SIRUI K-40X Aluminium Tripod Ball Head 360° Rotating Panoramic Ballhead with TY-70X Arca Swiss Quick Release Plate and Bubble Level for Tripod Monopod DSLR Camera Load Capacity up to 35KG

Sturdy and good value for money. Perfect size for astrophotography, not too big but also big enough to keep most set ups sturdy and comfortable. Functionality is good, with good grip.

I should start by saying that I have used the ball head a lot during a trip to the Lake district, but have only owned it for a short time and therefore cannot comment on its long term performance.So far, though, it has met all my expectations if not exceeded them.For me; this replaces a Giottos head for use with a Nikon D610 and various lenses, and it is superior in every way.The ball head exudes a feel of quality.The friction adjustment being built into the ball-lock works very well, and in practical use at speed or in the dark is much better, in my opinion, than the dual knobs that some other heads, like my Giottos or the Benro head that I also considered, use. With those, it is easy to inadvertently undo the friction control instead of the main one when changing the composition, losing the friction setting and having the camera tend to flop around. Not a very big deal, but a small irritation that doesn't exist with this design.Contrary to some comments I have read, I found the friction adjustment is easy and intuitive, works perfectly, and only needs thumb pressure to achieve.The "safety pin" that stops the camera plate accidentally sliding out works perfectly with the Benro custom (for D610) plate I have just bought. Now the camera cannot twist on the plate and the whole thing is rock solid on the K-30X. It's about as fast as any quick release to fit and remove, and can't slide out if left a bit loose. And of course it is Arca-Swiss compatible, which was essential to me.There is no slop whatsoever in the panning bearing, this was the thing I disliked about the Giottos head; but I make this comment cautiously as wear and tear over time may be relevant.Everything works very smoothly indeed.And finally, having carefully looked at reviews, I did expect there to be a small but noticeable shift in the camera's position when the ball is tightened to lock; the most irritating aspect of a ball head. In fact, I have not been able to detect any at all, therefore critical composition is very easy. This alone prompted me to make the effort to write a fairly detailed review. Products like this deserve to be recommended.I haven't used them, but at present I can't see how the really up-market heads from Kirk or RRS could possibly be better than this, but once again there is the caveat that I can't comment on long term reliability and that is also of paramount importance. If any issues do arise, and I see no reason why they might as this thing seems beautifully made, I will add a new comment here.

CONTROLS:The control knobs completely clamp the head solid without a lot of force required which is nice, and they turn with a fluid damped feel to them which gives a nice professional feel.You have control knobs for:- Main, customizable control knob for camera angle.- Head rotation.- ARCA mount clamp.ARCA MOUNT and PLATE:The ARCA mount plate has red retractable camera guides (pictured) that can (depending on how far forward or aft you have your camera mounted on the plate) help your camera sit perfectly straight and not twist on the plate. It has three different spirit levels, making it easy to get the camera level in any plane you want! UNLESS you own a cage....CAGE USERS: If you have a cage with the ARCA mount machined into the cage itself you have to mount it 90° different from a camera... Meaning the main large spirit level is now on the side of the camera, and therefore rendered useless. So you'll only have the all axis bubble level to try and gauge what's level.HEAD ROTATION: At the bottom of the head is an angle indicator, allowing you to take panoramic shots at certain angle intervals (locking each time with a dedicated control knob), allowing for an easier stitch together later in software.NEOPRENE POUCH: Annoying! They've tapered the top in too much, so it's really difficult to get the head back in. I just leave the head on the tripod and use the pouch as a handy pouch for a waterproof camera poncho/memory cards/etc.OVERALL: Really nice high quality head.... perfect for all photographers that don't use cages with machined in ARCA mounts, or if they do, cage users that aren't fussed about losing the spirit level! You really can't go wrong with this head! LOVE IT!

I've found this excellent in all respects - from the packaging to the instructions to the finish and, above all, its operation, it exhibits good design and quality. It easily supports relatively heavy combinations (mid-size DSLR plus 100-400 lens) with smooth movement and securely holds them in position. Particularly impressive are the simple and effective setting of the friction drag and the smoothness and ease with which, once that's set correctly, movement to obtain precise position is achieved. And if you need to use the main control knob to lock the final position (not always necessary but perhaps advisable) it just feels effortless - it never feels that you're having to lock the knob down hard to secure position. It accepts other Arca Swiss type release plates, although don't expect the safety lock feature to work with these.I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this Sirui. One final thought: this head seems easily capable of handling heavy combinations yet it's not large nor particularly heavy - however, for those with lighter cameras and lenses the similar but slightly smaller K-10X might be worth a look.