As I continue to spend more and more time in the Yukon, where temperature regularly dip below -20 Celsius, I’m appreciating my Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead more and more. For many years I used smaller ballheads on my primary tripod, preferring to save some weight, but last year I switched to the BH-55 for the improved ergonomics. The larger control knobs make it easier to fine-tune, and not in these colder temperatures I’m appreciating it even more because working it with thick gloves on is no problem at all.
What’s more, the BH-55 seems to work just as well in these frigid temperatures as it does on a mid-summer day. The same can’t be said for all ballheads! Just the other day I was out shooting with a friend of mine, and his cheaper ballhead stopped locking once we got down to cold temperatures. No matter how tight he turned the locking knob, the ball simply didn’t lock.
I’ve never had an issue like that with my BH-55! Yes, it’s an expensive ballhead, but you certainly get what you pay for and I have every confidence in this thing in all weather conditions. Confidence like that is worth paying for in my opinion, because one less thing to worry about in the field is going to leave you more room for creative thinking.
