Amazon.com: EXMAX Tripod Mini Ball Head for DSLR Camera Camcorder Light Bracket Swivel 1/4" Screw: Camera & Photo

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3 star		10%
2 star		7%
1 star		16%

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Excellent, Strong, Lightweight, (79g), Inexpensive Ball Head; Perfect For Hiking

ByGon June 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

I bought this to use on a dual use trekking pole monopod, and to mount my Canon DSLR T5i with an 18-135mm lens and a battery grip. The total combined weight of my Canon T5i camera, 18-135mm lens, and battery grip is exactly 3 lbs. The Ball can firmly secure my camera setup without a sweat. I Do Not have to tighten the screw hard at all to firmly lock the camera in place. Only a small amount of force is necessary to firmly lock the camera where I want it, and the camera does not sag or start to droop whatsoever, in either landscape orientation or, turned 90 degrees, in portrait orientation.

At first I was concerned because when I turned the camera 90 degrees to portrait orientation the camera began to droop forward because of the fairly heavy zoom lens, but that turned out to be user error, or in other words, my fault. It didn't sag at the ball joint whatsoever. The problem was I didn't have the camera screwed on tight enough to the ball head. You can't see it in the photo, but beneath the black round disc on the post is a metal stop. To see the metal stop you have to unscrew the metal disc on top of the post. The disc on top of the post screws upward toward your camera to lock the camera in place. But using the disc alone to secure the camera didn't work for me, (the camera began to sag). The solution was to first unscrew the disc down enough to show the metal stop and screw the camera down onto the metal stop, and then finish tightening the camera to the ball head by screwing the disc back up to the camera body.

It is not as complicated as I am perhaps making it sound. unfortunately the picture on Amazon does not show the metal stop, so you can't see what I'm talking about. But, it will be obvious to you once you pick the thing up and look at it yourself. It is not complicated at all to use. I bought several quick releases to make mounting and unmounting the camera easier, so I don't have to screw the camera on every time I want to use it. But I would buy quick releases no matter which ball head I used, just because they are so much faster than screwing and unscrewing the camera onto the mount.

Anyway, this is an excellent, solid ball head that does not weigh much, making it perfect for hiking. I weighed mine on my postage scale and it weighs only 78.4 grams, or 2.8 ounces. It can easily support my 3lb camera setup without any drooping in either horizontal or vertical position, and it is rather inexpensive to boot. I don't know what the weight limit would be, but it is definitely well over 3lbs. The product description says it can support 2.2 kg or 4.8 lbs. I believe it should be able to hold that without any problems if not a bit more even, but I have not tested that. The diameter of the base is 1 1/8" or a little less than 29 mm. The bottom to the top of the screw is about 2 3/16" or 55.5 mm. I can't imagine any other ball head this size being much stronger no matter the price, so...

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Buy Something Else

ByLoren Brotherson August 28, 2015

Verified Purchase

I give this one a "miss". Buy something else!

PROS:

Construction is all metal except for the camera plate and the ball tightening knob.

Built with reasonable quality.

Low cost

CONS:

Ball will not tighen down securely. Even light finger pressure will move it. Any camera weighing over a pound will cause movement. Problem worsens as you move it toward the vertical (portrait) aspect.

Treads on both the bottom receiver and camera plate screw are NOT 1/4-20! I don't know what they are but they are mostly likely a close metric size. As I screwed it into 4 different cameras there was play of 15-20 degrees. Very sloppy.

The round camera plate is very small and the 'rubber' used on it is not substantial enough to 'lock' the plate to the base of any camera I tried. Plate keeps coming loose from the camera.

Small size of the unit makes for problems trying to manipulate the camera around on either a tripod or monopod. On 3 out of 4 cameras I wasn't able to rotate to vertical since the camera would hit the tripod base depending on where it screws into the camera base. It was a pain.

OVERALL:

This item would be fine to use with a small 'point and shoot' on a monopod; but forget it when it comes to a heavier DSLR. My 1lb Canon SX520 was even too much it. Due to the poor locking of the camera plate I definitely would never trust it while I'm out traipsing through the woods. I wouldn't buy this again and would send it back except for the cost to ship it back make that silly.

I would opt for a larger ball head of better quality next time such as the 'DMKFoto Heavy Duty Ball Head with Quick Release Plate'.DMKFoto Heavy Duty Ball Head with Quick Release Plate

UPDATE: I HAD TO RETURN THIS HUNK OF GARBAGE. The locking screw stripped out after the 3rd day!

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Better for lighter cameras

ByTerrence WalshTOP 500 REVIEWERon September 11, 2016

Color: Type 1Verified Purchase

It may be fine for a lighter camera than mine.

Photos show this mini ball head mounted on a C-clamp. They are supporting a Pentax K20D body and Rokinon 85 mm lens. The body weighs 1 pound 13 ounces. The lens weighs 1 pound 4 ounces. The weight of the Pentax body is centered over the ball head while the weight of the Rokinon lens is off center. Clamp: Universal C-Clamp,Aluminum Support Clamp Desktop Mount Holder Stand with 1/4-Inch- 20 & 3/8-Inch-16 metal female socket

With all components plumb and level in the first picture, everything worked but felt precarious. With the camera tilted a bit to the side so the weight of the camera body and the lens were both off center, the ball head was not sturdy enough. The second and third pics show the final slump.

This ball head was easy to use and may be okay for a lighter camera and lens setup. I hope you find this helpful.

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Total waste of money

Bybyrdon October 11, 2014

Verified Purchase

Flimsy plastic disc to secure the threaded shaft to the camera base cracked the first time mounting the camera. Total waste of money.

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Stay away. You get what you pay for. ...

ByAmazon Customeron August 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

Stay away. You get what you pay for.

1 - When you loosen the screw to adjust the camera, the ENTIRE HEAD ROTATES!!!
2 - No matter how tightly you screw in the knob, the ball still rotates making your entire setup unstable!!!! You can never lock your camera in place!!!

STAY AWAY!