I’m often asked which compact tripod head I use between my camera and tripod. The answer is both simple and surprisingly complex, and it has sparked many interesting discussions over the years. In this blog post, I’d like to show you the component I use, explain how I’ve incorporated it into my setup, and describe why I went to the trouble of adapting it for a purpose other than the one it was originally designed for.
To begin with, there is no single tripod head that fully meets all my requirements. Depending on the situation, I therefore use one of two heads from the small French camera manufacturer Arca-Swiss: the D4 geared head or the p0 ball head. Many photographers are familiar with the term “Arca-Swiss” as a standard for camera plates and clamps. What fewer people realize is that Arca-Swiss is actually a manufacturer of exceptionally high-quality camera systems and accessories. These products are also among the most expensive on the market. Their innovative quick-release system has been copied, with varying degrees of success, by manufacturers around the world and is now commonly referred to as “Arca-Swiss compatible.”
My first tripod head, the Arca-Swiss D4, is a compact geared head weighing 876 grams without a clamp. After using a Manfrotto 405 in my studio for several years, I had come to appreciate the precision that a geared head offers when composing and fine-tuning an image. As a result, I always wanted to return to that level of control. The Manfrotto, however, weighed more than 3.5 pounds, making it completely impractical for field use. When Arca-Swiss introduced the D4 in 2013, it changed the landscape of geared tripod heads, and I immediately ordered one. It quickly became one of my favorite pieces of equipment.
On longer hikes, however, where every gram counts, even the D4 proved too heavy for my needs. The search for a lighter alternative began. Since I was so impressed by the build quality and handling of the D4, I naturally looked to Arca-Swiss again for a second head. A suitable candidate was quickly found: the Arca-Swiss p0. It is the most compact tripod head in the company’s lineup, weighs just 0.67 pounds, and is rated to support up to 44 pounds of equipment.
The Arca-Swiss p0 is an affordable ball head that stands out from anything else on the market thanks to its unique annular locking ring. It is a masterpiece of minimalist design.
I quickly ordered my first p0, but I was never entirely satisfied with its upside-down design. Furthermore, the locking ring was not particularly comfortable to operate when the camera was positioned at extreme angles. Another limitation was that the panning axis, located above the ball, restricted panoramic movements to the horizontal plane. I wanted to address all three of these shortcomings. In the end, the simplest solution was to turn the head upside down.
That was when the real challenges began. How was I supposed to mount the head to a tripod?
Most tripods use a 3/8-inch mounting screw, whereas the French-made p0 relies on an M6 metric thread. I contacted Arca-Swiss in Besançon, but unfortunately they could not offer a solution. The engineers did, however, warn me that using an M6 screw that was too long could damage the retaining ball inside the head. I suspect this warning was aimed primarily at avoiding warranty claims. That message was enough to make me lose my nerve, and shortly afterwards I sold the p0. Yet the idea refused to leave me alone.
A few months later when cleaning the tripod I found out that the 3/8 inch screw on the tripod can be easily removed. So I reacitvated the project again. In Stuttgart at arca-shop.de I ordered another item and went back to work. The warning of the Arca-Swiss engineers, of course, I still had in mind and it was important for me to pay attention to shorten the set screw exactly in length, that it couldn’t touch the ball in any camera position.
Just a few blocks away, a local metalworking shop was able to machine an M6 thread onto my 3/8-inch screw with exceptional precision. After removing the original 3/8-inch screw from my tripod, the adapter pin could easily be inserted from below through the tripod plate and secured with a nut at the desired height. The p0 now sits safely and securely in place. Anyone who can live with the upside-down lettering will be rewarded with a lightweight, reliable, and easy-to-use ball head. Once locked, it holds any position without the slightest problem, regardless of the camera mounted on it.
For those who have stayed with me until the end: all of my tripod heads are equipped with a black Novoflex Q=Mount clamp. While it was originally intended for the Uniqball, I simply prefer the way it matches the deep black finish of the Arca-Swiss heads compared to the gray version.