SIRUI K-30X Aluminium Tripod Ball Head 360° Rotating Panoramic Ballhead with TY-60X Arca Swiss Quick Release Plate and Bubble Level for Tripod Monopod DSLR Camera Load Capacity up to 30KG

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 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.

The Sirui K-20x is a very well made and silky smooth Ball Head in which can be controlled precisely using the friction control knob. The bubble levels enable the platform to be fixed in a horizontal orientation and the locking knob is efficient in fixing the platform in any position. This Ball Head is not the lightest in the Sirui group of Heads but it is a very good compromise between weight and rigidity for use on a lightweight tripod. When a heavy camera / lens combination is attached to the platform locked at a steep angle to the horizontal the resulting droop is negligible. The only minor disadvantage is that a 3/8 to 1/4 inch adapter is required to attach the head to a lightweight tripod; these are not provided and only genuine Sirui adapters fit flush to the base of the head and they are not easy to obtain - hence only four stars!

I bought this item after being disappointed by the Neweer tripod ball head. This one is solidly built and though it has circular wheels as control knobs (rather than the flat fin-shape), it is not difficult to grip and gives a very positive feedback on tightening. It does not need a lot of pressure to secure the plate.If the designers are looking for an improvement in design, I would certainly suggest the use of a fin-shaped knob, similar to the one offered by Manfrotto and others, which is easy to use with gloves and more user friendly.This item fits well on my Manfrotto Tripod and the combination of the 2 leave a very solid grip of my rather heavy camera.I must say that I do not find the generic plate useful as it grips the camera with use of friction and permits a drift of my camera equipment downwards, even though adequately tightened. I have therefore discarded the plate that comes with this Ball head and have used a camera specific "L" plate with an Arca Swiss type attachment and this works out to be a solid and stable platform.Overall, very pleased with purchase.