Ballhead (Vangard 100) in particular ???

cwgrizz

Senior Member
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I not long ago received the Vangard 264 AB tripod with the 100 ballhead and today played with it a little after seeing @hark (Cindy's) write up on the tripod she just purchased. Anyway for those who have the same ball head ie @Roy1961 or @Danno or anyone else who is familiar with it, can you answer a couple of questions. First off the QR has two bubble levels on it. I am finding it to be a pain to try to get both level at the same time and tighten down the ball lock. Also the head moves slightly when tightening the rotation lock knob. Tighten the locking knob and it moves the position of the ball head slightly. Do others have this problem? It is not real critical, but is more curiosity than anything to see if others have the same characteristics. The tripod itself also has a level on it. This allows leveling it using the legs of the tripod prior to playing with the ball head.

I guess also (for @Roy1961 because he has both) is the 250 head easier to adjust than the 100?

Thanks
 

Danno

Senior Member
I not long ago received the Vangard 264 AB tripod with the 100 ballhead and today played with it a little after seeing @hark (Cindy's) write up on the tripod she just purchased. Anyway for those who have the same ball head ie @Roy1961 or @Danno or anyone else who is familiar with it, can you answer a couple of questions. First off the QR has two bubble levels on it. I am finding it to be a pain to try to get both level at the same time and tighten down the ball lock. Also the head moves slightly when tightening the rotation lock knob. Tighten the locking knob and it moves the position of the ball head slightly. Do others have this problem? It is not real critical, but is more curiosity than anything to see if others have the same characteristics. The tripod itself also has a level on it. This allows leveling it using the legs of the tripod prior to playing with the ball head.

I guess also (for @Roy1961 because he has both) is the 250 head easier to adjust than the 100?

Thanks

I have noticed the same things Walt. When I lock it down it does make a small shift. I fined I have to compensate for that. I have not used the two levels much yet with the photos I have been taking. I using it more to take the bird photos ans a couple flower pics. I like the tripod a lot, but that is a bit of a quirk to work around. I am thinking about a Gimbal Head. I think it would work best for most of what I do and you can find some at reasonable prices.
 

hark

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Walt, I looked up your ball head--I have an older Bogen Manfrotto head with two of those types of levels on it. Personally I would only try to level both at the same time if I was doing something that was more critical when it comes to perspective. An example would be when using an ultra wide lens, such as 14mm on FX or 10-12mm on DX, to try and ensure the lines are straight. Using both would come in handy for architecture or realtor photography.

As for the problem when tightening down the head, sorry I can't offer any help as I don't have that one. I wonder if @Don Kuykendall has a head like that as I thought he's mentioned using a Vanguard tripod.

I did take a quick look at B&H's reviews of this head, and here is the most critical review they have listed for it. Their main gripe is about the head moving while tightening the head as you've mentioned.

Just so you know what you're getting into if purchasing this… the ball moves when tightening the tension knob. I bought this head and a tripod at a local store in late 2010 at the same time I bought my Nikon D7000. It was my first ball head, and I had nothing else to compare it to. I am writing this review after having used it for five years to offer some perspective. Having no idea what else was out there at the time I bought it, I thought I was impressed with the construction, the solid materials, the apparent smoothness of its movement, etc. Naïvely, I thought it "great." Even as a novice, however, I noticed immediately that the ball moved when tightening the tension knob. Though I did not like this, being that it was my first ball head, I simply thought that this was the norm for all ball heads, that it went with the territory. I went about using it in my hobby of photography without giving it another thought. In time, with repetition, I learned to compensate for this movement and even got pretty good at it.


Just recently, however, I bought a monopod and purchased another ball head. For the ball head, I decided to go with whatever the best-selling model was here on B&H, which, when I looked (Nov 2015), was the Oben BE-117. From the very first time I used the Oben, I immediately noticed that it does NOT move when tightening the tension knob. My eyes were opened to a whole new experience with ball heads. Gone was my naïve belief that all ball heads move when tightening, and now I know I can never go back to this Vanguard head. I intend to replace this Vanguard head on my tripod.


So, I reiterate again to offer fair warning to all considering this ball head: the ball moves when tightening the tension knob. As stated above, this can be compensated for, but you should be aware of this ahead of time. It does make it difficult to maintain your framing and composition when tightening, and now, five years after the fact, this made me inclined to give it a 1/5 rating. This seemed harsh though, and I bumped it up to a 3/5 because once it is in place and tight, it is rock-solid. Once it is tightened, I could rely on it to stay in place and never noticed any slippage afterwards. Attached are a couple of fireworks pics that I took while using this ball head to hopefully show that, once in place, it can hold your camera steady.


Next, I intend to write a very positive review of the Oben ball head I bought here on B&H…

 

nickt

Senior Member
I have the 100 head and the 250. The 100 is on the shelf now, so I can't try it. Happy memories of it though. Like the review Cindy posted, it was my first, so maybe I just got used to it. A couple things... When I got it, I removed all the grease I could. Then I worked the head a bit, twisting throughout its range and with a small bit of tension on the adjustment. I felt this smoothed things out, 'wearing' it in quicker. I don't remember getting annoyed at it for movement. I remember it being way to greasy for me though. Thinking back, this cushion of grease might be a problem for movement as you tighten. Then I got the 250. Not because I was unhappy, just because I could not resist a sudden price dip on Amazon. Using the 250, I did notice less attention was needed to tighten it down and stay on target. The 250 has a fine and course tension so I can have tension applied appropriate for the lens and then tighten with less thought of keeping it on target. So I guess I did notice something 'better' about the 250, but still no dislike for the 100. I do get myself confused on the 250 with the extra knob, I'm trying some colored tape to remind me which is which until it becomes second nature.

You are seeing real movement, right? I just mention that because my Sigma 150-600 does some pretty wild OS movements if I forget and leave it on with the tripod.

So try wiping any grease off and wearing it in for a few minutes to see if it helps eliminate movement as you lock it down.

As for the levels, I only look at one for side to side level.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Thanks Dan ( @Danno ) and Cindy ( @hark ) for your replies. Wow Cindy, I really didn't expect you to go to that trouble of looking at reviews, etc. I had only mentioned you to let you know I was talking about you. Your write up on the new tripod you had bought (even though I knew that it wasn't the same mfg, etc) was what made me pull mine out just to give it a better look. Ha!

Most of my uses for the tripod will not be so critical that I will have to be concerned with the "level" I don't think. I was mainly thinking of landscape pano type shots, but anything has to be better than doing it handheld as I had been doing. Ha! The two main reasons I got it was 1) the price was right and 2) I wanted something solid for camera stabilization and something that would get allow me to get the camera close to the ground at different angles for those "weed" flower shots and different perspectives (POV). It does meet those criteria fine.

Leveling the head in both directions will be close to impossible IMO. It might have been easier with a single bubble level instead of two spirit levels because you would only have to focus on one level instead of two. Not only does the tightening of the ball head tweak things a little, but when rotating the head around, there is play that changes the level of the head also. IOW, the machining/assembly tolerances are not the best. It seems like this is a common design/mfg problem and that I did not get one that was out of the norm for this head.

I am curious on @Roy1961 's take on a comparison of this head vs. the next step up in the 250 head because I think he has both.

All in all, at the present time I am pleased with the tripod/head for the price paid. I guess if you want Swiss precision, you have to find Swiss money. LOL!
 
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cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Thanks @nickt for your reply. I must have been typing when you responded. Anyway, I will take a look at the grease situation on the head. I haven't noticed any excessive grease, but will look again. I thought I remembered that the 250 had a two knob system for the ball adjustment, but wasn't sure. It makes sense that that would be an improvement on the operation. As to movement, it only is when you tighten the knob for the ball or rotation lock. The spirit level is where it shows up. Set it level and start tightening the knob. As it snugs up it is level, but when locking it down, it moves/tilts things so the bubble is not exactly centered in the level. It is not a great movement, but noticeable because of the spirit level. I think it is my OCD kicking in. If it didn't have spirit levels, I would not even notice it, but because the levels are there, I want them perfect. Ha!
 

hark

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I definitely learned something about ball heads that I hadn't known previously after reading your comment and the review that I posted. The ball head on my Benro is my first experience with one. Should I ever want to buy another, at least I am a little more knowledgeable on what to watch out for. So it was worth the time, IMHO. ;)

I always try to read reviews on an item before buying. Unfortunately the Benro tripod/head I bought doesn't have any reviews on B&H, Adorama, or Amazon which makes me wonder why it was sold so low and discontinued already on B&H.

Hope you can find some way to work with the issue.
 

hark

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Nope, I have Doleca tripods and heads/Piston Grips. The big one does have levels on it but I never use it. The D750 has a level built into it that is so much better/easier to use to level the camera both did to side and front to back.

Will try to make a mental note of that. Although I know you've mentioned Dolica tripods, I thought you've mentioned also owning Vanguard. Oops! ;)
 

nickt

Senior Member
Thanks @nickt for your reply. I must have been typing when you responded. Anyway, I will take a look at the grease situation on the head. I haven't noticed any excessive grease, but will look again. I thought I remembered that the 250 had a two knob system for the ball adjustment, but wasn't sure. It makes sense that that would be an improvement on the operation. As to movement, it only is when you tighten the knob for the ball or rotation lock. The spirit level is where it shows up. Set it level and start tightening the knob. As it snugs up it is level, but when locking it down, it moves/tilts things so the bubble is not exactly centered in the level. It is not a great movement, but noticeable because of the spirit level. I think it is my OCD kicking in. If it didn't have spirit levels, I would not even notice it, but because the levels are there, I want them perfect. Ha!
Honestly, I don't watch the levels that close, just a glance after I'm tightened up to make sure I'm close. I'm looking more at where my single focus point lands. With the 100 and the big lens, I had to get the point slightly above where I wanted it so as I transferred the weight from my hand to the head it settled where I wanted it. It always held solid though. I did a few weeks of that and then 'duh!', I have a new 250 in the closet that I should be using. I can't complain about the 100 though. I have the 50 on my monopod, same plate.
By the way, I wonder if these heads might be discontinued? They disappeared from the vanguard site a year ago, but they continue to be in and sometimes out of stock and then back in stock.
 

Roy1961

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Contributor
sort of the same as already been mentioned, i did notice the slip, dont remember if its on the 250 or not? @wev changed his out for a new head also. i also got the 250 head at a good price.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
I have the Vangard 300... It doesn't move. I rarely, if ever even look at the levels... I did one time... shooting a tall building and I knew I wanted everything parallel and straight so the only thing that would be off would be the lens distortion itself, which was corrected in post.
 

TedG954

Senior Member
Grizz.... those lever-bubbles are for "in-the-ballpark" measurements. I use mine just to get the tripod/camera off a leaning posture. I do all the final leveling in post production. Any way, I wouldn't use the levels on my ballheads to build anything important. There was a builder in Italy that made that mistake.


PIZA.jpg


Also (just thought of it), I learned the hard way not to over-tighten the ballhead. That leads to the whole contraption getting loose.
 
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Danno

Senior Member
@cwgrizz I like my tripod as well and no real issues for what I have been doing. The Nikon 200-500 is making me think about the Gimbal because it is challenging to balance.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
i do remember thinking the 100 was just a cheap ballhead and i was probably getting it free with the tripod, i only ever remember it slipping when focusing on something far away, dont remember this a close range?? also it was only with the 50-500, think it was ok with the 55-300mm.
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
@cwgrizz I like my tripod as well and no real issues for what I have been doing. The Nikon 200-500 is making me think about the Gimbal because it is challenging to balance.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

now once you set the balance it stays still even when the knobs are loose, for me doing BIF this is a plus, defo worth getting one Danno.
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
one thing i have noticed in the last few days is on one leg, the screw that holds the leg clamp to lock is loosening, nipped it tight twice and i watched it slide into its self under the weight of the gimbal and the lens, may need to put a semi hardener on the screw thread to lock it.
 
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