The Arca-Swiss P0 ballhead

When I bought a smaller travel/hiking tripod, I wanted a smaller lighter ballhead that would match it well.  I love FLM ballheads and nearly bought the CB-32F or CB-38F, but a friend convinced me to give the Arca-Swiss P0 a try.

The head is different from the average ballhead because the mechanism is inverted.  The stem mounts on the tripod and the mechanism sits on top.   This upside-down design prevents water and snow from getting inside.

The main locking control is a bit unusual too... instead of a knob or lever like most heads, it has a ring that wraps around the entire head.  This means you don't need to worry about the orientation of the head.  A quick twist tightens or loosens the head.  It's the same from any angle.

Mine didn't come with a quick release and I ended up using an FLM SRB-60 clamp, which is round and matches the size of the P0 perfectly. The knob is short and doesn't poke out too far either, which was important to me in keeping the overall package as small as possible. I had to modify the clamp to use an M6 screw flush in the clamp, and raised the clamp a bit using fender washers to keep the P0's pano knob from hitting the clamp's knob.

Removing the included screw took just a little force from an 11mm socket.

Be careful what you put on top. When I put a clamp directly on it, I hadn't realized the bottom of the clamp had a protrusion that would dig into the rotating platform.

A gripe I have about traditional ballhead controls is when I want to shoot the sky.  I need the drop notch to face me in that case.  Normally, I'd look down for macros, so I want the main knob to my left while the drop notch is opposite from me.  But when I want to aim up, a normal head has to be turned around, and suddenly using the knob is awkward.  The P0 solves this easily since the orientation doesn't matter.

Also, built in to the head is a rotating platform on top.  This makes panoramas easy... just level the head and rotate the top.  No need to spend more on a leveling base or a panning clamp.  The rotation is smooth and well-damped.

Opposite the pan lock lever is a drop notch that allows the head to be tilted up to 90 degrees if desired. Unlike the Arca-Swiss Z1 that I had for a few years, when I tilt the head into the drop-notch, I can feel the increased resistance from the aspherical ball as it tilts.  So the aspherical ball really seems to work.

I intended the P0 for smaller lenses and landscape use, but I found it plenty strong to hold a 100-400 mounted without slipping.

But here is the big surprise for me... the P0 doesn't shift as it is locked down, which is one of the big features I love about my FLM head.  It makes lining up shots very easy.  It makes precise compositions very easy, particularly for closeups where any shifting is very noticeable.  I haven't compared them directly but I think the P0 may be just as shift-free as my FLM CB-48F.

In a nutshell, I was surprised by how much I like the P0.

Leofoto LS-284C travel tripod

Leofoto is a name that I've seen come up quite often in forums and reviews.  So when I decided to get a compact travel tripod for hiking, I researched the Leofoto LS-284C.  I compared it against several brands and in the end, decided it had the best bang for buck, being at most one-third the price of the equivalent Really Right Stuff but nearly as stiff according to the Center Column.  It's actually #2 in the travel tripod stiffness ranking, behind RRS and just above Gitzo.  Impressive!

It arrived in a nicely made, padded case.  The case has enough room for a head mounted as well as the tripod itself, which is a nice touch.  I wish the case had webbing to make it easier to attach to a backpack.

The tripod came with spikes for certain terrain, and they happen to fit many other tripods via standard 3/8" threads.  To use them, remove the rubber feet on each leg and screw in the spikes.  Try not to stab anyone.

It came with a carabiner to hang your bag for extra stability, which you have to screw in yourself.  I used a little loctite to hold it in place.

There was a nice multi-tool included as well, but the parts have a hard time reaching some of the tripod screws, so I assume it is a generic tool.  It's a cool idea but not actually useful as designed.  You'll need to keep your existing hex wrenches handy.

The build quality on the LS-284C appears to be as good as anything I've seen from any other maker, including my own Gitzo and a friend's RRS. I've read of quality control issues in a couple of Leofoto tripods but mine works beautifully.

The LS-284C has 4 leg sections.  The leg locks take an easy quarter turn or so to loosen and retighten.

Fully extended on a flat surface, the tripod is only about 4' tall.

The legs spread independently which is useful for uneven terrain. It can spread wide and go to nearly ground level.  The leg stops are spring loaded and easy to use.  Just pull them out and they lock open so you can widen the legs and get lower. When you move the leg out to the widest setting, they automatically snap back into position, and snap to the next stops as you close the leg back up.

As low as it can go

Stop pulled out, ready to adjust.

It did not come with a center column.  For my intended use of shooting landscapes while hiking, I didn't need one.

The apex is quite small at about 47mm in diameter.  My FLM CB-48F head is just a little too big for it.  It works fine, but I ended up with a smaller ballhead.  The apex is so small that with the hook hanging and the legs at the narrowest angle, my pack won't hang directly on the hook.

My only real gripe is something I read about from several other reviewers... the legs feel a bit narrow on the tallest setting.  So the first thing I did was take the legs off and void my warranty by filing the stops.  This widened the stance a bit, making it more stable, at the cost of a little less maximum height.

The tripod is very light, and compared to my bigger Gitzo, feels weightless.  Put a small, lightweight (but sturdy!) head on top and you have a winner for hikes.   Given how light it is, I pay close attention when it is windy.  I don't quite trust it in wind as much as my 3-series Gitzo (which was nearly blown over in a very strong wind just once - I caught it).  I will hang my backpack from the apex once I extend the hook.  And maybe I'll widen the stance just a little more.

It was a very good purchase.  If you need a solid travel tripod, take a look.

Camera backpack options

Since there is no such thing as "one size fits all" with backpacks, much less camera backpacks, I thought I'd list a bunch that I became aware of during my searches.  I'll list them alphabetically by brand, and mention features that I think may be relevant to some of you.

One thing I don't take very seriously is volume.  Some companies have very similar sized bags (dimensions), but list very different volumes in Liters.

Atlas

Athlete (adjusts from 20L to 40L)

• Rear loading. 
• Two torso lengths available
• Multiple removable belt options and sizes.
• Dual water bottle pockets
• Hydration compatible
• Adjustable camera core size (non-removable)
• Tripod carry system
• small/thin laptop sleeve

Adventure (adjusts from 50L to 70L)

• Rear loading. 
• Two torso lengths available
• Adjustable torso height
• Removable shoulder straps
• Removable belt with multiple sizes.
• Dual water bottle pockets
• Hydration compatible
• Adjustable camera core size (non-removable)
• Tripod carry system
• laptop sleeve
• room for large telephoto lenses

Burton

F-stop (model name) 28L

• Front loading
• Adjustable torso size
• Dual water bottle pockets
• Removable insert (one size)
• no laptop sleeve

F-stop (brand name)

• Several models in various sizes (32L, 40L, 50L, 70L, 80L)
• Torso sizes are fixed
• Non-removable hipbelts
• Removable camera inserts
• some have room for large telephoto lenses
• Dual side zip pockets
• Hydration compatible

Lowe Pro

• Several backpack models with various features and sizes
• Very few have features I require, such as side water bottle pockets

Mountainsmith

• Various sizes, front loaders
• Some with removable inserts
• Side water bottle pockets

Naneu

• some side loading models, one front/bottom loader
• 35L, 50L, and 80L packs
• Water bottle holders
• fixed torso lengths
• One with laptop sleeve

Nya-evo

Fjord 60-C (adjusts from 44L to 60L)

• Adjustable torso size
• Rear loading
• Dual water bottle pockets
• Removable inserts of various sizes (appears to match F-stop ICU sizes)
• Fixed hipbelt
• tripod carry
• laptop sleeve
• space above the inserts for personal gear

Shimoda

Explore series (40L and 60L models)

• Rear loading, side loading
• Adjustable torso sizes
• no water bottle pockets on sides (small pocket in harness)
• removable inserts
• tripod carry

Action X series (30L, 50L, and 70L models)

• Rear loading, side loading
• Adjustable torso sizes
• Women's harnesses available
• Extra thick men's harness available
• Removable hipbelt
• Dual side water bottle pockets
• Hydration compatible
• removable inserts
• laptop sleeve
• tripod carry

Tamrac

• Several backpack models with various features and sizes

Thinktank

Backlight series (18L, 26L, 36L, 45L models)

• Rear loading
• Fixed torso lengths
• Most have fixed hipbelts (except 45L)
• Most have non-removable camera sections (except 45L)
• Dual side water bottle pockets
• 45L has hydration section
• 36L and 45L have room for large telephotos
• tripod carry
• laptop sleeves 

Many other ThinkTank backpack series are available



Know of another brand or model?  Let me know and I'll add it.