Oben IBH-05 Inverted Ball Head

The design of this Oben inverted ball head is fantastic. Having the ball head work as a leveling base is brilliant. It allows you to level the camera, and its alignment, super-fast and easy. One of the big features of this ball head is its ability to make panoramic shots better and easier, and this design does this in spades. With the inverted design, it is easy to set it up, so the shot stays level though out the panoramic pan. And the 360-degree numbered scale is printed right on the head which also helps. I love that it has an Arca-type release plate. That is a common plate system, so it integrates well with some of my other gear. I also love this ball head design because it is so versatile. Having the small pin with 1/4-20 mounting socket allows you to mount this ball head a variety of ways besides just using tripod legs. You can attach it to a light stand with a 1/4-20 threads on top (I posted a picture). You can also attach it to an Impact Super Clamp or similar with threads, and then mount it in unusual places or basically anywhere (see picture). This all makes this ball head very versatile, which I love. The build quality of it is fantastic. Made of metal and very well machined. All the knobs and locks are a good size and feel really good in the hand. They also tighten and loosen easily but hold things strong in horizontal or vertical mode. When locked it feels very safe and secure. The head is smooth. The pan and tilt action feels great and makes it easy to do smooth moves for such a small and compact head. Again, I'm very impressed with this Oben ball head. It's extremely well built and designed. It's a pleasure to work with and can be used in a variety of ways and situations.