Old school controls - The Fuji X-T3

My photography journey began in earnest when my parents bought me a used Minolta SRT-101 body and 58mm lens (the standard lens at the time).  I used it through high school, college and beyond.  I am used to mechanical controls, manual focus, aperture rings, and physical shutter speed dials.  By the time digital came of age and my film cameras had become tired (requiring annual repairs), old school dials were no longer a thing.  So I based my first DSLR purchase more on how the camera felt in my hands, sighed a deep sigh, and gave up the old school ways.  I got used to the modern dials and buttons, but always missed the aperture rings.

Then I saw the Fuji digital cameras with old school controls.  Real shutter dials and aperture rings.  And remarkably good lens quality.  At first, the lenses were too few and didn't satisfy my needs, seeming to be more for street photography and portraiture (I mostly focus on nature, wildlife, landscapes).  But I kept tabs on the system and watched it grow and mature.

The first time I saw a Fuji camera in the wild was during a snowfall at Great Falls, Virginia.  It was a cold, windy, snowy morning and I drove to Great Falls, having an adventure just in the drive.  I walked in the snow to the viewing area, setup my DSLR, and started shooting.  Then a guy came up next to me with a tiny camera.  I blinked.  I looked at my huge setup.  I looked back at his gear, and noticed the Fuji logo.  I wondered to myself... why am I carrying all this?  But I continued to do so for some years.  Not without pain, or making a choice of which lenses to carry on a hike.

By the time the Fuji X-T1 came around, I was pretty excited.  I felt certain that it wouldn't be long before the Fuji would match all the nice tech I had in my DSLR and the lens selection would meet my needs.  And the next generation did indeed do that, as I expected.  It was plenty good enough to replace my high end DSLR.  But I still hesitated.  My DSLR lenses are superb.  I get great results from the system, and the cost of switching systems isn't cheap.

Then two things happened.  One, I was officially diagnosed with a bad back, explaining why I have had so much trouble getting a good fit with backpacks.   And Two, the X-T3 was announced.

I read the specs and, honestly, had to re-read them.  The X-T3 specs blew away my DSLR.  We all know reality never lives up to the hype, but still... there were many useful improvements that caught my attention.  I already knew the older Fuji generation would satisfy my needs, but the X-T3 took it to a new level.  So I read reviews, watched the videos, and weighed the options.  And pulled the trigger.  Here was a camera that matched my DSLR and then some, but was half the size and weight.

The camera arrived and I've been playing with it.  I only have a pair of lenses so far; the "kit" 18-55 (which is a remarkably good lens for the price), and the 14mm wide angle, which is simply superb.    The 14mm seems to be just as good as a friend's Zeiss ZE 21mm at a small fraction of the weight and size.  I've used each lens enough to know they work well.

Should I count the adapted Minolta lenses I kept from long ago?  I've been using an old 58mm f/1.4, and my old favorite, a Kiron-made 100mm Vivitar macro lens. I found this old macro doesn't stand up to my newer DSLR macro lens, but hey, it's fun.  The 58mm, though it has low contrast wide open, has very nice bokeh.  I have a couple of other manual lenses as well.

The nostalgia factor is high.  Using old all-mechanical lenses with an electronic viewfinder is trivial.  Focus peaking does a pretty good job.

When I put a couple of lenses in my pack to carry with me on a short outing the other day, I had to double check the pack... because it is so light I couldn't believe it had a camera inside.  Even my 9-year-old thought the pack was light.

The AF is fast.  I think it is as fast if not faster than my high end DSLR (no measurements, sorry). And it is accurate.

Using electronic shutter mode, the X-T3 can go up to 20 fps with zero blackout.  This is tremendous for tracking birds in flight, etc.  I just need to get the Fuji 100-400 to make use of it.  More on that when I have real world experience.

The eye focus seems to work quite well.  I have to get used to this feature... I'm still used to picking the AF point with a joystick.  Once I get a fast X portrait lens, this feature will be great to have.

The focusing works in much lower light than my DSLR can handle.  And it can "see" in light I can't see in.  I can see a dark room via the LCD that I can't see with my own eyes.  That's impressive.

The touchscreen is nice overall.  I customized it to use the settings I think I'll change the most often.  It is nice to AF on the spot I touch.

The tilt screen is even better.  I can finally get those weird angles without killing my neck, my back, my knees, etc.  I can get the camera to ground level, in either horizontal or vertical, and tilt the screen out to easily view it.

The viewfinder even has better eye relief than my high end DSLR.  For someone with glasses like me, who uses the viewfinder, this is very helpful.

Fuji has made so many nice little touches to the system that I'd never be able to list them all.

And the controls!  They make sense.  I know the settings just by looking at the camera.  The menus aren't bad either (I only had to hunt for how to turn on the touchscreen... turning it on is not in the same location as the settings for how the touchscreen works).  A shutter dial,  Aperture rings!  I don't have to hunt for which button to press to adjust the basics.  ISO, shutter speed, and aperture are right in front of me (though I wish the 18-55 ring had aperture labels).  Of course, the settings show in the viewfinder and LCD as well.

And here is some crazy talk... I think the build quality of these Fuji lenses is superb.  The rings turn as nicely as my older manual lenses.  The zoom is as smooth as anything I've used.  The manual focus feel is nearly as good as the best Zeiss lenses I've held.  I have less play in the mounts than I do in my Canon L glass.

All of the Fuji X lenses are focus-by-wire. I didn't think I'd like that, but I found a setting to put the lenses in "linear" focus mode.  In linear mode, the lenses don't vary how much focus by how fast I twist the ring; it stays constant by the amount of turn... and feels the same as my old manual lenses.  In general, I use AF with AF lenses, but I thought this was a very nice feature. It let me be precise and it felt natural.  You can also switch the direction of focus in manual focus mode, if you don't like the default.

For the record, I looked seriously at many other options of all brands.  After all my research, I think Fuji is the only serious APS-C system available now.  The lenses are generally small and of great quality, the sensor is strong, the features are great... and it fits my hands, my budget (after I sell my DSLR gear), and my weight requirement.

I have a couple of gripes so far:

• One is that, while the main dials are great, I sometimes touch buttons or the screen in ways I didn't expect, and a setting changes unexpectedly. I expect this problem will go away as I learn the touchscreen controls.
•  Another is the lens caps; the center pinch is difficult to get on and off under normal conditions, and 100% impossible to use with gloves on. Obviously it is easy to replace lens caps.
• Then the remote release just feels super cheap.  It has a thin cord and flimsy plastic case.  I may take advantage of the old school physical plunger-type release. 
• The microprism manual focusing mode hasn't worked well for me with my old lenses.
• Lack of IBIS.

We'll see how it all goes and how I feel after the honeymoon is over, and perhaps the nostalgia wears off.

Review of the FLM CB-48F II ball head

I've been using ball heads for at least 30 years.  I don't switch between them very often, at least not when I have a good one.  Most have been very strong and solid, but all of them have shifted a noticeable amount while I tighten the ball.  Even a small shift becomes very significant at high magnifications (closeups).  In the past I compensated by aiming a bit further in the opposite direction of the shift, hoping it will stop right where I want it.  

For years, I've been on the lookout for something that didn't shift, but I assumed I'd have to get a geared head to achieve that level of precision.  I'm happy to say I was wrong.

I discovered the brand, FLM, when I read this dpreview article:  https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/battle-of-the-titans-top-ball-heads-tested.  I was impressed with just about everything I read about it.  The 58mm model seemed a bit large, more than I needed for my gear.  After much research (way too much), I bought one of the 48mm models... the CB-48F II.  There are two other options that I felt I didn't need: a tilt function, and a pan function (it clicks every 15 degrees).  The FLM SRB-60 clamp looks like a great design, but since I already have a pair of good clamps, I bought the model without a clamp.

Before I go further, I want to clear up some confusion.  The FLM ballheads have such fine precision that it is possible to turn the locking knob several times before it feels secure, if you don't have any tension set.  This has been a source of misunderstanding, misinformation, and bad reviews against the brand.  These people haven't read the manual.  Please do so.  The FLM heads are designed with setting a tension in mind.  Once you have the tension set correctly, a quick half-turn will lock the ball enough that it won't slip.  Set correctly, you can move the head around yourself, but it won't move otherwise.  Slightly more tightening will make it firm enough that you can't move the ball at all.  I don't know if the scale is consistent across all the heads, but I have my minimum tension set to "10".  At that setting, when loose, I can aim the camera freely, and a half-turn locks it.  Note that it is possible to keep turning but there is no need to do so, and it gives enough feedback that you should know it's solid.

Details

The FLM CB-48F II is small as far as I'm concerned (relative to 54mm ball heads I've used).  I consider it light at under 1.5 lbs.  

The panning base also shows degree marks on the outside of the head, instead of inside a little window.

With my lever clamp attached, I have 100% freedom of motion in every direction allowed by the head.  No part of the clamp hits any part of the head.

The CB-48F does not get stiff in cold weather, in my experience so far (below freezing but not far below, yet).  It continues to be as smooth as it is at normal room temperatures.

Clamps

Unlike some other brands, FLM doesn't expect you to necessarily use their clamps, and leaves the platforms unlocked (no red loctite!).  When I got it, I simply unscrewed the basic round platform, screwed the reversible stud into my clamp, and mounted the other end of the stud on the ball.  I used some nail polish to keep it tight, without being permanent, just in case I damage my clamp and need to replace it.  For the record, I have accidentally dumped my tripod head-first onto concrete and damaged my clamp beyond use.  So I now keep a padded cover over the ball head when it is not in use.  Any clamp with a female 3/8"-16 thread will fit the FLM (most of their heads use this 3/8"-16 post).

Strength

Strength is a non-issue for the CB-48.  I suppose if I had a large supertele like a 600 f/4, I would want the bigger sibling, the CB-58, but I would much rather use a gimbal for balance in that case anyway.  My largest lens is a 100-400 and the CB-48F holds it at any angle, easily.  I can mount it in very ridiculous and unrealistic ways, such as by the L-bracket instead of the lens collar, in the drop notch; it won't budge when tight.  Obviously this is silly. It was only a test (and could strain the lens mount on the camera over time), but it proves the strength is way more than I need. I like that. Overkill is fine. I have no worries.

Ergonomics

The main locking knob is large, easy to reach, and easy to use with gloves.  It sticks out to the left and back when the drop notch faces forward, away from me.  The main knob is a bit slower than other knobs I've used, having a finer thread than most.  I think this is what allows the ball to be so precise and not shift when I lock it.  Yet, it doesn't take much longer to lock vs other heads I've used, and you can easily feel when it is tight.  You just need to set it up correctly.  

The tension control on the FLM is much easier to use than most. All you do is set the tension you desire on the main locking knob, then rotate the tension counter-clockwise until it stops, and that tension is now your minimum.  You can easily undo it and reset it as desired.  No need to use a tiny thumb screw; this can be adjusted easily even with gloves on.  With the tension set, you can also reduce the amount of turn needed by the main knob to fully lock the ball, making it fast and easy to use.

The pan knob sits to the right and back, just over 90 degrees from the main knob. It is easy to use with gloves, and is also finer threaded than most pan controls.  It takes more turns to loosen relative to other ball heads I've used.  I've read this is to allow it to sit a little bit looser, which, according to another maker, reduces vibrations. I haven't tested this at all.  I just know that I can't stand not being able to lock the panning base down tightly.  And thankfully, the CB-48F locks solidly. When it is tight, I can't accidentally turn the base.  Even when loose, the panning base has a fair amount of resistance, and the fine threads allow you to progressively increase the resistance as desired, until fully locked. 

Both knobs are gently fluted and easy to use and grip.  No hard or sharp edges, but nothing to slip either.

Precision

All of the features I've described above are great, but the thing I like the most is the lack of shift while I tighten the main knob.  When I do closeups, this is a fantastic thing.  One of my old ball heads shifted so much I could easily see it happen even with a wide angle lens.

Even when doing closeups, I could not detect shifting with the FLM CB-48F II as I locked the ball head tight.  I decided to test it at 1:1 magnification on a "full frame" camera, roughly mimicking the test performed by dpreview with the FLM 43mm and 58mm heads. I photographed my video card box. In the first image, I tightened it just enough to hold the camera without drooping.  Then, without making any other changes, I tightened the head further (another 180 degrees).  What you see below are 100% crops (800x600) from the upper left corner of the image. Looking at the corner was the only way I could see a difference.  For reference, the letters are just over 2mm tall on the actual box.  So the shift in the frame is a fraction of a millimeter. That's amazing!

before tightening

after tightening (about 180 degree turn)

Summary

Pros:

• Extremely precise
• Strong
• Smooth
• Easy to replace clamp with any that can thread onto a 3/8"-16 post.
• Easy to use with gloves
• Ergonomics
• Good feedback when tightening
• Panning knob locks solidly
• Good dampening on panning base
• Works well in the cold
• Easy to adjust tension
• Relatively inexpensive if you get a basic model
• Combines all the features I care about into a single package

Cons:

• Can be pricey if you get one with all the options

I couldn't be happier with this purchase.  I can't imagine a better ball head.

I like this ball head so much I am tempted to buy a 2nd copy just in case it is ever discontinued and I damage mine.

The One Year+ update:

After more than a year with the FLM I can add a couple more comments:

It worked flawlessly in all kinds of weather.  Rain, extreme cold, you name it.  It really is one of those items that I forget because it just works.

Precise framing is super easy since the ball doesn't shift perceptively during lockdown.

I've found that I sometimes bump the friction ring.  I've never noticed it happen but I find the setting slightly different, like I set it to 10 and later find it at 9.  So it would be nice if FLM could give the ring a little more resistance.

When I photographed a supermoon/lunar eclipse, to aim up I had to reverse the head from my normal orientation, and this made reaching the controls awkward.  I adapted.

If you want to do panos, I suggest using a panning clamp on top; that way you only level the clamp/camera and don't care about the rest of the support.  If you do lots of panos, then an Arca-Swiss P0 head may be an easier solution.  

LowePro Sideline Shooter review

OK, this may seem silly to review after all this time, but I've had the LowePro Sideline Shooter belt pack for over 20 years now...  It is long since discontinued and it is probably pretty hard to find.

I believe it was meant to hold film canisters, used by sports photographers on the sidelines at a game.  Yes, it is that old.

The Sideline Shooter is a small lumbar pack / belt pack / fanny pack (go ahead, Brits, giggle).  It is lightly padded and came with two dividers, which I lost.  Originally, I used it for urban outings, carrying my old Minolta 24mm, 50mm, and 100mm lenses with one mounted on my XD-11 or SRT-102 bodies.  That's about all it can hold, but it was enough.  I think it would be a great size for current compact mirrorless bodies with small lenses, such as a Fuji XF setup.

With the dividers removed, it is just big enough to tightly squeeze in a Canon 100-400, hood reversed, mounted to a non-pro body.  It's a very tight squeeze.

The interior is roughly 6" high, 4" deep, and 12" wide.  I err'd on the side of caution when measuring because the shape isn't perfectly rectangular.  It is flexible enough to stretch a little.

The materials are strong... it still works like new after at least 20 years.

It has a pair of small stretch pockets on both sides, inside and out.  It has a small pocket on the outside, just big enough for some batteries, memory cards, lens wipes, etc.

It has a pair of cinch straps to hold it up more tightly against you.  You can loosen them and use the grab handle to swing it around to your front to get your gear out.

It sits comfortably on my lower back.

The main opening is a lid, which opens away from you when it sits on your front.  It also has a zipper  in the middle of the lid, in case you want to grab something smaller from the middle section with more privacy.  I never used the zipper.

I'm not convinced the padding is strong enough to protect a lens from a drop.  Maybe, maybe not.  I never dropped it.

Semi-automatic macro flash

Using Self-contained automatic flash for closeups

I came up with this technique when I used film on a pre-TTL (through-the-lens; a revolutionary metering method when it was new) camera.  It bridges a gap between all-manual flash and fully-automatic TTL flash.  It can still work, if you have an older flash (or newer ones with the right settings).  I have never heard of anyone else doing this.

Caveat/warning

Some older flashes used a much higher voltage than current flashes. Read the documentation for your camera and flash system, and learn the voltage of your old flash before you try this. You can fry your camera or flash and this is done at your own risk. For example, my Canon cameras use 6V for the flash, while my old Vivitar 283 uses about 120V and will fry the Canon if used on the hot shoe!

Background

One of the greatest aids to flash photography was the invention of through-the-lens (TTL) flash metering. With TTL flash, correct flash exposures may be made with little or no knowledge of flash theory. Since light intensity varies inversely with the square of the distance between the flash and the subject, measuring the precise flash to subject distance is the major consideration when shooting closeups, and manual flash units essentially limit you to the use of one f/stop for any given distance. TTL flash eliminates this worry, but while I would have loved TTL flash, I refused to part with my Minolta XD-11 until I moved to digital. I did not want to resort to manual flash to shoot closeups, so I used a self contained automatic flash, my Vivitar 283.

With a self contained automatic flash, a sensor on the flash unit reads the amount of light reflected from the subject and automatically shuts the flash off when sufficient light is detected. As long as you keep the flash closer than its maximum range, good exposures are virtually assured; the photographer need not worry about distance or guide numbers.

However, the instruction manuals also list a minimum distance for good exposure. The manufacturers expect most people to mount the flash on a hot shoe and make no provision for shooting accurate closeups. At ranges less than about 2 feet, parallax becomes the limiting factor: the hot shoe mounted flash fires at one place and the sensor reads another, neither of which correspond with the subject seen by the lens. The light entering the lens (at this time) is less than the light reaching the sensor, and the result is underexposure. The solution is simply to hold the flash off camera with a bracket, connect it to the camera with a PC cord and aim the sensor at the subject. Now you can get really close!

Increasing Depth of Field

Depending on the model, the flash may have one or several usable f-stops in the auto mode. The Vivitar 283 has 4 such f stops, selected by a color coded dial. For ISO 100, the "purple" mode selects f/11. This is the smallest f-stop that the 283 is designed to handle. But what happens when you need to stop down for even more depth of field? You can trick the flash into giving you more light by placing a neutral density (ND) filter over the light sensor (but not the flash head). I use the light control kit that I bought from Lepp & Associates years ago, and attach the flexible filters with velcro.

Minolta 200X control panel

Vivitar 283 control panel (pardon my dust)

With a neutral density (ND) filter in place, the sensor receives less light and the flash compensates by increasing the output; all you have to do is stop down the lens by the appropriate amount. For example, if you set your flash to the f/11 exposure mode and place a two stop ND filter over the sensor, you must close the aperture two stops to f/22 (other things being equal). You might worry that the flash won't have sufficient power to give you a couple more stops of light, but I have never found this to be a problem with short flash-to-subject distances. Exactly how many additional stops you get depends on the power of the flash you own. Experiment! I have found that I can get up to 5 additional stops from my Vivitar 283 at ranges less than about 1.5 feet.

Minolta 200X flash with 1-stop ND sheet over sensor

Light loss in lenses at close range

There is one complication. Fortunately, it is the only complication I’ve encountered with this method. Most macro lenses (in fact, most lenses) do not transmit the same amount of light at all focusing distances. For any given f-stop, lenses transmit less light at closer focusing distances than they do when focused to infinity. The closer a lens focuses, the less light is transmitted. My old 100mm macro loses two f-stops at the closest focusing distance (lifesize, or 1:1 in this case). It loses one f-stop at half-lifesize (1:2), and about a half f-stop at one-fifth lifesize. If you ignore this fact, you will under-expose your image (and proper exposure was super-critical when I shot slide film). This is why I said “other things being equal” earlier. One notable exception to this rule is internal focusing lenses; they do not lose any light when focused closer.

Some lenses have an exposure scale built-in. These lenses tell you how many stops of light have been lost at a given focusing distance. Not all lens manufacturers are this considerate. If your lens does not provide this scale, you will need to perform a simple test. To find out how much light your lens losses, you will need to mount your camera with the macro lens on a tripod and point it at a uniform surface (such as a wall). Start by focusing to infinity and take note of the exposure. Now manually focus your lens closer and take note of the exposure change. Write the information down for each 1/3 or ½ stop of light lost. I wrote the information on a sticker and placed in on a non-rotating part of the lens, in easy view.

Sticker with EV adjustments on my old macro lens

Getting the right exposure

Now all you need is some basic arithmetic. Suppose your flash will expose correctly at f/5.6 with ISO 100. If you place a four-stop (16x) ND filter over the sensor, and the focusing distance requires an additional stop of exposure, what is your final f-stop? You need to stop down four stops to f/22 for the ND filter, then open up one stop to f/16. Simple! Set your aperture to f/16 and shoot. As long as you remain within the range of the flash, the exposures should be good.

What is your final aperture if your flash is set to expose correctly at f/4, you use a two-stop (4x) ND filter, and your lens will lose a half-stop of light? Close down two stops for the ND filter to f/8, then open up a half to f/6.3. If you didn’t know it was f/6.3, just set the aperture halfway between f/8 and f/5.6. No problem.

The exposure technique also works for two or more self-contained automatic flashes, if you prefer multiple flash units. I experimented with two flashes at various angles and found that the exposures were still good. Be certain to set each flash to the same setting, unless you are experimenting.

Diffusion

Sometimes you may want harsher light, sometimes you may want softer light. You might want to try using a wide-angle diffuser to soften the light. Or if you don’t have one, experiment with varying thicknesses of tissue taped over the flash head. I used the translucent plastic from a lemonade mix container; I cut it and shaped it to fit over the flash head. Velcro secures it. Note that I reduced the output of the flash somewhat by using such thick plastic; the maximum flash distance is reduced and I can not use that particular diffuser for “normal” photos (meaning, at distances greater than a couple of feet). 

Another great idea is this custom diffuser from Brian Valentine (aka LordV): coke can diffuser.  Actually I find the quality of his light to be the most natural I've seen from a flash.

There are many other options, which is an entire subject unto itself.

Remember not to cover the flash sensor.

That’s a lot of equipment to hold!

If you hand-hold, you will also want a way to hold the flash(es). Many photographers have designed or built flash-holders/ macro flash kits. Your local store is likely to have a very generic unit. I think the majority of these are too bulky. Search the magazines for catalogs, or make one yourself. For one of the best ideas I’ve seen, I highly recommend that you read John Shaw’s Closeups in Nature. He is a great writer, a superb photographer, and the you’ll get a lot out of the book even if you never borrow his flash mount idea. For myself, I use a Wimberley macro flash holder, or I reverse the lens collar and mount a flash on that, depending on the lens I'm using at the time.  Really Right Stuff also has some interesting ideas.

Lens collar with QR foot, small clamp with small ballhead reversed.

In conclusion

If you have a camera capable of TTL flash metering, then by all means use it. TTL flash is the easiest method available. But if you do not have TTL flash available, then using a self-contained automatic flash is a very workable alternative. I found it more flexible than using a manual flash method. I came up with this technique while I was still in school and could not afford to “upgrade” my system.  I confess, I now use a TTL flash.

Review of the Arca-Swiss Z1 ball head

As of 2016, I've had the Arca-Swiss Z1 for over 3 years, and decided to write up a review.

I've noticed the Z1 doesn't seem to be a popular option anymore, which is too bad because the head itself is extremely well-made, strong, and smooth.  I have a theory as to why... I think it is due to Arca-Swiss locking down their own clamps with strong thread-locker, making it difficult for people to swap out the clamps. And it is clear that most people don't like the Arca-Swiss clamps.

I got lucky... I bought one without a quick-release clamp, just an ordinary platform, and it came off easily with a 11mm socket (1/4" drive, meant for indoor use - thin walls are needed to fit).  I attached a Really Right Stuff lever clamp, the B2-LR-II, using a 25mm M6 screw.  

The "ball" is aspherical;  it applies more pressure to itself the more you tilt the stem/clamp. 

I'd say strength is the number one priority for any head. A head that can't handle your gear, or creeps under the weight is just useless. The Z1 is strong enough to handle heavy loads including large format cameras.  Once the head is locked, nothing moves.  I haven't even stressed it; my largest combo is at most 8 lbs and it handles it easily at any angle.  If the head/tripod is stressed, you need a stronger setup.  Strength is definitely not a concern with the Z1.  Some might call it overkill, but I am all about security and peace of mind when it comes to my gear.  For the record, the Z1 is not alone is being strong and does not distinguish the Z1, but it is a basic requirement.  Other brands like Acratech, FLM, Kirk, Really Right Stuff, and Sirui (to name just a few) also make very strong ballheads.  Since there is no universal standard for measuring the strength of a ballhead, ignore the ratings.

The Z1 is super smooth.  Using only the main control knob, it is easy to set the tension just so, where the ball won't move or slip but I can still adjust it.   Embedded in the main control is a tension setting; with it you can set your minimum tension.  My only gripe with the design is that it isn't quick to change once set.  You have to loosen it all the way with several rotations of the tension dial, set the main dial as you want it, then re-tighten the tension dial.  It is not a quick thing to change. I set mine to just a tad looser than can hold my lightest gear, giving me some resistance but making it easy to re-aim.  

The panning base is very smooth, and locks tightly as desired. My only gripe is that the pan control know is low (close to the base), small, and too close to the main control.  If you mount this on a platform wider than the head, access to the control might be difficult.

Aside from the pan control knob, the ergonomics of my Z1 model is just about perfect.  With the drop notch facing away from me, the main control is on the left as I want it (I hold the camera with my right). This part is so important to me that I won't even consider a head without the ergonomics I like.  There are both left and right hand versions of the Z1, so be sure you get the style you desire if you decide to get one.

When doing high magnification images, I have noticed some shift in the composition during lockdown.  I've seen/heard of this with all ballheads (including my Kirk BH-1 and previous Bogen heads) and I suspect the best solution is a geared head for macro work.  According to dpreview, the Z1 is one of the better heads for precision and less shifting during lockdown.  However, I still notice the shift.  The workaround for it is to set the tension to the "sweet spot" so that my macro rig won't move when I let go, but I can still adjust it easily.  This seems to work decently around 1:1. 

With the clamp, the Z1 weighs about 1.5 lbs, compared to my older Kirk BH-1 which is both bigger and heavier at 2 lbs.  That said, I held both in my hands and didn't feel a noticeable difference.

The Z1 is quick to adjust and easy to use.  I don't have to think about it or look at it while I use it; it just solidly does the job.  Combined with the RRS lever clamp, I have no issues with my camera support.

Compared to my previous workhorse, the Kirk BH-1, I think the Kirk locks more solidly (but this is not a problem for any real-world gear).  

The Z1 is smoother and has a usable tension adjustment.  

The Z1 has less shifting during lockdown.  

The Z1 is a little smaller and lighter.  

The Z1 pan control knob is easier to lock.  

My Z1 can change clamps (not that I will), while the BH-1 had red loctite making it difficult to change clamps.  Newer Arca-Swiss heads supposedly have the clamps permanently attached.  

The bottom line is the Z1 is a great ballhead, up to the most demanding of tasks.

Clearance with the lever clamp:

 

As you can see, clearance isn't a problem with the lever clamp.  At vertical, with the clamp facing down, it just touches the base of the Z1.

A couple of images I made while using the Z1 (and Gitzo 3530 tripod):

Highlight recovery in a few raw converters

I found a difficult file that required a bit of highlight recovery and thought I'd show how a few raw converters handle it.  In each case, I attempted to do my best with the tools offered, but there is no guarantee I succeeded.  In DarkTable 2, I used both the highlight recovery module as well as the highlights and shadows.  The color is way off in the RawTherapee image and I assume it because I did not setup the color management in that app.  I am surprised that Canon's DPP4 doesn't do a better job with their own files.

Original image:

100% crops:

Photo Ninja 1.2.6:

Adobe Camera Raw 9.1.1 (last version available in CS6):

DPP4:

RawTherapee 2.4.1:

DarkTable 2.0.0:

Double check your color management settings

I made a pretty big but simple mistake in my color management.  

The symptoms?  Every time I saved for web in Photoshop, the colors became too red and oversaturated.  It wasn't a problem when I used Photo Ninja, and Photoshop looked accurate until I saved as JPG.

One little detail that made Photoshop unusable for web images...  I somehow unchecked the "embed color profile" option in Photoshop's "save for web..." dialog.  Oops.  It took me awhile to find it.

So, just a reminder... 

• Calibrate your monitor
• Set your color-managed apps to use the biggest color gamut your monitor can handle (typically, this is sRGB or Adobe RGB, though some can go wider). I have DPP, Photoshop, and Photo Ninja all set to Adobe RGB since my monitor doesn't handle ProPhoto well.
• Make sure you always embed the color profile in your exported JPGs (which should be sRGB, the internet standard).

Color management is way more complex than that.  For more detail, see Elle Stone's site: Nine Degrees Below Photography

Here is an example of what it looked like:

A JPG straight from Photo Ninja (correct colors):

And a JPG from Photoshop where I failed to embed the sRGB color profile:

With the proper setting, Photoshop now exports to sRGB correctly.