The Digital Photography Book

A Ballhead Will Make Your Life Easier

Here’s the thing: when you buy a pro-quality tripod, you generally get just the tripod (the legs part). It often doesn’t come with a tripod head affixed like the cheap-o tripods do, so you’ll have to buy one separately (by the way, this ballhead thing isn’t necessarily about getting sharp images, but it is about keeping your sanity). Ballheads are wonderful because with just one knob they let you quickly and easily aim and position your camera accurately at any angle (which you’ll find is a huge advantage). Best of all, good ballheads keep your camera locked down tight to keep it from “creeping” (slowly sliding ...