Acratech Ultimate Ballhead & Gitzo G1325 CF
By Edmund Tan
Right: Arca Swiss B1 MonoBall mounted on Gitzo G1228 CF tripod
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Specifications For Acratech Ultimate Ballhead
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| Height | 4.1" (10.41cm) |
| Base Diameter | 2.37" (6.02cm) |
| Weight with Quick Release Clamp | 1lbs (450grams) |
| Max Load | at least 25lbs (11.4kg) at any angle |
| Tripod Head mounting thread size | 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 thread sizes available |
| Quick Release System | compatible with Kirk, Arca, R.R.S., and many other QR plates |
| Others | engraved degree markings |
| full movements allow any camera position | |
| oilless and greaseless ball will not attract or hold dirt and debris | |
| ball will not shift when tightened | |
| all knobs are secured so they cannot vibrate loose and fall off | |
| available with left side controls (mine are on the right side shown above) | |
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Specifications For Arca Swiss Monoball B1
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| Height | 4.5" (11.43cm) |
| Base Diameter | 2.65" (6.73cm) (self measured) |
| Weight with Quick Release Clamp | 1.7lbs (770grams) |
| Max Load | 90lbs (40.91kg) |
| Tripod Head mounting thread size | 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 thread sizes available |
| Quick Release System | compatible with Kirk, Arca, R.R.S., and many other QR plates |
| Others | engraved degree markings |
| eliminates the need to constantly modulate the tension, because its elliptical nature corrects it by virtue of its' own design (note: my owns tests have shown that this works to a certain extent. As the angle of tilt increases, the need for more tension increases as well and this is helped by the fact that its design doesn't allow it to tilt more than 90° unless in the vertical slot) | |
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Specifications For Gitzo G1325 CF Tripod
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| Number of sections | 3 |
| Centre Column | None |
| Max Height when Fully Extended | 149cm (58.66") |
| Min Height | 15.5cm (6.10") |
| Fully Collapsed Height | 66cm (25.98") |
| Weight | 2kg (4.4lbs) |
| Max Load | 12kg (26.4lbs) |
The Search for the Ultimate Ballhead
I had long heard of the name of the lengendary Arca Swiss Monoball B1 which was supposed to be the ballhead to own. Famed Bird Photographer, Arthur Morris also wrote in his book, "The Art of Bird Photography" that he uses the Arca Swiss Monoball B1.
I had been planning to buy this ballhead until I came across a thread at dpreview.com which talked about the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead. Seeing a ballhead with the qualities of the Arca Swiss and more, got me excited and also led me to the review by Steve Kossack at The Luminous Landscape site.
Naturally then, I wrote to Arthur Morris, asking for advice before I made the (possibly once in a lifetime) investment on camera equipment supports. Imagine to my surprise then, when he replied saying "I no longer recommend the Arca Swiss B-1. In recent years their quality control has slipped, the ballhead sticks terribly whenever it gets slightly cold or dirty, and their repair "service" is ludicrously bad at best.". In his email, he also advised me against choosing a tripod that had thin legs as well as centre columns in order to maximise stability.
This tipped me over and I decided on the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead (which I now fondly refer to it as my ATUB) together with the Gitzo G1325 CF tripod.
Making the Order
I made the purchase by sending an email to Acratech with all my particulars except for my VISA card details. Since they didn't have any secure online order facility, I called them up to pass my VISA card details and also reconfirmed the items in my order. In addition to the ATUB, I also ordered Kirk QR plates for my EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM.
Initial Impressions of the ATUB
The package arrived via UPS in a rather unattractive box. As I held the box, I found myself wondering if there was anything in there at all. Gingerly, I cut open the tape of the box and found the ATUB wrapped in plenty of large sized bubble wrap together with a simple instruction sheet, Kirk QR plate and invoices. The fact that I even stopped to wonder if the package contained anything speaks volumes about its weight. Later, this was further reinforced when tripods with the ATUB mounted felt no difference in weight compared to those without.
The ATUB also felt very smooth to operate and rock solid when the main tension knob is tightened.
Initial Impressions of the Gitzo G1325 CF
I had been waiting for quite some time for this often out of stock tripod since it was a popular model. The entire tripod feels extremely stable at whatever position and being carbon fibre, is very light compared to other similar sized, non Carbon Fibre tripods. I am also particularly impressed by the fact that the legs have got air pressure in them that stops the legs from collasping down rapidly once the leg locks are loosened.
Acratech Ultimate Ballhead vs Arca Swiss Monoball B1
The time had come for a show-down between the ATUB and the Arca Swiss Monoball B1 during a trip to the Singapore Zoological Gardens. For this informal test, I borrowed my friend's B1 (thanks Darren!!) to use.
I had a simple strategy for the tests. Since both ballheads use the same kind of QR plates, all I had to do was to mount my EOS 3 (with PB-E2) and EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM on the individual heads and simulate operations during shooting. During this test, my G1325 CF tripod had not arrived yet (the photos above were shot during a subsequent trip) and I was using borrowed legs (Manfrotto 190B -> thanks again Darren!!!). So to be fair, I mounted each ballhead on the G1228 CF tripod before each test.
The Tests
Note that the following test results are subjective and all my own opinion although my friend is in agreement with my results. I do not say that my results are authorative but they are based on what works for me.
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Operation
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Acratech Ultimate Ballhead
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Arca Swiss Monoball B1
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| Smoothness when main tension knob fully loosened |
Very smooth movements.
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| Smoothness when main tension knob tightened enough to prevent slipping when not holding camera & lens | Very smooth movements. Have to be mindful to fully tighten main tension knob beyond a certain angle (this obviously depends on the weight of the camera setup) in case there isn't enough grip. | |
| Once beyond a certain angle without retightening, the camera setup will slip and either hit the side of the tripod leg or hit and topple over. (read: the ballhead will NOT budge or loosen if properly tightened.) | Once beyond a certain angle without retightening (depends on your preset level of overall tensioning), the camera setup WILL slip. But this is where the inability of the B1 to freely tilt 90° to its side (except where the vertical slot is) works to its advantage -> no chance of the camera setup hitting the tripod nor toppling over. | |
| Slip tests at various angles when main tension knob fully tightened |
No Slippage.
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| Tilt to 90° or greater angle at various positions | Very quick to tilt to desired angle. | Need to adjust into vertical slot at the side to tilt to desired angle (past a certain amount). This makes it a little troublesome though some may consider this a worthwhile tradeoff for the prevention of hitting the tripod and toppling over. |
| Knob for adjustments of degree of tightness when main tension knob is used |
Available.
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| Smoothness when panning tension knob fully loosened |
Very smooth movements.
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| Smoothness when panning tension knob slightly loosened |
Very smooth movements.
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| Slip tests when panning tension knob fully tightened |
No Slippage.
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| Any slack at QR clamp when fully tightened |
No Slack.
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My Concluding Thoughts
I have been very impressed with my ATUB so far and would highly recommend it to anyone who is searching for a good ballhead but doesn't need the added strength of the Arca Swiss Monoball B1 (90lbs max load!!). The ATUB brings with it many advantages over the Arca Swiss Monoball B1 that I value and this includes:
- lighter weight (0.45kg vs 0.77kg)
- easy to clean (a large part of the ATUB's ball is exposed)
- fast to tilt over at any angle
- good looks (IMHO)
My only gripe here is that I wish the ATUB had knobs like the Arca Swiss Monoball B1 which are much gentler on the fingers.
Update : 25th February 2002
Acratech hears our pains
I guess Acratech had plenty of feedback from us users about the painful main control knob. It certainly is great that they took the effort to come up with an elegant solution to this problem. When I read about the rubberized knob, I wrote to Dordick Scott of Acratech to arrange for a replacement to be sent. Being people dedicated to quality, it took quite a while (I wrote to them around mid December 2001) for them to sort out the required material for the rubberized knob. However, I must say, it was definitely well worth the wait! I have yet to give the new setup a thorough workout but already know that I'm not going to have painful fingers anymore.
Comparing the New & Old Knobs
Above Right : The original Main Control Knob.
Installation was a snap!!
One of the main reasons why I said this solution was an elegant one was because of its simplicity. Virtually anyone should be able to perform this quick replacement.
Indoor Handling with the new Rubberized Knob
Since I still have "normal" work to do, simple indoor handling tests of tightening and loosening the rubberized main control knob will have to suffice for now (I will post another update to this article once I have tested the new setup over time). Like I have mentioned above, it is simply a pleasure to use this new knob after having to live with its predecessor for quite some time now. The rubber material used here is soft to the touch and yet tough enough not to be deformed when tightening the ball into position. I have said it earlier and I will say it again, this rubberized main control knob was definitely worth the wait.
