The perfect Leitz Large Ball head and Tabletop Tripod

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Capt. E

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Who else uses a Leitz Large Ball Head on the table top tripod legs? Perfect for low light street photography. You can brace it on a wall, post, or your chest for beautiful sharp long exposures.
 
The combination works particularly well as a chest pod with the offset tripod bush of a Leica RF.
 
I do the same with the small ball head. Had it for 45 years. Use it with my Hasselblad occasionally. Even free of any support it’s a useful grip hand held with a film Leica to crib another stop. Still useful as a chest pod even with the central thread of the digital.
 
i've got both the large head and the small head.
also, the minox tripod is great with a TLR, the
size of a thick pencil and only 4 oz.
 
Capt. E said:
Who else uses a Leitz Large Ball Head on the table top tripod legs? Perfect for low light street photography. You can brace it on a wall, post, or your chest for beautiful sharp long exposures.
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Could you put up a photo of this combination for us to see?
 
Would it be something like this? Brace the tripod horizontally against a wall?
 
raydm6 said:
Would it be something like this? Brace the tripod horizontally against a wall?
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Exactly It! I have used one for more than 40 years. This thing will last your whole life. Never seen a broken one. I find the large ball head superior to the small as it works better as a chest pod. The large ball head can, of course, be used on any tripod legs...works great on a gitzo reporter.
 
I've owned one of these for 30+years and once had to use it support my 9 lb. Toyo 45F in a tight spot. The camera was level so it didn't tip over and it did the job, holding the camera steady for a 10 second exposure.
 
I’ve worried in recent years to take it in hand luggage on a plane. Might be confiscated as a weapon. Anyone had experience of going straight through?
 
Just bought the large ball head for a quarter of the new price, second hand but never used by the look and feel of it. What I realize using it is that it quickly turns to tight and stable, and loosens quickly too. A great advantage, different to friction lock adjustment, but just as useful.
 
C22 No 2 135mm New Leitz Tiltall Hacked Leitz Ball Head by Nokton48, on Flickr

Mamiya C22 Body #2 with 135mm Blue Dot Yellow Filters Paramender. Mounted on new to me Leitz Tiltall heavily modified. Regular column replaced with modern black one with Leitz Ball Head neatly permanently attached. This new Ball Head (same as on my Leitz Tabletop Tripod) works great on the original Tiltall and a Japanese Quick Mount, which also works great with the Paramender. This weighs little enough that I can carry it around with one hand without straining. And it is rock solid Leica Quality. Broncolor Octobox 150 left, 4x6 foamcore right. Sony Nex-7 with Zeiss Touit Makro Planar 2.8/50. Painted background by David Maheu "Tim Kelly Gold Plaster".

Also have the Tabletop Tripod and Ball Head.
 
Richard G said:
I’ve worried in recent years to take it in hand luggage on a plane. Might be confiscated as a weapon. Anyone had experience of going straight through?
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Richard,

My worst experience was having to open my carry-on for a visual check. I have gone straight thru on occasions but expect to have my cameras checked sometimes.

Bill
 
47794289341_2549b66273_c.jpg
 
Used it with the Hasselblad at the weekend, on a table, precise positioning, zero creep once the knob tightened. The grooved ball is the design feature that delivers that precision. In the garden with the waist level finder I was shooting a rose at a low angle, the tripod serving as a thigh pod.
 
I've taken this combo through airport security a few times. I'll admit I tend to separate the head from the legs for carry-on baggage.
 
I found that my baseplate pad on the threaded pin section of the tripod head is loose and rotates. It seem secure, and it rotates smoothly. Is this a deliberate design feature? If it was fixed any grit would grind into the nice finish of the baseplate. Rotating is perfect design from that point of view. Anyone else's rotate from new? Mine is second hand but as good as new.
 
Richard G said:
I found that my baseplate pad on the threaded pin section of the tripod head is loose and rotates. It seem secure, and it rotates smoothly. Is this a deliberate design feature? If it was fixed any grit would grind into the nice finish of the baseplate. Rotating is perfect design from that point of view. Anyone else's rotate from new? Mine is second hand but as good as new.
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Richard,

I have 2 different versions of the large ball head that have baseplates that can rotate when not full screwed down. One has a reversible screw to take 3/8-16 on one end and 1/4-20 on the other. The second head has a fixed 1/4-20 post. If you leave the baseplate slightly loose (maybe 1/2 a turn on the baseplate screw) and let it rotate the screw will still tighten-up adequately to hold your camera and may eliminate some scratching.

Bill
 
Bill Jones said:
Richard,

My worst experience was having to open my carry-on for a visual check. I have gone straight thru on occasions but expect to have my cameras checked sometimes.

Bill
Click to expand...
This past September, I checked TSA regs before my vacation flights (US only). Their website states that tripods are perfectly fine as long as they do not have retractable spikes. I didn't have my carry-on inspected for my Gitzo, but be aware that TSA can ask you to open your luggage for anything that they feel warrants inspection. Other countries? Who knows!
 
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