Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Excellent Ballhead

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I have used most of the quality brands over the last fourty years and Arcatech is one of the best. I got this for field use, and the open design makes for easy cleaning. Mounted on my Gitzo GT2531, the whole outfit weighs only four pounds but can support loads up to twenty five pounds. Light weight and rock steady, it just don't get any better. Plus, it's made in the USA and Arcatech customer service is superb.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

This ballhead is a great addition to a lightweight carbon fiber tripod. Provides great stability and confidence. The craftsmanship is top notch and looks great. I did knock it for 1 star due some of the slightest lateral movement when locking down the ballhead. For most uses, this would be a non-issue, however with my macro work, it can effect the composition. I do not believe this should happen on a [$] head. None-the-less, I'd purchase again.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I bought this ball head to compliment a monster Velbon NGEO 840 carbon fiber tripod. I wanted a ball head that could support considerable load, and which worked well and reliably. The gimbal feature was a big selling point too.

The GV2 is a design of beauty; black anodized metal, well-crafted (no loose or sloppy points) and well thought out; the screws are all rubber knobbed and they can't back off and fall off. Tensions are sharp and tight. **Remember to buy a base plate for your camera and for your long lens if needed. The head does not come with a base plate**

Overall, the design is function oriented. The base pans nicely, the ball head operates seamlessly, the tension on the ball head allows perfect personal control. The device is very solid and promises many years service.

I had it out in a thunderstorm last night, and found it more of a joy to use than any ball head or stick-handle, or three way system I have used to date.

It also has a very cool, otherworldly look of skeletal black-anodized functionality. While I prefer form over function, the aesthetics just make me like a very good product that little bit more.

American made, outstanding product. I know the price is a bit, but I expect to have this for many years and to have solid performance in that time.

Only reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is the fact that you have to buy a base plate. I'd rather see the base plate be included.

If this is the design you want, don't haever, hit the "buy" button and join the ranks of the serious photog.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Used for sports and Landscapes

Simple to use, knobs are easy to identify by touch, Simple and elegant design

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Bought this to photograph interiors for my wife's kitchen design business. Appreciate the flexibility and smoothness of the controls. Once you get the tension set correctly the camera can be moved without fear of it flopping over and then locked into position with a twist of the the large knob. The leveling bubble is very useful in order to avoid distortion with wide angle lenses.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

This ballhead gives me evertyhing I need, stability, robustness, easy and smooth operation, and most important light weight but strong enough to handle my 5D MK II with 70-200mm/F2.8L IS II.

The build quality of this ballhead is second to none, great ballhead for travel and hiking.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I bought this primarily for landscape and travel photography. Currently my travel tripod is a Feisol 3441T and the head works well with it. The weight, QR clamp inclusive, is just under one pound (I weighed it). The only thing I would improve would be to perhaps offset the panning knob somewhat to allow tripod legs to close a little bit tighter in. The GV2 seems to be an investment that will last judging by the machining, stainless parts, etc.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

light weight, holds any position it is set in rock solid, interesting looking

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Excellent, versatile and compact ballhead with a gimbal function. I use it perfectly with a 300 2.8. Takes some practice, but possible to balance the lens for smooth panning.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I bought this to use with the Kirk low pod. I like the open design and simplicity when working in the mud. Not as refined as the Arca Swiss Z1, but I'd rather get this one dirty.

Not a fan of the quick connect, it's large size can interfere with rails and the detent pin is not really removable. I should have gotten without a release and gotten a Kirk.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Very versitile and easy to use. I especially like the gimbal functionality.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

This ballhead is easy to adjust the tension for smooth motion, locks down tight with little effort and doesn't sag.

The head can sometimes spin loose from my tripod during transport.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Nice, lightweight ballhead. Works great with my Nikon D5100 and 55-300mm Nikkor lens. I have no complaints about this products, it's light and sturdy which makes it perfect for hiking and daily use. Incredibly easy to operate and maintain due to it's open and exposed body. Looks nice as well!

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I use the GV2 ballhead on my tripod, frequently for low light shots and support for a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens. I currently do not have a camera lens to justify using a traditional gimbal head setup. The GV2 ball head supports the camera very well, locks down easily, yet is smooth throughout. Once locked in place, the lens/camera is very steady. I did not notice any camera drift when locking down, regardless of tension on the ball. Using the rubberized knobs is easy on the hands and with practice it is easy to feel the differences between the knobs to loosen/tighten the correct knob while looking through the viewfinder. Like most ballheads (the aspherical Arca-Swiss Z1 is an exception), be careful when moving the camera away from being centered on the ballhead because the torque increases on the ballhead, requiring more tension to keep the camera from flopping over. The GV2 is great at keeping my camera setup very steady. Because I do not have a large lens/camera setup, I am not very concerned with moving the camera into portrait orientation for the "Gimbal" feature of the GV2. I would be more concerned if I was using a larger telephoto lens, because the weight is no longer close to being centered on the tripod.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

It is light and beautiful, I use it for landscape night, day and macro.
It is easy to love this piece of engineering. I guess the rubber knobs will be great in winter, they feel very solid.

I would say it has 2 buts:

1 When you tight it, it rotates right enough to readjust for macro photography. I do not see much problem on landscape.
2 The panning rotation it either rotates free or very tight, there is not a "fluid" in between. Not a problem, but this is something I notice when doing panoramas.

Please note that the deterred pin does not work with giotto plates...

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

This is an excellent Ballhead, it is very well made. There is no sloppiness in any of the threads or movement. I like the tension control as well as panning. When mounted on a carbon tripod, this is very light set up for taking with you. The detent pin works great. The bubble levelis very visible.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I've always been a reluctant tripod user. Even when I had one in the car, it tended to stay in the car. But using a high-resolution camera with a long lens and radical cropping pointed out that my rock-steady hands weren't always so rock steady. I needed a tripod assembly appropriate for birding.

My own pan-and-tilt tripods were a pain to use. So I borrowed tripods. I tested tripods in stores. I bought a new one that didn't work out. Everything had problems. And after months of research and watching all the tutorial videos on the Acratech website, I ordered a GV2 from B&H.

When it arrived, I attached it to a tripod. ...solid as a rock. I put a long lens on it. I dropped it over into its "gimbal" slot. I balanced it and tweaked the friction controls to near-zero. Wow! It moved smoothly anywhere I wanted to point it. I took my hands off of the camera and smiled. ...no ball-head "flop-over." I tightened the friction lock, and sure enough, the camera didn't move.

I added a luggage strap to the assembly. Then with a camera on one shoulder and the tripod on the other, I went looking for birds. With my Canon 100-400mm lens quick-connected to the head, I could zoom rapidly, tweak focus, and follow a bird in flight -- all at the same time. The freedom was exhilarating. It did everything I could have hoped for in a classic gimbal head. But it was lighter, cheaper, and less clumsy to carry around.

Oh -- and the tripod on which I mounted the GV2 has a removable monopod shaft. With an ordinary ball head, I couldn't change the expansion settings on it without taking both hands off the camera. Using the GV2 dropped into its slot and its pan knob locked, I can stay focused on a bug while reaching down to alter the monopod extension without hassle.

I'm very satisfied. I have a tripod that I'm actually USING. And my wife is happy that I've stopped whining.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

I use this with a Wimberly Sidekick and I am very satisfied with it's performance.

Comments about Acratech GV2 Ballhead/Gimbal Head:

Swapped out a Photoclam 44 for this head instead. The only thing I miss from the PC is the detent pin release lever. Other than that, the GV2 outperforms. Really like the bubble level, which often times is worthless on a head but with the GV2 is visible even with my camera on and comes in quite handy.