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

The bees knees! Really nice smooth operation I didn't realise the difference a quality ball-head could make to mounting a camera on a tripod. Has a nice steady movement unlike cheaper ball heads there is no discernible shift in view when you lock it. Fantastic bit of kit.

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 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.

Cercavo una testa a sfera compatta ma seria da usare su treppiedi e clamp quando monto una mirrorless full frame con ottiche non proprio leggere. L’idea era sostituire una testa più economica, che iniziava a mostrare i suoi limiti in termini di stabilità e precisione dei movimenti. La K-10X arriva come un blocco di metallo ben lavorato: in mano è densa, trasmette subito la sensazione di componente “meccanico” e non di accessorio entry-level. La finitura anodizzata è uniforme, le incisioni sono pulite e non ci sono giochi percepibili fra le parti. Le tre manopole principali (blocco sfera, frizione, panorama) hanno il rivestimento in gomma, si impugnano bene e permettono regolazioni gradualissime, senza scatti. Devo dire che, a livello tattile, è una testa che dà proprio soddisfazione. Il cuore è la sfera, che ha un movimento molto fluido; regolando la frizione si riesce a trovare quella zona in cui la fotocamera si muove con naturalezza ma non “crolla” quando si lascia il controllo. Alla fine è questo il punto forte nell’uso reale: poter comporre con micro movimenti, rilasciare la mano e non ritrovarsi con l’inquadratura che si abbassa di mezzo grado sotto il peso dell’ottica. L’ho usata con corpi FF e zoom standard/tele moderati e non ho avvertito cedimenti o flessioni visibili. La base panoramica ruota a 360° con scala graduata, e c’è anche la rotazione sulla piattaforma superiore: due movimenti separati che tornano utili quando si vuole gestire l’orizzonte e allo stesso tempo rifinire la composizione. Non è una testa da panoramiche professionali con sistemi di nodal point, però per sequenze semplici e per inquadrature architettoniche è già un bel passo avanti rispetto alle teste economiche. La livella a bolla aiuta a non andare completamente storti, anche se con alcune piastre o L-bracket potrebbe trovarsi un po’ coperta. Il sistema di sgancio rapido in standard Arca Swiss funziona bene: piastra con gomma antiscivolo, due fermi rossi di sicurezza che limitano il rischio che la fotocamera scorra fuori se si allenta troppo la manopola. La piastra TY-50X tiene saldamente la base della fotocamera, e non ho visto rotazioni indesiderate anche inclinando la testa in verticale. Ho solo un piccolo dubbio sulla tenuta della gomma nel lunghissimo periodo, perché su altri sistemi, col tempo, tende a lucidarsi e a perdere un filo di grip. In pratica la K-10X è una testa che privilegia stabilità e controllo rispetto all’estrema leggerezza: non è un “piuma” da viaggio ultracompatto, ma su treppiedi di fascia media e clamp robusti dà quella sensazione di riserva di margine che fa lavorare con più calma. Il carico dichiarato di 20 kg è secondo me molto prudente rispetto all’uso tipico fotografico, ma sapere di essere ampiamente sotto il limite aiuta a fidarsi di più dell’insieme. La vedo adatta a chi vuole fare un salto di qualità rispetto alle classiche teste a sfera economiche, cercando qualcosa che regga senza problemi configurazioni full frame e che permetta regolazioni fini senza lotte continue con frizioni imprecise.

Nada más ver la caja, abrirla y ver la bolsa que lo guarda, causa una impresión muy satisfactoria. La rótula es de una calidad absoluta, tanto por el material como por el acabado profesional. La suavidad con que funcionan los ajustes y la firmeza progresiva que adquieren sobre la bola, es algo que llama la atención de inmediato. Controlas un 150-600 con una facilidad tremenda una vez equilibrado y eso montado solo sobre ella, sin haberla fijado al trípode. La zapata de fijación a la peana del objetivo es muy cómoda de quitar y poner, además tiene una gomas que absorben las vibraciones notablemente. Elegí la K-20 porque es la que mejor se adapta a mis necesidades, en cuanto al peso que voy a poner en ella. El precio me parece muy correcto y el envío me ha llegado por medio de Correos, al día siguiente de haber salido del almacén, antes de lo que esperaba. Así que resumiendo, totalmente satisfecho con la compra y el servicio, un 10, sin duda.

Photographie haute résolution

I had Manfrotto MHXPRO-3W which is a pan head. I was looking for a compact and light ball head which can carry my heavy equipment and also have an Arca swiss lock. I was a bit worried that K20 can not handle a D810 with Tamron 15-30 or Nikon 70-300 and I was hesitate to choose between K20 and K30 and I finally chose K20 due to its weight and size. the quality is great and It can easily stand beside manfrotto. it does not rattle or shake when using. it has a panorama lock and tension knob. tested it with d810 and tamron 15-30 which are my hevaiest combination with over 2kg! it surprisingly handled it very well without any problem. highly recommend it over manfrotto heads and their stupid quick release system!

Der Kopf von Sirui ist sehr solide. Allerdings nervt mich die große Traktionsschraube, da man sie versehentlich dreht, um den Kopf zu verstellen. Der K20II ist hier die bessere Lösung.