Lame animals at extremely high levels

[Just to avoid misunderstandings: This review is from the big brother of Magic Ball 50 whose ball 60mm measures. Should m Except for this difference and the consequent lower load. W. n. There are no structural differences.]

A little nerdy, it is already to dismantle a newly acquired product immediately after purchase back into its component parts - but let's face it: Nothing else but you would want me to do, right? ;-)

Subject of debate is a tripod head, or more precisely the greatest Magic Ball manufacturer Novoflex, located in the beautiful Memmingen. The object of desire has a ball diameter of 60mm and takes on small and medium format cameras up to 10kg. Weighing 920g (measured) have been omitted in favor of a bombproof fixation of the equipment to unnecessary lightweight.

I followed the question whether holding the head, which is not the "constructed genial" with terms such as "precise fixation of the camera", "outstanding design", "high-quality materials," "no vibration transmission" avarice end datasheet promises.

Unfortunately Amazon does not allow deposit of pictures at reviews, which is why I try to describe the individual components with words as precisely as possible. Who the datasheet downloads itself or product photos looks, will be able to orient themselves halfway.

The housing of the magic ball is likely to be made of solid die-cast aluminum, then machined. Handschmeichlerisches matte finish in anthracite anodised. The friction wheel has a countersunk screw stop that abuts a Hartmetallpin, so it can not fall and is like the locking handle a lovingly crafted rotary part with knurled. The ball was also turned from solid aluminum and anodised blue. As can be seen after a short use of the ball caster, anodizing, however, seems not to be extremely hard but rather decorative nature, since the grub screw securing the tripod plate Please leave some tracks here.

The camera mounting screw (a special insert made of brass, more on that later) driving Rändelteller also consists of aluminum.

To function:

Friktionsvorwahlschraube and locking handle both work on two internal plates of brass, which take a milled Delrin and finally the ball into their own pliers. The finding is thus unbalanced, only from one side. Here, the friction screw turns in a neat sized external threads in the housing, the locking handle, however, is stored in an internal thread of the smaller plate. This construction leads logically to the fact that one with relay locking handle the friction screw can no longer move and the latter fortunately also not rotate when releasing the handle.

All threads are the way smooth - but without clearance - and provided with a relatively tough grease. Generous overlaps thereby prevent lubricant from reaching the outside. All screws - the M5 discussed below were determined enough and received loctite against unintentional loosening. The clamping action of Delrineinlage on the ball can not be otherwise referred to as "enormous," even at moderate torques at the locking handle. Despite the in comparison with conventional ball heads quite small storage space sagging even heavier cameras is not to be expected during long exposures.

A little worried the paranoiac the somewhat complicated mechanics to fix the camera:

A screwed on the ball side via through hole in the housing Innensechskanschraube M5 maintains a brass axis with inch camera thread in Rändelteller. The drive takes place here with slight play on one, with about 3mm relatively short, the plate pressed square.

The conical hat of brass inserted part into the housing from above will probably prevent slippage into the through hole - still at its meaning opens up not me so completely, as if only the mounted in the slot of the housing Rändelteller keeps the design in place.

Conclusion:

Man trusts his maximum 10kg weight at camera three threads of a special part of brass and an 8mm long connection between M5 Allen screw steel (at least grade 8.8) and the associated internal thread in brass. Are the brass square or the edge in Rändelteller around, you have to take apart the entire Magic Ball from below to hopefully free the camera via Allen screw / key again.

Novoflex has probably not taken the easier route of a completely continuous, inch screw with hexagon socket head and a matching internal thread in Rändelteller of honorable reasons of dismantling and therefore ease of maintenance and so avoided the use of construction adhesive or endfestem thread lock to secure the turntable. Because that would be necessary to prevent a simultaneous release of the connection between inch screw and plate when releasing the camera.

But this is really lamenting at extremely high levels. The Magic Ball worked very useful and who does not just drove werkt with brute force, it will have long his joy. A star deduction due to minimal detail weaknesses that "behind the scenes" reveal themselves only at the view.

Good motives and have fun!