NEEWERPro Metal Tripod Ball Head 360 Degree Rotating Panoramic with 1/4 inch Quick Shoe Plate, Bubble Level for Tripod,Monopod,Slider,DSLR Camera Camcorder up to 17.6 pounds/8 kilograms (Red+Black)

I bought this to replace the restrictive pan head on my Redsnapper tripod. I was going to buy the redsnapper ball head, but this was cheaper and looked to be very similar in terms of construction. Its a nice solid bit of kit and constructed from thick aluminium, with a nice matt finish anodising. The fit and finish feels great, with no sharp edges and everything turns nice and smoothly. I was very impressed and it looks like it should cost way more than it does. After having a play with it I am very happy with it and it will be perfect for my needs. The ball moves smoothly and allows me to get more creative angles a lot faster. It locks up nice and sturdy and doesn't creep down at all, although my camera and lens is only 2kg, so well below the rated limit.The 360o swivel is nice and smooth for photography, but there are some very slight micro bumps that would probably cause video footage to be a little jumpy. It seems to be just in one place, so you'd still get some bump free panning if you didn't need to go the full 360o. Its to be expected that it wouldn't be perfectly smooth when the price is so low. For ultra smooth panning you'd probably have to pay way more for a fluid head.This ballhead has a larger ball than some of the other ballheads I saw in this price range and also has a separate tensioning knob (smaller) to allow you to adjust the tension separately from the lockup knob (larger). This means when you unlock it, it won't flop down, potentially damaging your equipment. It also allows you to set a constant tension that won't keep changing depending on the tightness of the locking knob. Finally there is a locking knob for the panning, which again isn't always present on ballheads in this price range. There is also a handle, which a lot are missing.All in all I am very pleased with this ballhead and it should serve me well for my amateur photography needs. A very nice step up from the 3 way pan head my tripod came with.

This head was more solid than I expected for the price. I have much pricier ones and this one stands up well.It’s not overly heavy and I bought it to mount on top of a monopod. The attraction for me was having the spirit level and so being able to get the camera straight.The other surprise was that this came with a 1/4 inch insert which when taken out, becomes 3/8 inch. I expected a 3/8 and was going to have to buy an adapter for my monopod.It rotates as well as tilts so would work really well on a tripod with a ‘friction’ feel. Again, not expected at this price level. The ball and socket doesn’t do what some do, as in drop the camera suddenly when you loosen the adjustments. The slight friction is very useful in order to save the camera from smashing down onto your support.There is a locking screw on two sides so no need to ‘overtighten’ As you sometimes have to do with ball heads that only have one. You sometimes feel that you need to really screw the single ones down, where this one locks in, with not a great deal of screw pressure from two sides.Two spirit levels so the camera can be used in panoramic or upright position, retaining the level adjustment.The plate mechanism is simple and quick to operate so the camera comes off easily. No messing around like you can feel with some plate mechanisms that I’ve used in the past. There are two retaining screws underneath which means that the plate won’t sit with the camera on it, squarely onto a table. That would have been a bonus for those small cameras that you might want to sit on a table.The plate itself is excellent in that you can move the position of the holding screw by pushing down on the top while unscrewing. Then it comes off of the plate and you can screw it in another slot further forward or further back. Two extra slots are provided to allow you to centre the camera on the plate.Good finish and in my case, a venture into a cheaper mounting mechanism just to see whether it could match more expensive alternatives that I have. It does and in my opinion is well worth the price, which in the case of Neewer, I have found over and over with their photographic products which I am very familiar with, including lights and microphones. Good company that offer some terrific value products.This is better than I expected.

I reduced it by one star to 4 star because although it works very well with the included plate, it is not a standard Arca fit. The Neweer L plate is 38mm and the grooves don't align. I can't remove the clamp unfortunately.I'm impressed with the ball head. The panning action is smooth, and you can lock the tilt movement while panning or vice versa.There are two knobs adjusting the ball action. One controls the resistance, the other fixes the ball in place. This allows me to adjust the resistance according to the weight of the camera and lens, so that I can move the ball with variable resistance levels.The clamp has a positive action in securing the plate, and there is a screw restrictor on either end of the supplied plate that prevents the camera sliding out.The supplied plate is well made and doesn't rattle. The plate has a groove that slides into the base, and a clamp tightens to secure the camera.When the camera is in the portrait position, a cut out in the ball cup, there doesn't appear to be any creep. I have a heavy tripod though so I'm happy to take the risk of supporting the camera off centre but with a long lens I will use the L plate once I get a secure fit.

Purchased alongside other items to create overhead images of art work. I already have a really good tripod by this manufacturer and it's great. This head has great functionality and fluid movement. Light weight and very easy to use. The size is also great and not over sized , good quality design and great versatility.

I bought this to replace a failed tripod head and didn't know what I missing out on. Upon use I learned that is very high quality construction, consisting of all metal parts including the latches and knobs. The ball and swivel function are very smooth, lock into place firmly and are satisfying to use. I'm very happy with the value/quality of this ball head and strongly recommend!