RRS. Kind of shitty, I mean, get inspired by other people’s work, but don’t have them do all of the work to invent it, and trouble shoot it and then put it into production for you to do a knock off. Anyhoo, it works good, as it should, since RRS did all the RnD on it.

 

[Islas82]

So did you go with the Anvil 30?

Sorry no I meant the Desmond and the shadow tech tripod

 

[Islas82]

Ball head holds up nicely, now just waiting for tripod.

 

[Islas82]

 

[Steel head]

View attachment 7271860View attachment 7271861

That a super fancy tripod!

room for a cocktail and other essentials on top unlike the chintzy real estate on a RRS!

 

[Islas82]

Nothing like

That a super fancy tripod!

room for a cocktail and other essentials on top unlike the chintzy real estate on a RRS!

nothing like putting your martini down while you line up your next shot!

 

[Steel head]

Nothing like

nothing like putting your martini down while you line up your next shot!

 

[Islas82]

Alright had to get rid of that bad ass cocktail table tripod and use this shadow tech.

feels pretty solid and well built, we’ll see how it performs next week!