JOBY GorillaPod Ballhead X for Focus. Quick Release Ballhead for Tripods, Videos Cameras, and Pro DSLR Cameras w/Zoom Lenses up to 5kg (11.1lbs)

Before I get going, I should mention that there is a newer version of this ball head, the  JOBY ball head 5K . It has a red ball and costs $20 more but I can't figure out what else is different about it. Same weight rating, same everything as far as I can tell. This one is perfect, I can't imagine why anyone would pay extra for the new model. OK, on to the review.I bought this ball head to replace the rather crummy one that comes with the otherwise-excellent  Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head . That tripod is probably the best value for money you can get if you want a lightweight tripod for travel and hiking, but the supplied ball head is pretty meh. This one is excellent! Here's why:This ball head offers the best of both worlds between a standard ball head and a pan head. The conventional wisdom is that ball heads are great for simplicity and flexibility, whereas pan heads are better for precision but a bit clumsy to use. Specifically, a pan head makes you move your camera one axis at a time, whereas a ball head allows you to move the camera in all axes simultaneously but has no way of locking one axis while moving another. Neither is better, both types have their pros and cons. Ball heads for flexibility, pan heads for precision.Most ball heads have one knob, which you loosen to let the camera move and then tighten to lock it. Very easy and intuitive, but what if you want to do something like take a multi-shot panorama? There's no way to turn the camera horizontally while ensuring that it remains level; you just have to be careful and re-adjust as necessary, which is doable but a pain. This ball head, though, has *two* knobs. The big one works like normal, but the little one allows you to turn the ball head horizontally at the base while keeping the main ball joint securely locked. Brilliant! It works just like it should. One of those forehead-smacking, "Why didn't *I* think of that?" innovations.Also, importantly, this is a quality ball head. The quick-release plate is secure and easy to use with no fiddling, and the screw has a nice big flange on it for easy tool-less tightening. The ball joint has just the right adjustability on the tension, so that you can easily get it into that "moves smoothly when I push it and then stays" mode while you're making your adjustments, instead of having to choose between totally-floppy and totally-locked. It has degree markings on the base to help you with your panning. You get the full range of motion that you'd expect from a ball head, including the ability to flop the camera over 90° for vertically-oriented shots. The metal bits are solid and well-machined, the rubbery bits are nice and grippy. It is compatible with both 3/8" and 1/4" tripod screws. Nothing crazy, just a well-made, well-thought-out, moderately-priced ball head with a killer extra feature. The one thing it lacks is a level, but my tripod has a level and my camera has a level so that doesn't matter to me.This is the best ball head I know of—period—at a mid-range price. Yes, it costs about as much as the entire Dolica tripod-plus-ball head that I linked above, but you can *easily* pay more to get less. The panning feature alone is worth the price of admission. If you want the flexibility of a ball head with the control of a pan head, this is what you want. It's a quality product from a well-known brand and it works, with no flaws. Highly recommended.

I bought the Joby BH2-01EN Ballhead X to attach a video light or DSLR to a Super Clamp or table top tripod. I soon realized the Joby is over engineered for Gorillapod duties and is a great AS compatible ball head.I took Joby for a spin on a Gitzo G1028 Mountaineer. The screw knob clamp accepted my 6D/24-105 4L with  SUNWAYFOTO PC-6D QR Plate for Canon EOS 6D  and locked down tight. I pointed the rig upwards, torqued the ball tension knob and was greeted with a rock solid lock. There's a tiny bit of settle but no drifting. Obviously, not a good choice for pro DSLRs, e.g., 1DX, or huge lenses, but a great head for a small or medium sized DSLR on a travel tripod.The clamp knob is small but the rubberized grip makes it easy to tighten. The clamp knob, like the the pan and ball knobs, is captive and won't fall out when unscrewed all the way. A topside spring-loaded pin is designed to protrude into the plate's underside, acting as a safety stop. Plus, cutaways on both sides of the clamp work with safety stop screws common to other brands of AS plates. The pin and screws won't keep gear from sliding out of an open clamp, but will save your gear if not fully tightened. My RRS, Sunwayfoto, CamAdapter and Kirk AS plates fit securely in the Ballhead X clamp.The ball is about 28mm in diameter. Ball movements are smooth and precise. Drag and lock are controlled with a large rubber gripped knob, making for fast tweaks. There's plenty of adjustment nuance from loose-as-a-goose to locked tight. It's easy to dial in just enough resistance so it doesn't flop but still moves smoothly. A quick twist and the ball locks solid. Unlike most small ball heads, the Joby has a pan lock. Once loosened, panning is buttery smooth.I have dedicated AS plates on my cameras but gave the tiny but graphically striking "X" plate a compatibility test. It fits in my Chinese clamps--Ballhead X, Sirui and Sunwayfoto--but slides out of Kirk and RRS clamps. What's worse, it lacks safety-stop screws. I recommend tossing the Joby plate and buying in a better fitting plate with safety-stop screws.I own another small ball head, the  SunwayFoto FB-Series FB-28i Classic Ballhead , and the Ballhead X is almost as good but half the cost. The undersized plate is a minor gotcha and, in fairness, most AS compatible heads don't include a plate. All in all this Joby head is well designed and made. Highly recommended!

I purchased this late 2016 for £54.95 and it's excellent value for money.If you're looking at this you're probably looking for a way to accurately set the direction, tilt and level of the camera quickly and firmly. This does all of the above better than any other product I've tried.The unit is robust with a metal body but with that a little weighty. All 3x rotating dials are covered In a heavy duty rubber for non slip and are grippy af.The BHX has 2 parts that come together like (like a standard tripod. There's the main unit itself with the ballhead as is the 'adjustable' part. And the very top there's a removalable plate which attaches with the usual thread to the base of your camera. You can buy other plates for each of your cameras separately.I've attached the BHX to an SLR friendly Joby Gorillapod (not the pro one) and it works great. I've also applied it to cheap tripods where it's made levelling the camera much much easier.The Ballhead itself which holds the camera in some procurious positions is very very strong. It holds the camera firmly which gives you that much needed confidence.The dials are easy to rotate and very strong. They are used to lock and release the ballhead, the camera plate and the 360 rotation.If you do timelapse where the camera is in an awkward position, or vlog style and your holding the camera at you , or landscape photography where you need micro adjustments in tilt or angle, or need to quickly place it on a surface for spontaneous shoots this is your new best friend.The speed it helps to frame your shot makes your day to day videography and photography easier. And anything that helps me get shooting quickly is a must have purchase.

I bought the Joby Ballhead X with the SLR-Zoom Tripod & GripTight ONE Mount. All three pieces work very well together. The ballhead will not move at all when its screw has been tightened, but moves easily once it has been loosened (although it can be hard to move at first). When it is loosened it can be rotated in any direction (360 degree rotation & just under 180 degree translational movement). The smaller side screw locks rotation without requiring repositioning of the ballhead, which can be very useful. The top of the Ballhead can be removed by loosening the top screw, I keep my mount connected to it and put it in when I wasn't to connect my phone, I imagine this would be useful with a DSLR camera as well. I'm very pleased I got this high quality ballhead rather than a cheaper option.I bought the pieces separately, which made it significantly cheaper. I was very happy with how quickly my item was shipped (it arrived a week earlier than was estimated).Note I am not a professional photographer, so those who are might have a different experience with it.

Its robust, swivels and rotates easily, feels quality, caries the weight of my M6, Smallrig Cage, microphone with ease & comes with an ARCA Swiss fitting plate. Which is a huge part of the reason I bought it. I fitted it to a 3k Jobby, but it also fits my tripod without having to unscrew or fit other plates. Yay.Impressed so far.

A small item like this can be expected to "give" a little when a full-sized Canon camera with 70-300mm lens is mounted on it. So it's worth checking the screw fittings from time to time. I found this item very useful in the course of safari photography, being able to use various parts of the vehicle as supports for the lens. Overall, satisfied.

Honestly, even for that price, I was expecting the ballhead to be plasticky or somewhat worse quality than the more expensive ones. Though when I unpacked it, it was solid, precisely build and somewhat heavy, at least heavier than imagined. The tightening knobs are very grippy and feel really quality made as well as the plate itself, very durable. Even panning head is extremely smooth, making recording panoramas a true pleasure. I can't fault this item, it's perfect, and for the price, just go and get it NOW!(Used on Sony NEX-5N, with Tamron 70-300USD and 28-75 on Fotodiox adapter for Sony A-mount)