Benro ballhead operation

[DionM]

Okay, I'm confused

Got my KB-2 ballhead and 327 tripod (thanks Birddy and Poon). But the ballhead instructions are not in english, and I've never used one before.



From what I can tell:

- small one facing camera adjusts tension on panorama part (rotation around the vertical axis of the head on pod). But it doesn't tension down 100% - ie it still has some movement?

- Big and small knobs on each side seem to work in some sort of pair to loosen/tighten ball ... but I'm not sure?

Just want to make sure I'm not going to damage it and that it is working correctly ...

(Apologies for the rubbish picture, I was in a rush and didn't let my PnS focus properly ...).

[MattC]

Guessing here. Small knob on left is for ball tension. ie to keep some drag on the ball so that it doesn't flop (but ball is loose enough for you to move it easily with camera on board - set it and forget it) when the main knob (big one) is loosened. I do not see a preload adjustment in the main knob like some other ballheads - I checked the photos on the Benro web site.
No idea about the pan base. It does not take a lot of tension here to keep things steady for normal use.

[Pauld]

DionM

I had the same issue with mine, as MattC suggests the middle size knob is a pretensioner you loosen the large knob right off and then tighten up the middle size knob so that the ball is just loose enough to move around with the camera and lense on board. Now if you want to fix the ball in one position just tighten up the large knob, to move the camera around without it flopping all over the place just loosen the large knob off.

Once you have set the pretension you should not need to touch the middle size knob unless you change to a larger heavier lens.

As to the small knob, mind does not tension right up either although the there is more friction in panning when it is tensioned up.

Is yours quite stiff in panning when the small knob is loosened?

Hope this helps

[DionM]

Thanks guys. Makes sense.

Paul - Yes mine is quite stiff in panning, even with it slacked off. The difference between slacked off and twisted off isn't all that much (not like the floppy vs stiff when using the other knobs).

Hrm ... that last sentence doesn't sound too good

[lejazzcat]

I have the same head- pan issues, and the legs are really stiff .
Makes me wonder how the Gitzo/Markin behaves when new
It takes a while to 'get it together' coming from a three way head(im sure the i had that straight )but otherwise i have nothing but joy from this same system (so far).

[birddog114]

I have the same pan issues . The head and the legs are really stiff .
Makes me wonder how the Gitzo/Markin behaves when new

All the ballhead may stiff and it depends on how hard is your setting, regardless Markins, RRS or Kirk or Arca Swiss.
But the tripod, how can it stiff

[birddog114]

And what lens are you using?
I tried it (KB-2) on the 200-400VR, 70-200VR, 500 AF-S II.
Matt.K tried on his lenses also (80-400)
Leigh tried on Gary's 80-400 at Blue Points few weeks ago, same as Potatis.

On Benro tripod C328, A327, C327.

[lejazzcat]

Hi BD
The legs need some hard pulling to spread open.

Its ok for me but the Gf has to go back to gym!

The pan on the head doesnt have a tighter, so its how its set at their factory . As its the pan it doesnt matter what lens is on it really.
Its actually easier to unlock the column to get a easy pan, rather than the head.

[birddog114]

Hi BD
The legs need some hard pulling to spread open.

Its ok for me but the Gf has to go back to gym!

The pan doesnt have a tighter, so its how its set at their factory .

Pls tell me how did she pull the tripod's leg out?

Last section first or first section first?

What I used to do with the Gitzo same as Benro:

The last section is alway pulled out first and the first section is pulled out last, when close it, do the opposite, due to the compressed air inside of the tube, keep the leg not slump when adjusting it in fully expanding.
Gitzo carbon fiber tripod is more harder to pull out due to it more compressed air inside.

With the head, loose the traction knob out, adjust your main knob and tighten the traction control to you desire, depend on what lens you're using, the setup is not the same, once you played with it for awhile then you'll get used to it. Most of the ballhead, if you don't get used to it, hardly for you to control and using all the knobs at the same time.

I showed and helping few guys in the way properly use the ballhead, even with Markins or RRS, you feel hardly control it from the start.

[DionM]

The compressed air in the legs took some getting used to after my flippy floppy manfrotto

So far I like the combo. Glad I went CF And just the right height the C327

[lejazzcat]

Hi BD
The legs need some hard pulling to spread open.

Its ok for me but the Gf has to go back to gym!

The pan doesnt have a tighter, so its how its set at their factory .

Pls tell me how did she pull the tripod's leg out?


The last section is alway pulled out first and the first section is pulled out last, when close it, do the opposite, due to the compressed air inside of the tube, keep the leg not slump when adjusting it in fully expanding.
Gitzo carbon fiber tripod is more harder to pull out due to it more compressed air inside.

With the head, loose the traction knob out, adjust your main knob and tighten the traction control to you desire, depend on what lens you're using, the setup is not the same, once you played with it for awhile then you'll get used to it. Most of the ballhead, if you don't get used to it, hardly for you to control and using all the knobs at the same time.
.

BD- Not meaning extending down the legs, as in opening the sections - its the spreading the legs out from the centre thats stiff.
And i know what your saying about the setting of the ball tension , but its the small pan dial that doesnt really do much to loosen the pan tension ...
thanks for your concern though
Yep CF is the best .

[birddog114]

BD- Not meaning extending down the legs, as in opening the sections - its the spreading the legs out from the centre thats stiff.

It's all the same as Gitzo brand with this excercise.