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REVIEWS:  Tripods.:  Tripod Heads and Accessories:
3265 Grip Action Ball Head

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Bogen/Manfrotto 3265 Grip Action Ball Head


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Rating
Reviewed by: 

Galan

( Professional)

Review Date
January 14, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

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Review 1 of 27

Price Paid:  $122.00 from Allen's Camera & Vid

Summary:

I have solved one issue with my tripods in that they, for the most part are limited utilization pieces of equipment ie. tripods with locking legs and a center. Putting the #3265 ball head onto my Bogen Benbo #1 Cantilever type tripod gives me total control over the environments I often frequent.

The #3265 ball head is fast to position, has NEVER released my camera or lens when using the provided locking lever (I have tried the 600mm F/4 Nikkor but it cannot handle that kind of weight - though it DID NOT drop the lens).

What I do like about this pistol grip style arrangement is it's ease of use, speed in setting up and the ability to make reasonable presets for critical macro shots with a minimum of effort although I will say it does take some getting used to using over the traditional ball head designs which are a nightmare compared to this.

Strengths:

Versatility and ease of use.
It has adjustable pressure on the ball so can accommodate a variety of lens sizes and camera setups.
Positive locking... once in place, it wants to stay put.

Weaknesses:

Not for everyone. it is not an Arca-Swiss but within reason it can support most lenses up to perhaps a 300mm with satisfactory results.
the locking lever has some play so if not put in properly, the device might not hold but I don't blame the grip as much as I would the photographer... my failings have been my failing to insure the lock was fully seated.

Similar Products Used:

I have not seen anything similar.

Customer Service:

Bogen has been exemplary for me. I have contacted them for parts to do minor repairs with nothing but positive help and support



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Rating
Reviewed by: 

Kevin Mac

( Intermediate)

Review Date
August 5, 2004

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5,
3 votes

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Review 2 of 27

Price Paid:  $75.00 from Kerrisdale Cameras

Summary:

I've used this head for about 7 years on my spotting scope. It was the perfect solution for my small manfrotto tripod that was too short for me. It provided an extra 4 inches of height over the head provided with the tripod. It is also very easy to use and quick to get the scope on the subject.

Strengths:

Great design, so easy to use! Rugged construction has put up with my abuse for years.

Weaknesses:

The scope is always loosening off the quick release plate. It is not smooth- there has always been jumps and sticks when using. You can actually get hand fatigue when scanning for long periods of time.

Similar Products Used:

Bogen 486 compact

Customer Service:

not used



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Rating
Reviewed by: TwoBoy
 (Expert)

Review Date
December 26, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

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Review 3 of 27

Price Paid:  $130.00 from Singer Photographic

Summary:

Fitted to the Manfrotto 055CL provides a nice stable platform. I use it with a Sigma 50~500 and 10D.

Strengths:

Very accurate and positive feel. Ideal for speed.

Weaknesses:

You have to get used to using the locking pin each time otherwise sooner or later you will drop your camera.

Similar Products Used:

1st pistol grip.

Customer Service:

Not needed.



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Rating
Reviewed by: tom_darnall
 (Professional)

Review Date
March 24, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

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Review 4 of 27

Price Paid:  $75.00 from B&H

Summary:

Well-designed pistol grip ballhead. If you know what kinds of cameras (and positions) work well with this product, for many 35mm/digital and light 2-1/4 uses, it is a joy to work with. I'm on my second one; the ball grip started slipping a bit after 1-1/2 years of heavy use. I use it with 35mm and Mamiya 7II cameras, with relatively lightweight lens rigs. Use with Bogen carbon-fiber tripod.

Strengths:

Intuitive, fast, relatively light

Weaknesses:

Not suitable for heavy cameras or lenses, not very stable in vertical shooting position, gripping ability degrades over time.

Similar Products Used:

Traditional smaller ballheads.

Customer Service:

Never tested it.



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Rating
Reviewed by: Chaucer Wells
 (Professional)

Review Date
March 17, 2002

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

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Review 5 of 27

Price Paid:  $65.00 from used

Summary:

Unfortunately, this tripod head did not work out at all for me for a variety of reasons. If you use a light camera setup and don''''t need to do any vertical shots, it works great. Otherwise, proceed with caution.

Strengths:

solid construction

Weaknesses:

First, it is VERY unstable for doing anything other than horizontally framed shots; using this mount to do vertically framed shots creates all sorts of problems with tripod balance and stability. This problem is compounded greatly if you are using a heavy flash or a large lens. Additionally, I had chronic problems with the tripod head not gripping the latch plate firmly. I tried several different latch plate''''s, but it had problems with all of them. If I wasn''''t picky about maintaining a grip on my camera strap, this head would have dumped my camera on the ground at least half a dozen times. The head does have a locking pin for securing the latch plate lever, and I learned the hard way that the latching mechanism could not be trusted without the pin in place (I swap cameras back and forth from the tripod head frequently, so fiddling with the pin was an unwelcome additional step). I finally gave up and traded it in on another tripod head.



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