Induro Alloyflex 6M AX214 Tripod Review Round-Up
Flexibility is this 5-pound aluminum alloy tripod’s strong suit. Its reversible center column can be removed and reinserted horizontally. Two smoothly operating keys loosen the top portion of the platform that holds the center column in place and let it flip up 90 degrees. When the column is mounted horizontally, it can swivel 360 degrees and tilt up and down, then be locked in place. With the legs at their widest angle, the horizontal column lets you bring the camera as close to the ground as you like. Switching the center column between vertical and horizontal is quick and easy. The column also has a built-in weight hook at the bottom, and on top of the legs there are both a fluid level and a little compass.??The AX214’s four-section twist-lock legs can be locked at three angles and can bring the tripod to a maximum height of 58 inches, or nearly six feet with the center column all the way up. One of the legs is padded, to make it more comfortable to handle in the cold and easy to carry over a shoulder. The tripod comes with a carrying strap that attaches to a built-in hook, as well as a nice padded bag. You can also hook the little tool case that comes with this pod onto the hook. It contains a wrench and a hex key for adjusting the leg tension and tightening up the mounting plate, as well as spiked metal feet that are interchangeable with the tripod’s rubber ones. The AX214 is built to support up to 17.6 pounds of gear, but it folds up to a compact 22 inches for carrying. About $190. READ FULL REVIEW AT PopPhoto
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Get information and user reviews for this tripod from Amazon: Induro Alloyflex 6M Tripod AX-214
The Acratech GV2 Ballhead’s quality build, light weight and attractive skeletal design convinced me to give it a try. Since most ballheads do not allow enough rotation for shooting in portrait/vertical camera orientation (without an L-plate or collared lens), a drop notch is generally provided. The ballhead is then oriented so the neck of the ball can be positioned into this slot – leaving the camera in position for the vertically-framed shot. Acratech took this design one step farther (at first glance at least). Large, collared lenses used on top of ballheads can become hard to control – their generally-heavy weight gives them a strong tendency to fall over. Gimbal-style heads (the Wimberley Tripod Head II is one) are designed so that the gravitation effect simply holds the lens balanced – a real plus when working with these lenses. The Acratech GV2 Ballhead functions as a gimbal head when the ballhead neck is lowered into the drop notch. A large lens can be easily positioned and used without locking the friction control knobs. Physically, the Acratech GV2 Ballhead has a lot going for it. Going into the field, the first thing I noticed was that my framing moves slightly to the right when I lock down the main friction control knob. I tried a wide range of minimum friction/tension settings with no change in this behavior. With a Sigma 120-400mm DG EX HSM Lens set to 400mm, my framing moves about 1″ (254mm) at 15′ (4.6m) when the GV2 is locked down. There is no elevation drop as is common with cheap heads, but the rightward movement is definitely the biggest negative attribute of this otherwise great ballhead. The GV2 has some slip-stick behavior when near tight, but I didn’t find this to be hindering in the field. The Acratech GV2 Ballhead is a quality-construction, well designed tool. 
The Kirk BH-1 Ballhead is a very high quality ballhead for general-purpose use. Put a quick-release body plate or lens plate on your camera or tripod collar and tighten them into the Kirk BH-1 Ballhead’s universal Arca-Swiss style quick release clamp and nothing moves. Adjustments are smooth to make and immobile when tightened. The Kirk BH-1 Ballhead is functionally a very good ballhead. My biggest issue with the BH-1 is that I occassionally/accidentally (usually in the dark or while looking through the viewfinder) adjust the friction knob instead of the panoramic knob as they are similarly sized. It generally is not a big deal – just an inconvenience. As for capacity, it did not have a problem with my Canon EF 500mm f/4 L USM Super Telephoto Lens mounted on a Wimberley Sidekick. The bottom line? The Kirk BH-1 Ballhead is currently one of the best ballheads. 
The Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head is made from magnesium to ensure light weight and high performance. Its design keeps the weight of the camera plus lens as close as possible to the tripod’s centre of gravity. This head only adds 10.3 cm to the height of the tripod and 700 grams to overall weight. Targeted mainly at photographers with SLR cameras with relatively light lenses or advanced, long-zoom digicams, it can also accommodate lighter medium format camera/lens combinations. Maximum recommended load is five kilograms. Flexibility of movement is the key feature of this novel tripod head, which is designed to allow single-handed positioning in all directions, freeing the photographer’s other hand to access the camera’s controls. The head supports 90 degrees of lateral tilt in each direction and front tilt from -90 degrees to +3 degrees. Panoramic rotation of 360 degrees is provided. This head is the most flexible tripod head we have used and it’s very easy to get used to manipulating the direction and orientation of a camera through the adjustments provided by the grip. Freeing one hand to control the lens and camera adjustments while the other controls the framing position is a big advantage in many shooting situations. All movements are smooth and the head is easily locked into place when the correct camera position is achieved. 
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The 804RC2 Basic Pan/Tilt Head, which is constructed from tough, technical polymer, is suitable for use with camera/lens combinations weighing up to four kilograms. It adds 12 cm to the height of the basic tripod and 750 grams to overall weight. As supplied, the 804RC2 requires some assembly before it can be used. This involves screwing-in two handgrips, which control adjustments for lateral leveling and forward/backward tilt. Both these controls cover an angular range from -30 to +90 degrees. A smaller fitted handgrip controls 360-degree panning movement. Large, handles give a secure and positive grip, while spring-loading provides compensation for heavier, off-centre loads. The 804RC2 provides the traditional directional controls that photographers require with easy controllability. Although designed to be operated with both hands, the controls are comfortable to use and lock positively and securely into place. Overall balance is excellent. 
The Really Right Stuff BH-55 (on the right in the comparison pictures) is another excellent ballhead that is often compared to the Arca-Swiss ballheads. I’ve used both (BH-55 and B1) about equally for the last year and can say that I’d be very happy with either. The RRS BH-55 is shorter (3.65″/85.4mm vs 4″/101.6mm) but wider and about 7 oz (198g) heavier at 1.96 lb (889g). The BH-55 main friction knob is most notably larger but the entire head is beefier (see the top-view photo above for a comparison that shows this best). The BH-55’s load capacity is rated at a much lower but seemingly far more conservatively at 50 lbs (23kg). I still would not want to handle this much load on a ballhead. ? ?RRS does not cut corners in manufacturing and insures their products look great as well as work great, but the price is a differentiator that shows this. The RRS BH-55 design (appearance) including laser engraved index markings and classy-looking knobs is a notch above the Z1 (which is nice). Really Right Stuff’s Lever Lock quick release plate is nicer than the Arc Swiss equivalent but requires Wimberley or RRS brand plates (though these are the best anyway in my opinion). The Z1 uses an elliptical ball whereas the BH-55 uses a spherical ball. The BH-55’s knobs are a higher grade than the Z1’s. The Z1 knobs are all near the same location on the same side while the RRS head places them on opposite sides. The BH-55 sports a more-matte finish but also shows marks (fingernails, sticks …) more easily. The BH-55 has two drop notches giving you a choice of two positions for the knobs when using a notch. The location of the drop notches are different as well – I think the BH-55 has a small advantage – especially when shooting downward. ? ?In real use, I find the RRS BH-55 to slip/stick when making fine adjustments at a tight friction setting while the Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 Ballhead remains smooth. The BH-55 is otherwise very consistent and repeatable. I also find the Z1 to lock tight with very little effort while the BH-55’s main knob gets consistently tighter as the ball locks. My personal preference on this point is for the Z1, but you could just as easily prefer the additional pressure feedback provided by the BH-55. As I said before, I could be very happy with either ballhead. 