mdt2 Posted March 11, 2012 Share #1 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Does anyone have a recommendation for a tripod head to be used with an M9 and Gitzo GT1542T. I did some looking especially at the Really Right Stuff BH-40 but the idea of needing a body plate on the camera is lees than appealing. Any thought would be appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 11, 2012 Posted March 11, 2012 Hi mdt2, Take a look here Head for Gitzo GT1542T. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
giordano Posted March 11, 2012 Share #2 Â Posted March 11, 2012 I believe you'll get better advice if you tell us whether the cost of the head is a big concern, how often you'll use it, and whether you'll be using it with long or macro lenses, especially if you also have a Visoflex. Â If cost is important and you expect to use the tripod a couple of times a year with lenses no longer than 50 or 75mm - practically any ball head in the world will do the job except for the very smallest and cheapest. Ignore everything you'll read here about high-class heavy duty heads. Â With almost all small or cheap ball heads, the camera moves slightly as you turn the locking lever, so setting the shot up becomes a tedious and frustrating business of trial and error, especially with a long lens. I can accept that if the tripod is only used once in a blue moon, but otherwise it's a real irritation and the biggest argument against cheap ball heads. Â Finally, lots of people here find Arca-style quick-release plates worth their while. I don't, because I don't often use a tripod - but they really come into their own if you frequently use a tripod or are in the field and need to mount and unmount the camera often and with minimal risk and delay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
haroldp Posted March 11, 2012 Share #3 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Does anyone have a recommendation for a tripod head to be used with an M9 and Gitzo GT1542T. I did some looking especially at the Really Right Stuff BH-40 but the idea of needing a body plate on the camera is lees than appealing. Any thought would be appreciated. Â The Arca Swiss plate / clamp system used by RRS and others is the only wide standard for tripod head mount, and for very good reason. Â The plate is well worth it. Â The RRS BH-40 is ideal for an M9 weight camera. The BH-30 also works for 1 series legs. Â I use both, the 40 on 3 series and the 30 on 1's (for air travel). Â hope this helps .. Â .... H Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted March 11, 2012 Share #4 Â Posted March 11, 2012 I have two gitzo tripods a 1228 with the RRS 40 on it and a 1028 with RRS 25 for hiking. Both have the quick release clamps. I use them also for my Nikon gear but for the M9 I use a B9 plate that I carry in my bag and attach it when I am going tripod. The camera to tripod is solid and does not creep as it does when attaching the camera directly to a tripod nut. You can even put clear tape on the plate if you want to prevent any possibility of it nicking the bottom of your M9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atournas Posted March 11, 2012 Share #5  Posted March 11, 2012 Best Tripod for Travel? Gitzo GT1542T • Have Camera Will Travel  You may find that review interesting.  Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UliWer Posted March 11, 2012 Share #6 Â Posted March 11, 2012 I can only repeat myself: Â http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/154444-whats-best-tripod-ball-head-m.html#post1541311 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darylgo Posted March 11, 2012 Share #7 Â Posted March 11, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) The plate (arca swiss) makes my life easier. When I want to use a tripod I take off the half case turn the camera over and tighten the plate with a hex wrench. It is easy to slip the plate into the ball head. More difficult is putting the camera on the tripod without a plate: The last time I tried this I had to place a 1/4-20 bolt into a recess of the camera while the camera is right side up and I can not see what is occuring unless I flip the camera and tripod over and put the tripod into the camera, then flip the whole thing 180 degrees and hope I tightened the camera to the tripod properly. I love plates. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racefan Posted March 12, 2012 Share #8  Posted March 12, 2012 The Arca Swiss plate / clamp system used by RRS and others is the only wide standard for tripod head mount, and for very good reason. The plate is well worth it.  The RRS BH-40 is ideal for an M9 weight camera. The BH-30 also works for 1 series legs.  I use both, the 40 on 3 series and the 30 on 1's (for air travel).  hope this helps ..  .... H  I use the RRS BH-30 ballhead on the 1542T for a lightweight set with the RRS BM9-B replacement baseplate on the M9. I think it's a perfect travel combination - a little pricey, but it seems small relative to the other Leica kit costs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted March 12, 2012 Share #9 Â Posted March 12, 2012 Mike I suggest the RRS BH30. I have that and the 40 (and one of the 25s) I use the 40 on a series 2 Gitzo when not travelling. I think the 30 is a perfect match for what you have and it has plenty of strength for an M9 and any lens you want. Â Personally I prefer the clamps on this one, I have the liitle screw knob clamp on mine (I have the RRS L plate too) but you can order these heads with a variety of clamps or with a traditional platform if you like. You can of course interchange clamps if you want at some point. Note that the BH30 retains the panning base which the 25 does not have. However it still fits fine in the folded Gitzo Travellers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralf Posted March 12, 2012 Share #10 Â Posted March 12, 2012 For what it's worth, I can highly recommend the Markins Q3 Traveller. Very compact, light but highly efficent. It will hold my D3 plus a 70 - 200 2.8 zoom lens without anny problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted March 12, 2012 Share #11  Posted March 12, 2012 ^^^ +1. The Markins Q3T was designed for travel tripods, in particular the Gitzo 1541T which is the precursor of the 1542T. It's extremely well made and very smooth in operation, and has a 38mm diameter ball. I use two of them; on a Benro C2680T and a Gitzo 1541T. You can also get the Q3T in black.  The Arca-Swiss type of clamp is now an almost universal standard. You can get a small plate for the bottom of your M9 and you won't even notice that it's there. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/174615-head-for-gitzo-gt1542t/?do=findComment&comment=1952178'>More sharing options...
Peter H Posted March 12, 2012 Share #12 Â Posted March 12, 2012 Arca Swiss P1. Â Its by far the easiest, least fuss quality ball head I've ever used and is simply a delight with the M9. Streets ahead of Gitzo's own heads and the other traditional designs like the Markins. In my experience anyway. Its so intuitive, fast and natural, as well as light and tough and accurate. Â Whatever you do I strongly recommend you look into this one before making your final decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoySmith Posted March 13, 2012 Share #13 Â Posted March 13, 2012 For what it's worth, I can highly recommend the Markins Q3 Traveller. Very compact, light but highly efficent. It will hold my D3 plus a 70 - 200 2.8 zoom lens without anny problem. Â Thats what I use, with the RRS BM9-B L-plate. Works great and fits in the Gitzo Series 1 Traveller Tripod Bag. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted March 13, 2012 Share #14 Â Posted March 13, 2012 Hello mdt2, Â I use a medium sized Leitz large ballhead from the 1950's. Still works fine. Never slips. Not too big. Good in a lot of situations. Simple. Â Ballheads as a group are usually much more versatile in the field than other types of tripod heads. Which equipment you use it w/ & how you do photography determines which ballhead is the right 1 for you. Â There will be plenty of "right 1's" to choose from. Â Best Regards, Â Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyIII Posted March 14, 2012 Share #15 Â Posted March 14, 2012 I like the Really Right Stuff BH-40 on my Gitzo GT2531. I would probably go with the BH-30 for a series 1 though. Â Rocky Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wang Man Posted July 1, 2012 Share #16 Â Posted July 1, 2012 Does anyone have a recommendation for a tripod head to be used with an M9 and Gitzo GT1542T. I did some looking especially at the Really Right Stuff BH-40 but the idea of needing a body plate on the camera is lees than appealing. Any thought would be appreciated. Â With my M9, I use the RRS BH-30 LR ball head, and the Gitzo 0531 tripod, you have to replace the Leica base plate with a RRS base plate that fits the M9 to use the RRS ball head. The RSS base plate for the M9 is stronger than the original base plate provided by Leica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertJRB Posted July 1, 2012 Share #17 Â Posted July 1, 2012 On my gitzo I use the arca swiss p0 ballhead. It uses arca swiss new slide fix plates witch are smaller than the standard arca swiss plates and fit the m9 well. Â Big advantage over the RRS's is the ballhead is flipped over. The panning mechanism is placed above the actual ballhead witch is really easy to use. Just level the ballhead and your ready to go. No need any more to level the tripod. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billib Posted July 1, 2012 Share #18 Â Posted July 1, 2012 If you like the RRS Tripod & Head but not the big expensive STABLE Leica Base Plate then just get it with an inexpensive generic Base Plate that can be used with most cameras. Â Then if you change your mid in the future, your all set. Â Does anyone have a recommendation for a tripod head to be used with an M9 and Gitzo GT1542T. I did some looking especially at the Really Right Stuff BH-40 but the idea of needing a body plate on the camera is lees than appealing. Any thought would be appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted July 2, 2012 Share #19 Â Posted July 2, 2012 Hello Robert, Â Welcome to the Forum. Â No matter how good the ballhead you have is: If you level your tripod before adjusting the ballhead the tripod will be somewhat more steady & supportive. Â Best Regards, Â Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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