Benro G2 Low Profile Ballhead

From £160/$225 www.benroeu.com

he main attraction of the G2 Low Profile Ballhead is its compactness. It measures just 88mm from base to mounting plate, and the head’s 530g mass maintains this portability.

Rather than using a dedicated friction control dial, Benro has opted to incorporate it into the large, grippy locking knob for the ball. To adjust the drag, first clamp the ball, then loosen the friction dial on the end of the locking knob to gradually release the ball and set optimal friction. Whenever the ball is clamped, this degree of drag is maintained.

With low friction, the relatively large, polished blue ball moves very smoothly, but up the friction setting and the ball’s glossy surface can cause it to stick slightly when you attempt to make small compositional adjustments. There are no such complaints with the silky pan base, and we like the well-positioned bubble level alongside the Arca-compatible mounting plate. The pull-andtwist quick-release system also strikes a good balance between speed and safety.

TPROS Compact design; mostly smooth; the large ball is good for use with longer lenses

CONS Friction control not immediately intuitive; high friction could be smoother