Need a new ball head

I have an 8 year old Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 head on my tripod.  With my new Canon 100 - 400 version 2 lens and either a 7D2 or 5D3, even with everything is locked down, there's significant rocking of the head.  I'm hoping that I can do better with a new head and wondering about heads and their weight ratings.  (This one is supposed to handle 75 lbs!!!, so weight ratings are pretty useless.)  Thoughts/suggestion/recommendations appreciated.

I'm surprised your Z1 is rocking with that setup, Mark.  Any idea where the slop is?  I was using a Z1 with my "Sidekick" and it started developing a bit of "sticktion" in the panning axis from the off center loading.  I shifted it to my macro/floral tripod and went to a BH55 which is usually considered one of the heavy duty champions.  It's worked very well thus far and I know Richard Ditch has been using his for quite a few years.  I'm not sure about the durability of the newer brands on the market, though the specs look good.  Unfortunately, there's no "bureau of standards" for tripod or head ratings-it's up to the manufacturer.

Good luck with your search

I am using a RRS BH55 and it is super solid. Been using it for years and I am very happy with it. 

I also use the RRS BH55.  Very stable. 

Mark, funny you should ask. I just received my second Induro BHL3S yesterday from B&H. The reason for the second unit is that I have 2 Feisol center columns I use. One is a standard long unit and the second is a very short unit for macro work so the tripod can go flat on the ground. I did not want to change the ball head from column to column.

As far as weight rating it states 35lbs. I cannot say one way or another on that point beyond that I've used my original BHL3S for about 9 months now and it is bullet proof. I've had maybe 5 or 6 other ball heads over the years and found fault with most of them in one fashion or another. Mostly with supporting the Mamiya RB ProSD unit and ball head creep. There is absolutely no creep with this unit period. I of course use my 4x5 with the setup too, but it is lighter overall compared to the RB. 

The only thing I might point out is the ball head does not have a side slot for vertical / horizontal swing. As both my cameras do not require that feature I did not want the second slot. It does obviously have a front slot for forward tilt to do macro work just fine, again, my backs can switch on the orientation there if needed.
 

I also have a RRS BH55 but I use it for the light stuff meaning 150-600(now sold), 200-500, and 300 when I use it.  I also use it for macro work and Zerene related use.  A superb ball head.  No complaints.

The RRS BH55 is what I use. It is solid and can handle anything you have. I see no reason why it will not last a lifetime. They are  very well built. There is no movement at all with my big glass and a sidekick. Good luck.

I must say that I'm surprised at a nearly unanimous vote on anything by NPNer's!    That in itself is quite the recommendation.  After Dennis's comment, I went back for a more thorough inspection ad found that there's a joint of the tripod (allowing for the two sizes of head screws) that I hadn't tightened down completely when I put things back together after flying.  That reduced the wiggle but didn't completely eliminate it.  The head does have significant rotational sticktion as Dennis noted and that's a special challenge in my macro work but also makes fine tuning the frame edges hard in landscape.

I also use the RRS BH-55 and love it.  Have used it for at least 10 years and it's still rock-solid.

RRS BH-55. I have the Lever version. I've had it for many years and recommend it without reservation. I used it on my Gitzo G1325 tripod with a Whimberley Sidekick for my Nikkor 300/2.8 plus matching TC-20E teleconverter. Always stable. I'm now using the Nikkor 200-500/5.6 and an Induro tripod. I've got the BH-55‌ on the Induro but I've dropped the Sidekick as another step in weight reduction. It took a little practice getting used to the lack of the sidekick and needing to tighten/untighten the ball head but it works very well and is rock steady.

Mark,

Sounds like you're looking more closely for the source of the wobble.  Have you checked the plate mounted to the bottom of the camera? sometimes ones that have rubber on them might allow for some play?

Anyway, I'm really only chiming in here for perhaps others who may read and can't afford Arca or RRS.   I would love a RRS setup including the BH55, a lever style clamp and of course you must have the RRS L-bracket.  I would love to have the RRS gear and it's clear lots of folks are very happy with their gear.

But for those of us who can't afford the price of admission, I'll put my plug in for the setup I just purchased a few weeks ago.  I was going to post a thread like this before purchasing, but now know there would have been lots of recommendations for stuff I couldn't afford! :-)  

There are tons of brands and I was looking at the Induro too as Paul uses.  I ended up purchasing the Benro B2 head, that of course comes with the clamp and camera plate.  It's smaller than I expected, but then I'm coming from decades of using bulky 3-way pan/tilt heads.  I also went with a Chinese made SunwayFoto L-bracket, also considerably cheaper than RRS.  The bracket fits beautifully, nicely machined and works perfectly with the Benro clamp.  Initially I was looking for lever style clamps, but the Benro clamp knob operates easily for me.  It didn't take long for me to feel comfortable operating the setup.  It's rock solid and I'm quite happy.

I haven't had a chance to use it in the field yet, but I can't wait. I can't speak or offer review whether or not this setup would suit the wildlife or sports photographer with Big Glass.  I know this would hold, but if I did have big glass, I'd probably opt for a little bulkier ball head. 

All for less than $200 - head and L-bracket.  My review on B&H is here.

Hey Mark, keep us posted on what you decide on.  I mainly posted here so that others may read this and hear other options.

Lon

 

There are tons of brands.........

Lon, I totally agree and I spent actually a couple months picking them apart. To a point I almost could not find exactly what I was looking for. I've a tendency at times to over engineer things, but in the end I found the one I bought was actually better then what I hoped for. So a pleasant surprise after all the window / net / Youtube shopping........

 

Lon,  I too am a notorious tightwad so if I could find something where I was sure that it is "almost as good" as the BH55, I'd go for it.  However, the Arca-Swiss is not a cheap head and it has problems with the 100-400 and camera.  Even after tightening the connections to the tripod, there's still enough wobble that I really should use a cable release for critically positioned shots, even after I've compensated for the shift that I see while I tighten the various controls.  That rocking is especially true when zoomed to 400mm using the 7D2 (with it's 1.6 crop factor).  It's a situation where I'd really like to take camera and lens in and try them on different heads, but I refuse to go into a camera store and test drive hardware only to make my purchase online even as I'm reluctant to purchase from a local store because of the extra cost...
 

You calling me a tightwad?    Actually, I like to refer to it as being frugal.  

Lon, oops, sorry about my brusk language...I've been known for that for about 4 decades at this point. 

In Brooklyn that would be a term of endearment, lol. 

I have a Z1 on my big Gitzo 5542L, and it's smaller size does look kinda funny on the big deck of the Gitzo. I always planned on upgrading, although that Z1 is pretty tough, yawns at a 5D4/70-200mm. Nonetheless, after reading this post my next ball head is probably the BH55! I know this is a cheesy reason but I love the look of that thing (we know it works).

Have you considered the Kirk BH-1?  I use it with my 100-400 version II with 1Dx Mark II AND 1.4x extender so there's a lot of weight there and it works fine.  Good and steady.  I also have a BH-55 and agree with all that it's a superb ballhead but it is heavier than the BH-1 if that matters to you.  I used it with a sidekick for my 500 until I bought the lighter rig of the Mongoose 4th generation put it on an Induro tripod instead of the Gitzo I was using with BH-55 and sidekick and now my shoulder is much happier!  :-).  At any rate, back to your issue.  I'll wager there will be some that pooh pooh the Kirk BH-1 as too lightweight but it is steady for me and was cheaper when I got it.  Not sure now because I've had it so long and it's still rock solid.  Here's an example of the advantage of going to a camera store.  If you have one in your area, you are truly blessed and in the long run may be worth the few extra bucks to support them and keep them in business.