Review on Gitzo Mountaineer Professional Photography Accessories by Daniel Jackson

I've waited years, YEARS for this ball head. After using the RRS 55mm ball head, all I needed was a low profile Gitzo ball head with quick release and eyes, which is a bit compromised. Size for maximum stability and performance. Finally, we have this in the Series 4 ball head. I went with the lever lock as it's a better implementation than the competition, but this head isn't without its flaws. However, these shortcomings are so minor that most people don't care about them or find ways to overcome them. Let's start with the cons. Lever lock adjustment screw moves too easily. Should they use a set screw to keep it in place, use a nylon nut to make the screw harder to turn, or just lower the head and use a hex drive so you can't just run your hand over it and change the setting. anything would be better than this oversight. Having to recheck the tilt lock every time you place the camera upside down to make sure it's properly tightened and won't move when fully locked will negate the benefits of using a tilt lock. Worst of all, you can't even snap the bolt in place, as you have to adjust it in cases where you have an odd plate that's just a tad larger or smaller than the stock plate. Then there are the damn rubber grips on the handles again. They always dry out or simply break under the torque of repeated loosening and tightening. This is particularly common with the pan lock knob. Just use machined grooves and stop using dome condoms. Finally, use an oval ball so the camera can't just tip over when the head is released. All premium ball heads should have this feature and it's ridiculous that they don't. Let's get to the pluses. it is MASSIVE. It's not for tourists or city dwellers unless you're in a studio. It goes great with the Systematic line and looks perfect on my Series 3 Systematic but looks completely out of place on my Series 3 Mountaineer Long. Stability is excellent in the studio or in the field, but you'll want to cover shorter distances with it on your back or handheld. At 2 pounds on a 5-8 pound tripod, this is significant. However, if you're a nature photographer with a 600mm f/4 lens, you'll probably be happy to carry the extra weight to have the stability that a long telephoto lens offers. The ball lock works immediately. A quarter turn and it's locked. Rhyme it if you want, but you don't have to. The thing is fastened quickly and securely. The friction clamp has a click. This is great as you can just count the clicks if you're changing lenses or entire cameras on the spot and want to quickly adjust the friction. I don't know why it's not on every Gitzo ball head. Finally, the e-liquid bowl feels fantastic. If you record videos on location, you will love this. If you're just a wildlife photographer scanning the horizon for a subject, you'll love the feel of the new pan system they include. It's almost as smooth as her ball head. Even in this form, this ball head is fantastic and simply gorgeous. It is an absolute pleasure to use. My only hope is that they make a smaller version of the "Series 2" with an approximately 40-45mm ball and 60mm base to fit the Mountaineer line of tripods. Although I used mine with my Mountaineer, a slightly smaller version would provide the perfect balance for this tripod. The gigantic, fast-spinning lockout knob, click-to-click friction adjustment and silky-smooth action just deserve to be scaled down a bit so all Mountaineer owners can use Gitzo's awesome ballhead wisely.