jcboy3

The ball head that comes with that tripod is a small travel tripod. Mount a telephoto lens on your camera and then mount the camera to the ball head and you have a front heavy load that will consistently droop after you adjust and tighten the ball head.

You can get a larger ball head designed to handle heavier loads. If you get one with a friction adjustment it will reduce droop even more.

Or get a larger pan-tilt head. This will reduce the droop issue, but the pan-tilt heads are less portable (or if you remove the arms for travel, less convenient).

Or you can balance the camera/lens on the tripod using a mounting plate between the camera and the ball head. A macro adjustment plate will allow you to adjust the camera back from the mount to balance. This will take the load off the ball head so it will not droop; unless you use the adjustment plate as it is intended (to adjust lens to object distance for macro photography). These are a bit bulky and will raise the camera up a bit.

Or you can swap the ball head for a small ARCA type ball head. This will preserve the travel size of the tripod. You can then use a long ARCA plate to move the camera back.

Or you can get a geared head. This is probably the bulkiest (and most expensive) solution but it adds the ability to modify pointing without droop issues.

In addition to all of the solutions mentioned above, I also have a gimbal head, but that's really big and only practical for large telephoto lenses.

The solution you choose will depend upon cost and portability issues. For portability, I prefer using a small ARCA ball head and a long ARCA plate.

Finally, I prefer two mounting systems: ARCA and Manfrotto RC2. I use either, depending upon need. The ARCA are more flexible with the use of different length plates, and some of my lens tripod collars are ARCA so I don't need to add a mounting plate. But the Manfrotto RC2 mounts/dismounts much faster, so if I am using a monopod or tripod for walking about, I use it. Unless I am using large lenses that don't have tripod collars and need to be balanced, and then it's ARCA.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

My thanks to all for great information. I have some homework to do now so tomorrow being Monday will get at it.

Dennis

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Look at Really Right Stuff website www.reallyrightstuff.com
Their stuff costs a lot but I have found their products to be of excellent quality.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Will do. Thanks.

Dennis

RRS Loc: Not sure

Take a good look at the "Jobu"!

Bob Boner

I have several ball heads (Arca-Swiss, Foba, RRS, all quality heads), and do a lot of macro photography. I find that all the ball heads cause some droop. It's easy enough to just compensate by aiming it a little high before tightening it down. It possible, make sure you have the lens attached to the ball head, not the camera. This centers the weight better, but does not make the problem go away.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Bob,
Yes, balancing should be used where possible.
If your ball head can't hold the lens/camera combo where you put it especially when not using a BIG/LONG/HEAVY lens, I would say your ball is too small. On the Jobu website they specifically state (For their Gimbal adapter) "We highly recommend a very good quality ballhead with smooth and free-moving panning motion for this product. Take a look at the BH55 on Really Right Stuff. Yes, it's expensive, and you won't need to replace it with a better one, down the road. Notice the Jobu recommendation ... a VERY GOOD quality ballhead.

Bob Boner

I have the RRS BH55 and the BH40. Both are excellent, and I find they are both substantial for my macro imaging, with 180 and 100 macro lenses. If you plan to use the ball head with larger lenses, I recommend the BH55. I have the same size Induro tripod you have, and use the BH40 on it, and the BH55 on a larger tripod.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I will do that. Thanks.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Good information. I will take a look at them. I like the tripod just fine but can't handle the droop. Thanks.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I appreciate your information but for me it isn't easy so probably a bigger ball head is in order. Just last night I took some photos of two beetles on a table. You would think it would be a simple matter to line them up in the center of the viewfinder and take the photo but that was not the case. I needed to center them and then raise the camera approximately 3 inches above them to then hope it would settle down to where they were centered. With each shot I needed to do this. It just isn't workable for me though will have to suffice until I get another head for the tripod. Strangely once in place it will stay there. Weird.

I appreciate the comment very much.

Dennis

blue64 Loc: Washington, Pa. USA

Just adjust it a little above your shot. Then when it drops you should be close to or on the money!. If close then use an photo edit program to frame it the way you want it...

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

That is what I have been doing but the problem is I have to adjust it too much with each shot. When I see my subject in the viewfinder I then have to raise the center of the viewfinder so high I can't even see the subject anymore. There has to be a better way.

Thanks,

Dennis

steveg48

I have the AKB2 tripod kit which came with a BH2 ballhead.
The tripod legs are good but I hate the BH2 ballhead (because of droop and my camera fell off it). Instead of getting a new tripod I got an Induro BHL2 head which I am quite happy with.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I looked at them at Amazon. It is a good thought. Thanks.

Dennis