DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Novoflex release the world’s first “reversible” tripod ball heads

Apr 24, 2017 by John Aldred 18 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Novoflex have just announced some new ClassicBall ball heads and they look pretty interesting. Why are they interesting to me? Well, they’re reversible. This means that you don’t have to shots that go off-level when you pan. Great for video and landscape shooters.

The new ClassicBall comes in three sizes for different load capacities. They have a tension adjuster, as well as a greaseless design, which should make maintenance a doddle. They have three 90° notches in them instead of the typical single slot. Although, they’re not exactly cheap.

I use ball heads quite often on things like sliders, suction cup mounts, etc. But for tripods I often tend to avoid them. I shoot stills on location where the ground isn’t exactly level, and I also shoot video. On a tripod I find that ball heads often present more problems for me than they solve. If you want to slide on a slider, they’re great. They stay level the whole run. But if you need to pan on a tripod, they don’t.

Even for stills, if you want to make a stitched panoramic, for example, ball heads are a pain. Right now, I often use video tripods with bowl heads for stills on location due to this reason. Level the bowl, and if I’m shooting a panoramic, I can just pan the head and all the shots are lined up. Video pans also stay level the whole way through the shot.

A reversible ball head, though, means that I could ditch the big clunky video tripod when I’m only shooting stills and use something a little more manageable. With the rotating section of the head directly below your level camera, and not on top of the wonky tripod top plate, they’ll be level for the whole pan.

They come in 3 sizes, each with a different load capacity.

  • CB2 – 5kg (11lbs)
  • CB3 II – 8kg (17.64lbs)
  • CB5 II – 12kb (26lbs)

Each head has a removable thread on the top, which turns it into a standard 3/8-16″ tripod socket mount for placing upside down. The screw you just removed can now be placed into the bottom (now the top). Onto this you can attach a quick release plate.

This versatility doesn’t come cheap, although having owned several Novoflex products in the past, they’re probably worth every penny.

  • CB2 – $494.99
  • CB3 II – $475.48
  • CB5 II – $686.53

I do find it curious that the CB3 II costs less than the CB2, given that it has a higher load capacity. But, still, they’re a little out of my own price range for now. Perhaps, though, if my video tripod ever dies, I’ll take the plunge.

If you want one for yourself, they’re available now at the links above. Or if you want to find out more information, check the Novoflex website.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Manfrotto beefs up its travel range with 4 new tripods and 2 ball heads First look at Manfrotto’s new Nitrotech 600 series fluid video tripod heads An Exercise In Dodge & Burn: Turning A Golf Ball Into A Pingpong Ball Novoflex is bringing legacy lens mount adapters to Nikon Z mirrorless cameras

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: Ball Head, Gear Announcement, Novoflex, Reversible Ball Head, tripod head

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Rihanna posts photoshopped photos of Queen Elizabeth II, causes backlash from fans
Photographing Aurora – Reality vs Expectation »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Watch: How good (or bad) is an $8.50 tripod?
  • How to light and photograph Lego building interiors
  • Lighting Setup: How to light your portraits with £50 LED tubes
  • Review: Insta360 announces its first gimbal – The AI-tracking Insta360 Flow
  • World Press Photo 2023 regional winners show why AI will never kill photography

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy