Jeff, I concur with David's remarks. I went through the ballhead buying process last year. I have an older Bogen 3021 with 3030 pan/tilt head which is great for landscapes but not very convenient for wildlife and weighs a lot. I have also been using a monopod for most of my long-lens wildlife photography. The monopod makes a big difference over handholding but not the stability of a good tripod.

After much reading, I passed on the Bogen 488 primarily because of the lack of separate tension control knob. Otherwise, it's a pretty decent ballhead. I chose the Kirk BH-3 and am entirely satisfied with it. It's silky smooth, solid as a rock, well-built, and a pleasure to use. It ran $255 with an included Arca-Swiss type QR plate. The tension control knob really makes a difference.

I also chose a Feisol 3301 for this head, a very nice, lightweight carbon fiber tripod for the price. Now, I generally carry the tripod and for quick shots, just plant it with legs folded in and use it as a monopod. If I've got more time, I spread the legs.

Using support, whether monopod or tripod, will significantly increase your keeper rate with a long lens.

Regards,

Dick:)

I recently learned the value of a monopod. It makes everything better. The method should be to use the monopod to simulate a tripod. By this, I mean that you want to bring the monopod into your body. This is important if you want to get sharp images out of your monopod.

Lou