Review on 📷 Desmond DLOW-55 Low Profile Ball Head with 55mm Arca/RRS Compatibility and Pan Lock for Tripods by Gerson Lagerquist

When it comes to ball heads, bigger is better. The larger the area of the ball, the greater the opportunity to adjust friction and grip. And that leads to more holding power, more weight, better balance and so on. Regardless of the traditional "maximum weight capacity" rating, it really comes down to (1) the size of the ball and (2) the locking mechanism for that ball. There are two things I look for in a ball head. And with a 55mm ball on this head, we're in the good sizing range - comparable to the best and most expensive ball heads from other brands. The ball locking mechanism includes two handles. The large knob is used to control the tension on the ball joint itself. The smaller one above the pan function knob is used to set the resistance of the ball joint at any given time. This knob allows you to loosen the main locking mechanism and then set enough resistance to allow the ball to move smoothly and freely to adjust the camera position so the photographer has full control over the direction of the lens regardless of weight. and balance between camera and lens. I tested this with my Sony A7rII and Nikon AI-S 200mm f/2s, a combo that weighs 3,325 kg (7 1/3 lbs) and, more importantly, is odd in terms of weight distribution between the camera and body is balanced. At 45 degrees down, the ballhead works fairly well and won't budge, even when the main lock is loose and the ball depends on the smaller knob's resistance setting to stay in place. At the same time, the sphere is still slightly moved by the photographer when it is necessary to change the direction of the camera. As for other features, there are two notches for tilting the head. They are positioned at 90 degrees to each other so when one is directly in front of you the other is positioned so the camera/lens can be tilted down for portrait orientation. There is a third swivel button and the base of the head is marked 360 degrees. QR space release is smooth and requires only a few turns. On the one hand, this is convenient because you can very quickly detach the arca-swiss-compatible plate. On the other hand, it's possible for the camera to detach from the clamp sooner than expected (at least compared to the clamp on my Sirui ball head). It's not bad, but it's worth knowing about. I made a note so I won't forget. The size of the head in relation to its base allows it to be used with my 5x7 view camera as well, although I don't usually like ball heads for this use. . If I was to guess, I think the lower center of gravity of the head helps make this combo more comfortable to use. weeks. I'll probably make an update on that later.