Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg)

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

Beautiful design, but in spite of what acratech's online manual says, the small tension knob cannot be adjusted. BH description is correct, but I chose to believe acratechs web instead. Ball head moves with zero tension when main knob is loosened. I want tension to prevent lens from dropping freely. Returned for gv2 ball head which fits my needs. Both impressively made though.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I bought this head based on Acratech's advice as their best head for macro on a Kirk low pod. Nope. The limitation on vertical head movement without rotation makes it useless in this application (I bought an Acratech GV2 and it works perfectly). The fit and finish were excellent, just not for me.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

First – as others have already stated, this is a terrific head, stable, easy to maneuver – even with gloves on in icy weather – and strong enough to hold just about every lens you might need. I could go on for many lines about how much I've come to rely upon this head; however, the most impressive thing about any Acratech head is the customer service.

I bought my ultimate ballhead approximately five years ago and have used it extensively ever since. About six weeks ago I somehow stripped the screw controlling the clamp holding the quick release plate in place. This certainly wasn't a design flaw or manufacturer error, but rather simply the result of extensive hard use. I sent an e-mail to Acratech asking if it would be possible to have the head repaired. Of-course, I assumed I would have to pay for the repair, but this seemed reasonable considering the age of the head. Instead, the company responded by saying they would not only repair the unit, but tune it back to factory condition at NO cost to me! All this for a 5-year-old, heavily used head. In less than a week I had my head back in perfect condition and it continues to work better than it has in a long time. I am now an Acratech customer for life.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I switched from Manfrotto system. This ball head is better than all ballheads I used before, including some heavy duty pro ballhead. It is very light but super strong. I put my Nikon D300 + 80-200/f2.8 on, not even a dimp for all the angles I have tried. The quick release works great, in-and-out goes smoothly and lock is easy and quick.

The only slight inconvenience is when I need tilt up my camera, the camera movement could be blocked by the back support frame. I have to rotate the entire ballhead to avoid the back support. But it is not that bad.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I've been using an excellent little Induro SaO for some time but needed something more substantial for work with heavier zooms and my rather large Pentax 300mm f4. I used to have to gently hand-hold the lens to prevent down-drift. The Ultimate Ballhead solved all my problems. Rotation to any angle is smooth and locks tight with just a twist. I'd seen reviews that complained about having to rotate 180° to get vertical but this isn't a problem for me. Previous ballheads either froze-up or slipped in cold weather - not this one. I had it out two nights ago for Aurora at -34°C and the action was smooth and intuitive even in the dark. The rubber lock heads are a treat in these conditions. I certainly was impressed.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

You can pay more, but you cant get bettter

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

solid / simple Ballhead product. I like it

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I've owned this head for about 6 months now. When I was comparing heads and tripods I decided if this is only going to be a one time purchase I need to get the best I can, while also not going overboard. The head is not the place you go cheap on. But this still holds a lot of value considering the amount of weight it holds, sleek design, and the fact that it's all "open" and easy to clean, and oilless.

I found acratech by word of mouth, I know several people with the gv2 and other heads.

Comparing it to those more expensive heads like the gv2, the ultimate might seem like it would be limited in movement by the awkward slanted design. But in practice it really isn't. You can put this at any angle imaginable. The only downside is yes, it does sometimes take one "extra step" to rotate the slanted thing that gets in the way at times. But I haven't found it limiting, my shots take time to compose and set up anyway so if a few seconds moving the ring to the other side saves me $50 fine by it.

Plus that "ring" looking thing actually provides quite a bit of support. When you get this you'll notice its extremely light, beautiful design. It's a marvel of engineering really.

Smooth movement, the rubber knobs are comfortable on the fingers. The clamp keeps my camera locked in with a super kung fu grip, assuming you buy an arca swiss style plate(I use RRS but I think they're all about the same really as long as you get the arca swiss style which prevents rotation and loosening). An expensive head is worthless if you've got a bad plate on it.

Anyway, I use this everywhere in all conditions, and it performs flawlessly. I couldn't ask for a better head.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

Very nice strong clamp, very light.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I use this on a Manfrotto Bogen 055CXPRO3 carbon fiber tripod for travel and hiking. Used with Canon 5D Mk II and up to 100-400mm lens with good maintenance of position without sliding. Locks quickly and solidly in position. A little awkward at first since only goes to perpendicular on one side but soon learned to compensate. Knobs are easy on fingers. Purchased with the leveling base and remarkably light for ballhead, leveling base, and tripod combo. I have used it on two extended photo shoots and am very pleased with the purchase.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I use the ball head for extreme close-up macro work and for the stock photography which I produce.
I really love the quality and looks of this product. It is easy to adjust and was easy to understand and set up. It is rock solid when locked down and adjustable over a wide range of positions.
However, the matching plates are quite expensive and you will want to purchase one for your camera, and one for any really heavy lens which you have. They do lock down very solidly however. With a previous ball head I once broke a lens when the camera popped off of the tripod. I feel much more comfortable with this arrangement.

Comments about Acratech Ultimate Ballhead with Quick Release (Requires Plate) with Left Side Rubber Knobs - Supports 25 lb (11.3 kg):

I own 3 tripods now but the lightweight in this Arcatech ballhead makes transporting my equipment a pleasure. My last outdoor workshop was not what I call a good time due to the weight I had to endure. The ease and holding power of this ballhead is simply superior to everything else I have tried and used.