Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp (Single Pan) Ballhead with 3/8" Screw - Supports 130 lb (59 kg)

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

That is a really best qualy product. Heavy duty monoball, solid, easy to use.
I use it with my Hasselblad H4D-40 with 120mm lens - really heavy combination.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

Arca Swiss is known for its quality in performance and finish of their ballheads. Well I am beginning to question that. I bought one monoball Z1 from B&H and two from B&H's competitors:Z1 sp & Z1 dp and was suprised when I turned over the ballheads to check out the threads before attaching them to my Gitzo GT3530LS tripod. All three ballheads had threads that looked like they were chewed up. They weren't smooth, had chucks of threads missing or had holes in the threads. Three ballheads!! Shame on your quallity control Arca Swiss. There all going back. I ordered a fourth one. Hope this one is better or I'm giving up on Arca Swiss.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I use the Arca Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with
GITZO 2330 tripod.
This ballhead is very good.
Moved smoothly and locked tightly　although the lock knob is smooth and light.
There is only one weakness. Round plate contacting with a bottom of camera is slippery.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

It works a lot better than the previous ballhead.
I use it with a Canon 7D with battery grip and a 100X400mm

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

Great ballhead that does everything you want. Mounts perfectly on my Gitzo 3541LS tripod. I ordered this version because I replaced the screw mount with a RRS B2 AS II quick release plate. It fit perfectly and does not hit anywhere. To remove the installed screw plate you just need a #11 socket.

Motion is smooth and locking with a quick twist is solid. There is no movement at all during the locking, a problem I've had with cheaper heads.

It is nice to know I'll have this one for life as it will hold anything I could ever want to mount on it.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I should have followed others' sage advice about getting the best first. You end up spending more money in the long run on short-sighted fumbles to save money. You do get what you pay for. A machinist told me that the craftsmanship of this most essential part of your camera support system is non-pareil. It is machined to within very small tolerances which in photography prevents sloppiness. No shakies on this one.In this day of [*] quick toss "stuff", it is refreshing to see that a few companies value their reputations and the long-term. I ordered the ballhead with 3/8 " screw because I already had a [...] clamp that mates perfectly to the camera base. Just beautiful together and mated with Gitzo 2531 CF tripod gives me the confidence to shoot at slow shutter speeds without blur.The total outfit cost over $1000 but will probably outlast me. I do not ever intend to buy another because I won't need to

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

So light and so stable!! It is lighter than my Manfrotto 405 Pro Digital Geared Head but with pretty much the same resulted sharpness. I started on small tripod heads of the Bogen and Manfrotto brand. They are less expensive but if you can swing it, buy this one and you will never regret about it. This ball head sits on my Gitzo and Benro tripods nicely. The pano handle is very small but seems pretty well made. The tightening big knob works beautifully. Just line your lens up where you want it, tighten the knob to position the camera and lens. Then give it just a little more twist, you are set. My 50mm-500mm and Oly E330 combination wouldn't move a bit once I tighten them there. What a different from the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ballhead with RC0 Quick Release I have. I might had worked the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 hard for the few years I have it and it is now broken by the neck. When it was in working order, the Big Ma lens shifted on it. I hope this Acra ball head will last lot longer than the Manfrotto 468MGRC0. I bought it with the 3/8" screw so I can use my Manfrotto quick releases on it. I am using it with the Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter. The 501 plates of this unit fits my cameras and lenses. If you have smaller lenses, other Manfrotto quick releases might fit you better. The 501 plate is little bit too big for the cameras. Yes, I bought all these from BHphoto.com. [...]

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

So light and so stable!! It is lighter than my Manfrotto 405 Pro Digital Geared Head but with pretty much the same resulted sharpness. I started on small tripod heads of the Bogen and Manfrotto brand. They are less expensive but if you can swing it, buy this one and you will never regret about it. This ball head sits on my Gitzo and Benro tripods nicely. The pano handle is very small but seems pretty well made. The tightening big knob works beautifully. Just line your lens up where you want it, tighten the knob to position the camera and lens. Then give it just a little more twist, you are set. My 50mm-500mm and Oly E330 combination wouldn't move a bit once I tighten them there. What a different from the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ballhead with RC0 Quick Release I have. I might had worked the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 hard for the few years I have it and it is now broken by the neck. When it was in working order, the Big Ma lens shifted on it. I hope this Acra ball head will last lot longer than the Manfrotto 468MGRC0. I bought it with the 3/8" screw so I can use my Manfrotto quick releases on it. I am using it with the Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter. The 501 plates of this unit fits my cameras and lenses. If you have smaller lenses, other Manfrotto quick releases might fit you better. The 501 plate is little bit too big for the cameras. Yes, I bought all these from BHphoto[@]. [...]

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I am out side and do a lot of picture, a great produkt to bring with me to get the greatest picture,

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

This MONOBALL Z1 SP differs from pan head that has been used up to now, and is steady surprisingly. I think that I have the function more than cost by this MONOBALL Z1 SP.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

If you're looking at this ball head, no doubt you're already aware of its competitors, of which there aren't that many at this price level. Most of them are very, very good, and it essentially boils down to personal preference; you really can't make a wrong choice at this level. But what makes the Arca-Swiss Z1 stand just a hair above the others, in my opinion, is its asymmetrical ball design.

It's a simple design concept that allows gradually increased tension as you move the camera past 45 degrees off-axis. This does two things: a) it prevents your expensive gear from flopping over and banging into a tripod leg, and b) it actually allows for a constant force needed to move the camera since it proportionally counteracts the effect of gravity as the camera goes more off-axis. Ingenious! The fact that this is one of the smoothest, lightest pro balls out there is just icing on a very nice cake.

Some have noted that the panning lock can be difficult with wider tripod platforms. It's a teardrop design, the tail of which is completely above the base from full loosen to full tighten, so I haven't encountered any problems at all.

I use the Kirk "SQRC-Arca" specialty quick release clamp, which is custom designed to fit this head. The hex bolt securing the camera platform on the Z1 was a locked in tight and required a ratchet and a bit of power to unscrew, but I got it loose and Loctited the Kirk in its place. Works great!

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I used this ballhead on a Gitzo 1341L tripod in all kinds of weather. Never an issue with operation. I have owned Kirk, RRS ballheads in the past. The kirk was heavier. On the RRS, the panning knob and lock knobs require you to switch hands on the camera which lead to too much fumbling around. This is perfect. Solid panning lock, unlike my small Markin's. The ovalized ball works as stated, and this is smaller and lighter than the older B1. Overall an excellent ballhead. With a RRS lever clamp this is an incredible combination.

No weaknesses at this point

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

Solid, very solid and not heavy. Smooth and comfortable operation. Checked with Tamron 180 + 1.4 TC on a Gitzo 2220 tripod and performs very well. Manfrotto 323 QUICK CHANGE RECT.PLATE ADAPT. used to fix the lens. Camera was a Canon EOS 30D.
Little blur appears at speeds about 1/30 - 1/15 because of tripod vibration, I guess. At lower speeds, 0.5 seconds blur disappears again. No mirror lock up during tests. All test with camera/lens tilted about 45 degrees as this position is more critical than horizontal.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I have used a Markins head and the very interesting Novoflex Magic Ball made for the Berlebach tripod but nothing compares with the Z1 for large format use. I wish I'd gotten this about six years earlier. It is smoooth and precise. The asymmetrical ball is hard to believe until you try it. I can only sing praise of this ball head [...]What a combination - Arca Swiss and B&H.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

That is a really best qualy product. Heavy duty monoball, solid, easy to use.
I use it with my Hasselblad H4D-40 with 120mm lens - really heavy combination.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

Arca Swiss is known for its quality in performance and finish of their ballheads. Well I am beginning to question that. I bought one monoball Z1 from B&H and two from B&H's competitors:Z1 sp & Z1 dp and was suprised when I turned over the ballheads to check out the threads before attaching them to my Gitzo GT3530LS tripod. All three ballheads had threads that looked like they were chewed up. They weren't smooth, had chucks of threads missing or had holes in the threads. Three ballheads!! Shame on your quallity control Arca Swiss. There all going back. I ordered a fourth one. Hope this one is better or I'm giving up on Arca Swiss.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I use the Arca Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with
GITZO 2330 tripod.
This ballhead is very good.
Moved smoothly and locked tightly　although the lock knob is smooth and light.
There is only one weakness. Round plate contacting with a bottom of camera is slippery.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

It works a lot better than the previous ballhead.
I use it with a Canon 7D with battery grip and a 100X400mm

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

Great ballhead that does everything you want. Mounts perfectly on my Gitzo 3541LS tripod. I ordered this version because I replaced the screw mount with a RRS B2 AS II quick release plate. It fit perfectly and does not hit anywhere. To remove the installed screw plate you just need a #11 socket.

Motion is smooth and locking with a quick twist is solid. There is no movement at all during the locking, a problem I've had with cheaper heads.

It is nice to know I'll have this one for life as it will hold anything I could ever want to mount on it.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I should have followed others' sage advice about getting the best first. You end up spending more money in the long run on short-sighted fumbles to save money. You do get what you pay for. A machinist told me that the craftsmanship of this most essential part of your camera support system is non-pareil. It is machined to within very small tolerances which in photography prevents sloppiness. No shakies on this one.In this day of [*] quick toss "stuff", it is refreshing to see that a few companies value their reputations and the long-term. I ordered the ballhead with 3/8 " screw because I already had a [...] clamp that mates perfectly to the camera base. Just beautiful together and mated with Gitzo 2531 CF tripod gives me the confidence to shoot at slow shutter speeds without blur.The total outfit cost over $1000 but will probably outlast me. I do not ever intend to buy another because I won't need to

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

So light and so stable!! It is lighter than my Manfrotto 405 Pro Digital Geared Head but with pretty much the same resulted sharpness. I started on small tripod heads of the Bogen and Manfrotto brand. They are less expensive but if you can swing it, buy this one and you will never regret about it. This ball head sits on my Gitzo and Benro tripods nicely. The pano handle is very small but seems pretty well made. The tightening big knob works beautifully. Just line your lens up where you want it, tighten the knob to position the camera and lens. Then give it just a little more twist, you are set. My 50mm-500mm and Oly E330 combination wouldn't move a bit once I tighten them there. What a different from the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ballhead with RC0 Quick Release I have. I might had worked the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 hard for the few years I have it and it is now broken by the neck. When it was in working order, the Big Ma lens shifted on it. I hope this Acra ball head will last lot longer than the Manfrotto 468MGRC0. I bought it with the 3/8" screw so I can use my Manfrotto quick releases on it. I am using it with the Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter. The 501 plates of this unit fits my cameras and lenses. If you have smaller lenses, other Manfrotto quick releases might fit you better. The 501 plate is little bit too big for the cameras. Yes, I bought all these from BHphoto.com. [...]

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

So light and so stable!! It is lighter than my Manfrotto 405 Pro Digital Geared Head but with pretty much the same resulted sharpness. I started on small tripod heads of the Bogen and Manfrotto brand. They are less expensive but if you can swing it, buy this one and you will never regret about it. This ball head sits on my Gitzo and Benro tripods nicely. The pano handle is very small but seems pretty well made. The tightening big knob works beautifully. Just line your lens up where you want it, tighten the knob to position the camera and lens. Then give it just a little more twist, you are set. My 50mm-500mm and Oly E330 combination wouldn't move a bit once I tighten them there. What a different from the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 Hydrostatic Ballhead with RC0 Quick Release I have. I might had worked the Manfrotto 468MGRC0 hard for the few years I have it and it is now broken by the neck. When it was in working order, the Big Ma lens shifted on it. I hope this Acra ball head will last lot longer than the Manfrotto 468MGRC0. I bought it with the 3/8" screw so I can use my Manfrotto quick releases on it. I am using it with the Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter. The 501 plates of this unit fits my cameras and lenses. If you have smaller lenses, other Manfrotto quick releases might fit you better. The 501 plate is little bit too big for the cameras. Yes, I bought all these from BHphoto[@]. [...]

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I am out side and do a lot of picture, a great produkt to bring with me to get the greatest picture,

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

This MONOBALL Z1 SP differs from pan head that has been used up to now, and is steady surprisingly. I think that I have the function more than cost by this MONOBALL Z1 SP.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

If you're looking at this ball head, no doubt you're already aware of its competitors, of which there aren't that many at this price level. Most of them are very, very good, and it essentially boils down to personal preference; you really can't make a wrong choice at this level. But what makes the Arca-Swiss Z1 stand just a hair above the others, in my opinion, is its asymmetrical ball design.

It's a simple design concept that allows gradually increased tension as you move the camera past 45 degrees off-axis. This does two things: a) it prevents your expensive gear from flopping over and banging into a tripod leg, and b) it actually allows for a constant force needed to move the camera since it proportionally counteracts the effect of gravity as the camera goes more off-axis. Ingenious! The fact that this is one of the smoothest, lightest pro balls out there is just icing on a very nice cake.

Some have noted that the panning lock can be difficult with wider tripod platforms. It's a teardrop design, the tail of which is completely above the base from full loosen to full tighten, so I haven't encountered any problems at all.

I use the Kirk "SQRC-Arca" specialty quick release clamp, which is custom designed to fit this head. The hex bolt securing the camera platform on the Z1 was a locked in tight and required a ratchet and a bit of power to unscrew, but I got it loose and Loctited the Kirk in its place. Works great!

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I used this ballhead on a Gitzo 1341L tripod in all kinds of weather. Never an issue with operation. I have owned Kirk, RRS ballheads in the past. The kirk was heavier. On the RRS, the panning knob and lock knobs require you to switch hands on the camera which lead to too much fumbling around. This is perfect. Solid panning lock, unlike my small Markin's. The ovalized ball works as stated, and this is smaller and lighter than the older B1. Overall an excellent ballhead. With a RRS lever clamp this is an incredible combination.

No weaknesses at this point

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

Solid, very solid and not heavy. Smooth and comfortable operation. Checked with Tamron 180 + 1.4 TC on a Gitzo 2220 tripod and performs very well. Manfrotto 323 QUICK CHANGE RECT.PLATE ADAPT. used to fix the lens. Camera was a Canon EOS 30D.
Little blur appears at speeds about 1/30 - 1/15 because of tripod vibration, I guess. At lower speeds, 0.5 seconds blur disappears again. No mirror lock up during tests. All test with camera/lens tilted about 45 degrees as this position is more critical than horizontal.

Comments about Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp with 3/8" Screw:

I have used a Markins head and the very interesting Novoflex Magic Ball made for the Berlebach tripod but nothing compares with the Z1 for large format use. I wish I'd gotten this about six years earlier. It is smoooth and precise. The asymmetrical ball is hard to believe until you try it. I can only sing praise of this ball head [...]What a combination - Arca Swiss and B&H.