This is one of my favorite times of the year – the temperatures, the colors, and the general smell of the air can be invigorating. This morning was my first venture out to photograph fall colors this year. Southeast Michigan is just approaching its peak, with many trees already past. After driving around for about an hour, I finally settled on a spot and probably spent 2 hours within a 20 sq. ft. area just photographing what interested me. There is no shortage of subject matter in the fall.
It can be difficult to compose something original, though. Fall colors make for great subject matter, but everyone is shooting them.
It was also my first time out with my new Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead. It just arrived on Friday after being on a waiting list for about 6 weeks. Before this, I have been using the Kirk BH-1 for a while. It is actually my third one after being replaced a couple of times for locking up or failing to lock up. The third one has been fairly reliable, but I decided it was time to try something new. Perhaps it was a pure case of gadget envy vs. need.
The first thing you will notice about the RRS is attention to detail and craftsmanship. It is a finely machined product that obviously had a lot of attention to its design. I love the large locking knob and its smooth feel. I have the version with the new lever quick-release mechanism. I was a bit skeptical at first, wondering how easily it could ‘pop open.’ But my concerns have been eliminated. The lever tucks neatly under the camera body, so there is little risk of it snagging on a branch or similar object. I actually became quite fond of it when swapping around lens configurations, with the camera mounted to a tripod collar. It makes this process much easier and faster. I also read that the small bubble level included on the mounting plate is covered by the camera body when installed. Not so with the D2H at least. It tucks slightly under, but is visible. I have yet to try it with my larger lens, but I have little doubt this will become one of my best pieces of equipment.
You can find details of the Really Right Stuff ballhead at this link;
And thorough reviews at ;
Mark, I’ve been looking at getting a ballhead. I’m still using my Bogen 3047 head, which I liked for my view camera, but it is a bit cumbersome with the D2X and also a bit heavy. What setup are you using. I think that, after reading several reviews, that I’m ready to try the RRS.
I want to get the head and one quick release plate. As we have similar setups, which head/plate combination are you using?