Arca Swiss monoball p0 -- should I get it?

[yodermk]

Right now I have a Manfrotto pan-tilt head on a Manfrotto carbon-fiber tripod (don't remember model numbers). They are OK. The head was under $100 and the legs were about $350 (just for reference).

I had been thinking of getting an L plate for my Canon 5D Mark IV in order to put it on a tripod in portrait orientation, but looking into it, they are a bit more complex then I was expecting and I don't really want to have it permanently mounted on my camera. Apparently this p0 can tilt a full 90 degrees to get the camera in portrait mode. Maybe this would eliminate the need for the L? I realize that doesn't put the camera *quite* at the center of gravity, but it looks pretty sturdy and it shouldn't be far off. My current tripod legs allow the center pole to swivel out and go fully parallel to the ground, but that makes the camera go FAR out from the center of gravity and it doesn't inspire great confidence. Hasn't fallen yet, but I don't do that a lot and it's probably not as stable as should be.

Also I want something that will be good for shooting the solar eclipse next month. I just tested solar photography with my current setup and it seemed to work OK (holding a Canon 80D + 400mm f/5.6L + 2X TC III). Previously I had some trouble getting it to stay put pointing high in the sky but today's test seemed OK. Would this p0 be significantly more reliable with this kind of use?

First read about it from someone who used it with the MP-E 65mm supermacro lens, which I'm considering getting. Does it somewhat reduce the need for focusing rails?

Then there's the question of what tripod to put it on. My current legs might be all right, but I literally can't get the current head off them (I'm thinking it may have gotten a good bump in a suitcase and rammed something in tight). In any case I'll probably want a new set (should keep the current setup ready for video). One of the reviews on B&H says he uses it on Gitzo Mountaineer legs. Those look pretty awesome, though expensive. How about this? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1034911-REG/gitzo_gt1542_mountaineer_series_1.html More expensive than I'd like to pay but maybe I need it to take my photography to the next level.

Also I think the biggest lens I am likely to get would be a 150-600mm zoom. Would love a 500 or 600 f/4 but I don't think that's gonna happen.

Haven't though too much about this kind of gear yet, so input would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[Ellis Vener]

I love my Arca-Swiss p0 head but for a 400mm lens it is a little small. It can easily hold the weight but you'll want something larger and heavier like an Arca-Swiss Z1 Monoball (mated with a Really Right Stuff PC-LR panning clamp it is the closest thing I have to a perfect ballhead) or the Really Right Stuff BH-55.

 

[yodermk]

I love my Arca-Swiss p0 head but for a 400mm lens it is a little small. It can easily hold the weight but you'll want something larger and heavier like an Arca-Swiss Z1 Monoball (mated with a Really Right Stuff PC-LR panning clamp it is the closest thing I have to a perfect ballhead) or the Really Right Stuff BH-55.

Dang. Why so many pieces? :/

The 400 isn't *that* big, it's an f/5.6. Are you saying it wouldn't really work well or be difficult to adjust?

I want to keep this as simple as possible!

 

[Bing Chow]

Right now I have a Manfrotto pan-tilt head on a Manfrotto carbon-fiber tripod (don't remember model numbers). They are OK. The head was under $100 and the legs were about $350 (just for reference).

I had been thinking of getting an L plate for my Canon 5D Mark IV in order to put it on a tripod in portrait orientation, but looking into it, they are a bit more complex then I was expecting and I don't really want to have it permanently mounted on my camera.

How are they complex? It's two pieces of aluminum at most. And why not leave it on full time? Are you using a Black Rapid strap?

Apparently this p0 can tilt a full 90 degrees to get the camera in portrait mode. Maybe this would eliminate the need for the L?

Every ballhead can drop into 90deg. It's just more annoying to work with. You have to loosen the pan knob, decide if you want the drop slot on the left or the right (because that determines where your camera grip will be), and once in the drop slot, you can't really pan on a vertical axis. Instead, you travel on a arc. Sounds like minor details. But spend some time with it and the annoyances add up. I can't imagine using my camera on my tripod without a L-Bracket.

And if you insist on the Arca P0, consider what quick-release plate you want to buy. Arca's Slidefix is NOT compatible the much more common "Arca-Swiss dovetail" that almost everyone else has adopted. That's why people buy the P0 without a clamp and then buy the clamp from RRS or Sunwayfoto.

--
You can't own just one tripod

 

[Ellis Vener]

It's not the length or the weight of the lens + camera that is the issue, it's the magnification. On a full frame camera a 400mm gives you 8x subject magnification. On an APS-C camera that jumps to 12.8x. You want the camera and lens to be as stable as possible to ensure better subject resolution. Fore/aft balance plays a role in this. A larger head has not only more mass but more dampening surface area.

 

[yodermk]

Oh great.

I'm using the standard strap, just don't want to have to attach/unattach it all the time.

I can see the point about no vertical tilt.

Maybe I just need a good introduction video to how all this stuff works. Right now I have a fairly straightforward pan/tilt head and am having trouble visualizing how all this stuff fits together.

And I don't know if I want to spend much over $1000 for all of it. I was thinking the p0 + that Mountaineer tripod looked like a good combo for about that.

 

[yodermk]

Ok thanks, that makes sense.

 

[jeffcpix]

Every ballhead can drop into 90deg. It's just more annoying to work with. You have to loosen the pan knob, decide if you want the drop slot on the left or the right

It can make a big difference whether left or right -- if the tripod screw isn't really tight, choosing the wrong side might result in the camera tending to sag (rotate) with gravity; choose the correct side and the tripod screw will tighten with the weight.

 

[NoDOF]

Every pan-tilt head I've seen has had the ability to tilt 90 degrees, so I have to wonder why you need a new head, at all. Is there an actual need, here, or just a desire for a new toy (which is a perfectly valid reason to spend one's own money)?

 

[yodermk]

Every pan-tilt head I've seen has had the ability to tilt 90 degrees, so I have to wonder why you need a new head, at all. Is there an actual need, here, or just a desire for a new toy (which is a perfectly valid reason to spend one's own money)?

At this point I'm not sure. I think I'll hold off. I'm trying to see if I could really benefit from it. Perhaps not as much as I was thinking.

I'll keep looking into this stuff, including the larger heads suggested. But I guess at this time my current tripod does what I most need it to do. I think it will be OK for the eclipse shoot in August.

Thanks. If anyone else has thoughts or info, feel free to add them!

 

[yodermk]

I usually prefer buying bodies and lenses new, but do you guys have an opinion of buying this kind of thing used? Anything to watch out for? If I could save 30% or so that would make it more palatable.

Maybe I'll start watching eBay, CraigsList, and FredMiranda.

But as said in previous reply, I think it's not a super-high priority. Just want to be ready for a particularly great deal!

 

[Ellis Vener]

Every pan-tilt head I've seen has had the ability to tilt 90 degrees, so I have to wonder why you need a new head, at all. Is there an actual need, here, or just a desire for a new toy (which is a perfectly valid reason to spend one's own money)?

At this point I'm not sure. I think I'll hold off. I'm trying to see if I could really benefit from it. Perhaps not as much as I was thinking.

I'll keep looking into this stuff, including the larger heads suggested. But I guess at this time my current tripod does what I most need it to do. I think it will be OK for the eclipse shoot in August.

Thanks. If anyone else has thoughts or info, feel free to add them!

 

[yodermk]

I love my Arca-Swiss p0 head but for a 400mm lens it is a little small. It can easily hold the weight but you'll want something larger and heavier like an Arca-Swiss Z1 Monoball (mated with a Really Right Stuff PC-LR panning clamp it is the closest thing I have to a perfect ballhead) or the Really Right Stuff BH-55.

I didn't buy anything last year but looking at it again, now leaning towards the Monoball Z1 dp (but wondering if there's a reason to go for the newer Z1g+).

I don't really understand what that PC-LR clamp does that the Z1 can't do by itself. It looks like the clamp allows panning the head, but the Z1 has that built in, especially the "dp" version which looks particularly useful.

My current need is for a supermacro rig, which droops with my current pan head. But I still want to be able to do panos with the camera in a vertical position. Seems like the Z1 would help with both, but the need for the clamp confuses me.

Thanks!

 

[Ellis Vener]

I love my Arca-Swiss p0 head but for a 400mm lens it is a little small. It can easily hold the weight but you'll want something larger and heavier like an Arca-Swiss Z1 Monoball (mated with a Really Right Stuff PC-LR panning clamp it is the closest thing I have to a perfect ballhead) or the Really Right Stuff BH-55.

I didn't buy anything last year but looking at it again, now leaning towards the Monoball Z1 dp (but wondering if there's a reason to go for the newer Z1g+).

i can’t answer that one.

I don't really understand what that PC-LR clamp does that the Z1 can't do by itself. It looks like the clamp allows panning the head, but the Z1 has that built in, especially the "dp" version which looks particularly useful.

My B1 Monoball is about 14 years old it is from the last run of B1 heads prior to the launch of the Z1 and Arca-Swiss was not offering a panning platform at the time.

My current need is for a supermacro rig, which droops with my current pan head. But I still want to be able to do panos with the camera in a vertical position. Seems like the Z1 would help with both, but the need for the clamp confuses me.

i hope my answer clears up your confusion about my set up. I will also add that I like the heft and easier to read angle markings of the RRS PC-LR over Arca-Swiss’.

Thanks!

 

[yodermk]

Ok great so probably no need for the clamp then! Good to know.

 

[bobkoure]

I love my Arca-Swiss p0 head but for a 400mm lens it is a little small. It can easily hold the weight but you'll want something larger and heavier like an Arca-Swiss Z1 Monoball (mated with a Really Right Stuff PC-LR panning clamp it is the closest thing I have to a perfect ballhead) or the Really Right Stuff BH-55.

I have one as well, also love it. For 400 or even 600, I'd expect you'd be better off with a larger head. The Z1 is very nice, but I'd also like to suggest the P1. I would suggest getting either one without clamp, then adding an RRS lever clamp. Also, Sunwayfoto makes a round screw clamp that's designed specifically for the P0.

The downside with the P0, P1, and any other head with panning above the ball is that you're only doing single row panos - and the rotational axis needs to be exactly vertical, so it's single row panos with the horizon in/close-to the middle.

If you use a pan-at-the-bottom head, plus a leveler you can then separate camera angle from rotational angle. But that's extra weight. OTOH, if you're carrying a fast 400, you probably have an assistant, or a mule

 

[yodermk]

Just ordered the Gitzo GT4533LS tripod and Monoball Z1g+. Hopefully good choices. However neither have reviews on B&H which seems a little weird. They are newer than their (very highly rated) predecessors but not THAT new.

I looked into a gimbal but decided that's probably not quite what I need right now. Maybe in the distant future if I ever get a 600 f/4.

 

[Bing Chow]

Report back to us once you have some initial thoughts. It's gonna be an awesome kit.

 

[yodermk]

Report back to us once you have some initial thoughts. It's gonna be an awesome kit.

Will do.

I'm a bit concerned though as I can't find a single substantive review of the Z1g+ anywhere. Not on B&H or Adorama or Amazon or Newegg or anyone else that sells it. Not on Google or Youtube. The only things I can find are a few blurbs about how awesome it looks when it was released. And that was in 2012 or 13, so why no other reviews? Seems very ... odd.

Before ordering I chatted with a B&H rep to try to get a handle on the difference with the Z1, but that wasn't particularly helpful. I ordered it anyway, figuring I might regret it someday if I didn't. :/

Maybe I should solve that by sticking something on Youtube after I play with it for a while.

 

[Bing Chow]

Report back to us once you have some initial thoughts. It's gonna be an awesome kit.

Will do.

I'm a bit concerned though as I can't find a single substantive review of the Z1g+ anywhere. Not on B&H or Adorama or Amazon or Newegg or anyone else that sells it. Not on Google or Youtube. The only things I can find are a few blurbs about how awesome it looks when it was released. And that was in 2012 or 13, so why no other reviews? Seems very ... odd.

You can always return it. My returns with B&H have been trouble-free and I live in Canada. When you play at this price level, things are going to be a matter of personal preference, as opposed to weak engineering. Having lots of positive reviews is only going to give you comfort when you buy it, but has little bearing on your feeling towards it. For eg, the Arca P0 is nearly universally loved, but I didn't like it at all. I couldn't return it fast enough. OTOH, I read some lukewarm reviews about FLM ballheads about the locking knob needing a lot of turns to tighten down. So I bought my FLM CB-48F with trepidation, fully expecting to be out the return shipping cost.......... and I friggen love that thing!!!! I understand why people said what they did, but it was a non-issue for me. I was so surprised because I wrote at length here at DPR about the amount of effort needed to tighten down certain ballheads, and how that affect user friendliness.

Only you can decide what you like or don't like.