Lightweight Arca Micro Ballheads for Gorillapod?
Jan 25, 2018
So on my GX7 I now use a little Arca plate with a webbing loop on it so that I can use a Capture Clip-like system or a DIY lever-lock clamp without having to remove the sling strap set-up that I designed. So that's all great, but now it makes it a hassle to use my Gorillapod Hybrid, which is really the only tripod I ever use anymore. It gets used for occasional astrophotography and macro.
I have the slightly lighter duty Gorillapod, but my thinking was to upgrade to the "3K" model that allows interchangeable heads, and put a really small, light, Arca-compatible ballhead on it.
The "mid-size" competition that I see, which is really as big as I will go:
Sirui C-10S - $70, ~230g
Oben BE-108 - $70, ~300g
Joby Ballhead X - $50, ~262g
They all seem pretty similar, offering a separate tension and panning knobs. Size and weight-wise, they're all in the same class, and they all seem well reviewed.
There's also the Sirui G-10X, which is $90 and 260g, but adds the extra feature of a friction knob, which I like the idea of.
I measured the clunky cheap single-action ballhead that was on an inexpensive Sanford & Vista tripod I got a few years ago (the legs are not confidence inspiring, but honestly, for the use it gets, they're all I need). It was ~230g without the QR plate. Even that little ballhead seems pretty overkill to have on a Gorillapod (and weighs more than the entire 145g legs + 51g ballhead on the Gorillapod I'm using now).
So that's seriously making me lean more towards even smaller options such as the Manfrotto 492 ($47, 140g) + an Arca clamp. There's also this little Novoflex Ball19 that is even smaller at 118g, and Novoflex has a reputation for making solid stuff.
The teensy RRS BC-18 is interesting, but I don't love that I can't drop it 90 degrees for vertical orientation shots. I don't plan on using an L-bracket on my cameras, and like having my little plate system work with everything as is. The RRS BH-25 looks like a contender in very much the same class as the Manfrotto, but the $150-190 price class does make me wince a bit for such a low-feature kit...
I'm really in the deep-end here with analysis paralysis. Would love to get some advice from anyone who has had experience with some of the options here.
Thanks!