We have two styles of quick release ballheads: the lever release (the LR) and the screw release (the Pro). The lever release is a little quicker when you want to fully release your gear where the screw release will accomodate a wider array of other manufacturers' plates.

Lever Release:
The lever release clamp works with all Really Right Stuff plates, Wimberly's plates, and Kirk's plates that have been manufactured in the last year.

1. When you open the lever half way (90°) the plate slides out of the clamp.
2. When you open the lever all of the way (180°) it is fully released and you can lift the plates directly out of the top of the clamp.

Screw Release:
The screw release clamp will accommodate all Really Right Stuff plates, Wimberley, Kirk, Acratech, most Arca Swiss, Markins, and Foba plates.

1. Turn the knob 1/4 turn and the plate slides out of the clamp.
2. Turn the knob two full turns to fully release the plate.

Yes. All current Gitzo tripods come with a 3/8" - 16 threaded stud, and our ballheads come with a 3/8" - 16 threaded hole. Really Right Stuff ballheads and Gitzo tripods are compatible.

Really Right Stuff ballheads fit with a 3/8"-16 threaded stud.

Use the provided hex-key to remove the clamp and you will notice on the bottom of the clamp dual grooves exist. By changing the orientation of the clamp you can get tilt action parallel and perpendicular to the tilt.

Yes, visit our BH-30 LR page to view images of this combination.

First tighten the main lock knob. Second loosen the drag tension. After loosening the drag tension loosen the main lock knob and then your ballhead should be free. Take a look at this video tutorial for further edification: Fixing Your Frozen Ballhead

You will need to order the BH-55 No Clamp and a Flathead 1/4"-20 x 3/4 (Item Code: FH1 1/4"-20 x 3/4). If you wish to keep the B2 AS II on the BH-55 you will want to use a drop or two of BLUE LocTite to ensure anti-twist.

If you pull out the T-Lever you will notice it is spring-loaded. All you have to do is pull the T-Lever out and reposition the lever so it can clear your wide platform.

Even though you have a 360° panning base you will have to level your shots on two seperate planes. For each individual shot of a panorama you will be forced to level your tripod legs as well as your ballhead. While doable this is extremely tedious and certainly not optimal for capturing sunrises or sunsets when time is of the essence. By using our PCL-1 Panning clamp you have to level your ballhead ONCE, a process which can be completed in a matter of seconds, and you will be ready to take panoramas up to 360°.

An individual item, like a plate or clamp, will always display stock status. But "kits" that are composed of multiple inventory items do not. We are working with our systems software provider to find a solution. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to call us or email us to determine stock status for any item.

Really Right Stuff ballheads are just like everything else here at RRS - they were designed to fix the problems and fill the gaps in performance in other support systems. When thinking about ballheads we like to start with “What are we asking them to do?” The ultimate goal of tripod mounting is transferring the vibration your camera and lens make when they fire, and transfer that vibration into the carbon fiber legs where it is absorbed and dissipated. This only happens when you are rigidly mounted directly on top of the tripod platform. Our low profile ballheads (lowest profile on the market) help afford the maximum vibration transfer. If paired with a Really Right Stuff camera plate, the maximum vibration transfer can be achieved.

Choosing a Ballhead: Load Rating (Weight Capacity)

Pairing a ballheads with a tripod is best done by comparing load ratings. Pairing a 20lb load-rated tripod to a 50lb rated ballhead means that your tripod becomes the weakest link in your support system. We like to match the ballhead rating with the tripod rating (e.g. BH-55 @ 50lbs with TVC-33 @ 50 lbs) giving you a robust support system that will transfer the maximum vibration quickly and efficiently. We make a line of four ballheads in various sizes to accommodate a variety of needs. The BH-25 Ultra-light and BH-30 Compact ballheads were both designed with the active traveler in mind. Then there is the BH-40, our mid-sized model, which matches series 2 tripods. This workhorse ballhead actually fits the needs of most photographers. It is not until you use the bigger lenses such as a 300mm f/2.8 that we recommend you move up to the BH-55 full-sized ballhead (works great with series 3 tripods), or the NEW PG-02 Gimbal head (more on that item can be found in the “Panoramas Made Simple”).

When selecting a ballhead, load rating is a good measure of the best choice, but features come in a close second. We recommend the considering the largest lens in your kit (present or future), as well as any other heavy-duty gear you may be mounting (scopes, gimbals, etc.). This will tell us which ballhead is needed to easily control that gear. We recommend considering the tripod it will be used with, so we can try and match the load ratings if possible. Sometimes a new tripod is needed, and sometimes we can work with what you already have. If you don’t have a tripod yet, simply match those load ratings and you will be fine. (Be sure and choose a tripod that will fit you when it is fully extended, and collapses to a reasonable size for your needs.)

Features of a RRS Ballhead

All RRS ballheads have a main knob that unlocks to allow you to freely position the ball and the camera on top of it, then locks down easily to hold that position. We recommend that all ballheads be fully locked before firing the shutter. The larger ballheads (BH-55 & BH-40) have more advance features such as Drag Tension adjustment, and all of our models feature a built-in panning base. Yes, you can use our ballheads to shoot panoramas. Simply level the tripod platform, and then level the clamp, and you can shoot great single-row panoramas using the degree markings on the base (See the panorama section for more information). The BH-25 is the only exception - since ultra-low weight was the goal, we did not include a dedicated pan-lock control, so the main lock knob controls the pan base as well – making it impractical for panoramas (also removing the need for graduations).