Pig Iron BH-1V Professional Tripod Ball Head for Pro DSLR and Medium Format Cameras. 8kg Load Capacity. Arca-Swiss Compatible Quick Release System.

I took ages researching into tripod heads before I finally settled for the pig iron BH-1V , the big names surely add quite a hefty premium on theirs just for the pose value of their names as trying many out at the local camera shop I came to realise looking online might be a better way forward . I'd never heard of pig iron before but for the price I'd thought id give them a go as compared to the manfrotto ones I had my eye on there was a massive saving to be had . upon opening the box and trying all the knobs and inspecting the finish etc I'm so glad I did as this ball head is every bit as good as any manfrotto jobbie , its silky smooth , machined to perfection and has a blemish free finish , to be honest its that outstanding its made my hahnel triad 90pg tripod look naff, so yep you've guessed it a new tripod is winging its way to me as I type that'll do it justice (vanguard alta pro 263at) , if your on the market for a ball head then look no further as the pig iron BH-1V is as good as it gets until you get to the dizzy heights of gitzo prices ! its totally awesome in every way .

My first ball head and overall I'm fairly pleased with it for the money. It is robust, chunky and heavy and fits my Vanguard Alta Pro tripod with no issues The clamps for the ball head itself hold the plate perfectly still and allow very smooth adjustment when released. However it is let down slightly by the clamp on the pan not being as firm and allowing a degree or so of "wooliness". This however should produce no real issues under normal circumstances. What I found slightly odd was that there was only one spirit level. So assuming you fit your camera with the top knob to the back of the body then you're only getting a level on the pitch axis and nothing on the roll axis. Again, not a deal breaker as you should be able to trust your own view of the image through the view finder.

Hi I have bought bh 1v recently, drag control failed after few photoshoots. And also panning control is not 100% tight, there is always horizontal movement of 1mm or so. Built quality is great otherwise. Thank you Regards Tadas

I really like the design and construction. The teflon coated (as opposed to lubricated) ball head is a big plus for me, given that I ruined my previous ball-head by using it in the rain, which washed all the lubricant away. It holds by Canon 5d Mk III with a 70-200mm f4 really solidly (attached by the camera with an L-plate, so fairly front heavy). When I shake the camera with this set-up, the movement is from the tripod rocking rather than any movement in the ball head, at least as far as I can tell. I feel the pan movement could do with being a little looser to aid quicker manoeuvrability , but as it is I guess it would make for nice smooth panning on video.

I bought this after a search for "monopod heads". This appears to be very well made and had I been looking for a good quality tripod head this would have done the trick; however I think that it is far too heavy to be used as a monopod head (also would require an adaptor for many monopod screws. Returned with no problem. Marked down one star purely because I think that it needs to be better described or the weight more clearly shown.

Mine broke after using it a few times. The drag control broke after light use and then the base plate fell off which was held on by three small spots of glue then the ball head seized up. This is Chinese made junk.

Received this a few days ago and managed to get out and take some long exposures with it over the weekend. First impressions are very good - it fits well onto my Manfrotto tripod and holds my camera - a D7100 with 200mm lense securely. It feels very well made. Positioning and locking the camera using the three controls is easy and smooth. Given that this is considerably less than the more established brands - I would certainly recommend it.

Heavy but easy to use.