Equipment Field Report: Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead
My Manfrotto 486RC2 Ballhead was a gift from my wife.
It was my first ball head and did the job for a number of years. However, as the demands from my tripod rig increased, I began to find many things about the 486RC2 that I did not like. For instance, it creeped a bit even when under a light load. There was a lack of fine control. The lens plates were rather small. Sure, the rig worked, but it had begun to test my patience. It was time for a new ball head.
Never underestimate the power of a brand. Even before I had done any amount of research, I knew that I wanted a Really Right Stuff ball head. Why? Lots of my friends had them. Lots of photographers I respected had them. There's power in that. Singh-Ray knows it. Gitzo knows it. So does Joe Johnson, owner of Really Right Stuff.
I wanted a ball head that struck a balance between load tolerance and weight. I wanted to support my 500mm f/4.5 if need be, but I wanted something adequately light for hiking. As I've mentioned previously, I don't mind carrying weight, but I'll take light when i can get it. Someone over at RRS marketing has their head screwed onto their "tripod" pretty well, as they thought to provide an online buying guide:
Which Ballhead Should You Buy?
Magical!
Within about 60 seconds, I knew that I wanted a BH-40. A little more research told me that I wanted a B2 AS II clamp. For years, I've used those ridiculous drop notches on my ball head to fake a vertical composition. No more. I wanted a B40D L-plate for my 40D so that I could quickly switch from horizontal to vertical orientation. Five minutes later, I was entering my purchase data and clicking "purchase".
| Really Right Stuff BH-40 with B2 AS II clamp |
| Conservative load capacity of 18 pounds |
| Only 18.3 ounces |
| Lever-release clamp with spirit level |
| 40mm diameter hollow ball |
| Dual drop notches |
| Drum and symmetrical progressive band brake |
| Anodized aluminum or stainless steel construction |
I chose the BH-40... and never looked back.
Will it stay in my pack? Abosutely. Here's why.
- It's quite light! Not a featherweight, but suitable for backpacking.
- It mounts to my Gitzo 1325 carbon fiber tripod like a charm.
- The build quality is fantastic. Very rugged. Downright sexy.
- The ball head action is very smooth, accurate, and locks down TIGHTLY.
- The fine drag control in awesome, as is the independent panning control.
- It will support my 500mm f/4.5. I can leave my gimbal head at home when hiking.
- The L-plate makes swapping from horizontal to vertical orientation a dream.
- The L-plate and clamp are very well designed to avoid accidental dismount.
In summary.
Wow! I cannot believe the difference between the BH-40 and my 486RC2. It is like night and day. I've passed on the 486RC2 to a good friend. He'll get plenty of use out of it. Someday, he'll probably reach the same conclusion that I did. The BH-40 is a real joy to use. It makes me want to take my tripod with me everywhere. My Gitzo probably thanks me for this. Now, instead of fiddling with knobs and correcting for constant drift, I can get down to shooting. This ball head belongs in my kit.
Jamie, JFP
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