[Leica] A plug for ACRATECH ... tripod ball heads.....

[Frank Filippone]

I have the delight of living in Southern California.  While on the search
for a new Ball Head for travel, I considered Markins and ARCA Swiss and
ACRATECH.

The driving specs were... Light weigh, stability, and cost.

 

I have had a ARCA B1 for several years.  It is great, except that it weighs
almost 2 pounds.  ( 800g).  It is rugged, stable, and can be pretty
infinitely adjusted.  But it is heavy.

 

When you consider that my tripod legs weigh 3-3 1/4 pounds, adding 2 pounds
was a lot.  ( the fact that I own a travel tripod with a total weight of 3.2
pounds with head, makes a 2 pound head seem pretty heavy.)

 

Markins have a nice travel head, the Q3.  Unfortunately, I have never seen
one. nor does my local store ( Samys ) have one to examine...

The ARCA P0 is a nice, upside down head.  The panning function is right
under the camera.  Level the camera then pan to wherever you want, it is
still level.  You can not do this on a regular B1 or similar ball head,
unless you level the legs.. Which is an additional and unnecessary step, if
you have the panning just below the camera.  I trust ARCA. They are made in
Switzerland ( or is it France?).

I kept looking towards handling a ACRATECH.  They are pretty esoteric ,and
therefore pretty hard to find one, no less trying out all their models to
find the one I preferred...

 

I finally called up ACRATECH, located 20 miles from the house.. I was
invited over to try them out, side by side...

 

Long story short, I was treated as visiting royalty. which is how you are
supposed to be treated when purchasing anything...   I met the owner, Scott
Dordick, his wife Patty, and several employees.

I spent the better part of an hour with all their heads, asking all kinds of
questions, trying out one then the other... I finally decided that I wanted
one more feature, the ability to turn the head on its side, and use the head
in a gimballed method. I selected the model they call the GPSS.  Weight,
just under 15oz  ( a bit less than 380g).  35mm Ball diameter.  The top
quick release comes off, and can be bolted back onto the bottom to give you
an upside down ball head..

 

Then they gave me a great tour of their factory.. Ever been in a machine
shop?  It is a dirty place.  Lots of people. Lots of noise, lots of oil...
Not this place.  A few employees, CNC machines everyplace, and the nicest
attitude I have seen in a long time.

 

Now for the Secrets.. 

They make EVERYTHING in house.  Bushings, aluminum CNC parts, plastic coated
knobs ( both the metal part as well as the plastic overlays)..amazing. all
MADE IN USA.

They have a cabinet full of cosmetic seconds... and they sell them at a nice
discount...  REAL NICE DISCOUNT!

 

They look strange, they work pretty normally, with an ease of changing the
tension on the ball that is amazing and sensible.

 

They also make ARCA compatible lens and body plates. 

 

If you are looking for a ball head, consider ACRATECH..

 

Frank Filippone

 

Red735i at verizon.net