Gitzo G1178M Magnesium 1 Series Ball Head with Quick Release Plate

i bought this ballhead to go along with the new mountaineer tripod i was buying.first toughts, well it is not intuitive, i had to follow the instructions to install the head on the tripod... whatever happened to just screw it on..... and it might have made some mistake, since it seems to unscrew itself easily...or is that a feature.(i could see it as a features since it allows the tripod to be shorter.... usefull for putting it in a backpack, for example).Next, the great little level bubble... what a joke... i thought great, a level on my tripod head, i won't need to bring my extra one (that installs on the flash emplacement). well it turns out that when the camera is fixed on the head, you cannot see the level bubble.... completely useless.The quick release is not so quick....i have had much better....these are minor qualms though, the head is pretty light and i have never used a ballhead before, but goes well... a bit annoying for making panoramas, but i think i found some other trick.... unscrewing the head itself....expensive though

Basically I was in the market and knew Gitzo products were good. [...]. Having not used any other ball heads to be able to compare, the ball head still works very well. I keep the plate mounted on my d90 all the time now, and I'm used to the locks and features of the head. The ball level is partially obscured but I can see enough to get me in the right range. Wanted a light, portable, yet strong system I could grow with for many years and true to Gitzo form, I appreciate and enjoy this thing more every time I use it. (I bought the traveler series tripod legs)

I bought this hoping it would be lighter than my Benro. They are about the same weight. The biggest problem with this is the quick release plate. It has to slide into the bottom part which isn't easy without a camera on it. My Benro is much better in that it just sets down into the holder and then you snap/lock it in.

I bought this to use with my monopod, I have a GH1780QR for my tripod and that is basically the same weight and size as this but rated for 22 lbs, the bubble ball on the GH1780QR is quite a bit smoother. This is still a very good head but the GH1780QR is quite a step up, of course for an additional 100 dollars.

Works well for what it is. I use it for my Canon 5D mark2 with EF24-70mm f2.8L and EF16-35mm f2.8L II and it works fine. My main reason for buying it was light weight. I use it with a Gitzo G 026 and it is something that I have with me all the time.. Remember, the best tripod is the one you have with you when you need it :-)

This ball head is convenient and stable but broke after only a few hours of use. The insert in the ASM plate that the locking screw threads into just fell apart and can't be replaced. I had to buy the whole ASM plate for $58.

This is a great ball head that is very well thought out. Being magnesium it is light, it has a good quick release and a built in level. The construction feels very sturdy and mine has been dropped a couple of times with no issue.

Great!