FEISOL CB-40D Ball Head with Release Plate QP-144750

Overall quality of this ball head is very good. The knobs are firm and easy to grip. The one issue is the panning lock is either engaged or disengaged. I have seen other people remark that it is too loose, mine is the opposite as it binds slightly at various points while turning the head. I see why Feisol sells a separate panning head.

I was hoping for:A good quality ball head and a reasonable price.The reality:1. The clamp release knob sticks out way too far.2. The clamp is a guessing game regarding when it is firmly clamped to the camera plate. A few times I thought it was tight and it wasn't. A VERY bad thing and glad neither time resulted in disaster.3. The panning screw can't get tight enough to stop rotational movement.4. The Friction Control Knob (the one that's supposed to adjust the tension on the ball…not the main ball lock down knob) is a true mystery to me and VERY difficult to use. It's WAY too small and close to the body of the ball head. Feisol says "turn no more than 1/2 turn". Really. That means fine adjustments are nearly impossible and I found that to be the case.5. The "feel" of the main ball knob is terrible.6. I use 'L' plates on both of my camera. Therefore the Feisol plate will not work for me. That means the safety feature that only works with their plate makes it more difficult to attache the camera to the clamp. Very frustrating for me because I'm always going from horizontal to vertical (the reason I have 'L' plates).A friend recently got Sirui ball heads for two of his tripods and loves them. So out with the Feisol and in with the Sirui (about the same money and specifications).

wasn't able to use this. dunno why I can't remove this...so yeah. leaving this just to shut amazon up about why I haven't made a review...

Sturdy. Stable ball head. A hidden gem. Holds my medium format camera easily.

Just an Amazing photo head.. Super light and smooth ... Great price and definitely worth it!!

I'm blown away by its lightness and the functionality of the ballhead.

Happy with the product

I didn't buy this thinking I was getting the best ball head. I wanted something simple, quick, strong, and without the worry that comes with cheap photo gear. With the CB-40 I get a high quality ball head with a few imperfections.For the most part, it's incredibly easy to work with once you familiarize yourself. I don't know what people are talking about with the friction knob being annoying. I found it simple to use - in fact, as simple as it looks. The action is smooth and the knobs are very ergonomic. This is definitely worth the money you will pay. It doesn't take to long to operate this thing without looking. It feels like a quality piece of gear, even before you mount it.I use the Feisol release plate (works well), but apparently there are locking issues when using with other plates. So watch out for that.The plate clamp release knob is a little long, but I have yet to get frustrated with it. I tend to have it facing me so it's not directly under my camera. On mine, there is definitely a sweet spot when tightening the ball head. It almost feels a little bit on and off - like NOW its tight, NOW its not, rather than a super smooth transition. However, with the friction knob you can easily tune your ball head so that it plays to your liking.Here is my biggest issue, and I am surprised I haven't seen it come up more often. If you loosen the release plate knob to far, the springs will pop out, and it's pretty annoying to shove them back it. It's kind of like you have to solve a puzzle you weren't prepared for. If this seems like a stupid user issue, believe me, it's not. You learn to pay a little extra attention to loosening the knob. The first time I experienced this I was shooting at 11pm in the dark and I felt the plate come apart in my hand. It sucked. I'm not talking like you accidentally unscrew the knob. I literally mean if you over loosen it the side will pop out and the springs come out the sides. It doesn't kill it for me, just sort of a thing to be aware of.Great head if you want to upgrade. Looks sleek as hell too. I use a Fuji XT2 with a battery grip, along with a 16-55. I'd have to add a lot more to stress this thing out. Happy with my purchase, regardless of the moments I poke my tripod with a pencil to realign the springs.