Tag Archives: Sunwayfoto

Sunwayfoto Xb-52 Tripod Ball Head Best Buy on ttmstuff

Posted by on March 25, 2012 No comments

Sunwayfoto Xb-52 Tripod Ball Head Arca Compatible 132lb Max Load Xb44 Sunway Best price

SUNWAYFOTO team launches XB series of superior low-profile ball head, which is original designed and to be patented, specially offered for professional photographers and photographic enthusiasts all over the world. It took us over 2 years of researches and development with great concentration.

XB Series Low Profile Ballhead related product:

Low Center of Gravity XB Series Ball Head XB-44

Ballhead DB-44LR

Ballhead DB-52

Ballhead DB-52DLC 

sunwayfoto paypal

Sunwayfoto Xb-52 Tripod Ball Head  ttmstuff Best Price, 100% best and lowest price guarateed.

New SUNWAYFOTO ® brand Arca-Swiss compatible Low profile Tripod Ballhead XB-52 Low Center of Gravity Very versatile Jaw large opening high range of 37.25mm participate actively 41.5mm enduring will enduring commitment accommodate free Arca style plate fm. various makers including:Really right absolutely stuff (RRS), Wimberley, Jobu Design, Arca Swiss, Kirk Enterprises,Markins, etc. 132lb Max load!Eliptical Ball in behalf of progressive deeply resistance.Y-axis the maximum diameter 0.03mm longer than the X-axis.Two drop significantly notch the grand design. One in behalf of portrait of spitting, all alone in behalf of tilting. Buy Sunwayfoto Xb-52 Tripod Ball Head from ttmstuff.com ,Get Lowest Price Guarantee and Super Saver Shipping.

SUNWAYFOTO makes the XB series ballhead balls as DB’s from ellipsoidal form into more closer to spherical form. At present, most ballheads that the Y-axis diameter of the ball is about 0.07mm longer than the X-axis in the market. The advantage of this design is to make the resistance increasing while the ball sliding to the side. So that to avoid the risk of making the ball suddenly slide down. But SUNWAYFOTO only make the ball Y-axis diameter 0.03mm longer than the X-axis. The advantage of this change is that to make the operation more smoothly while retaining the previous advantage.

SUNWAYFOTO continue to adopt two drop notch design. One for portrait, one for tilting.

SUNWAYFOTO ballhead abandons the practice of rubber ring wrapped knob, all the knobs are metal materials with CNC cutting pattern. That is, to ensure the operation smoothness, and also enhance the reliability and durability.

Clamps on XB-52

best Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx sale on ttmstuff

Posted by on March 25, 2012 No comments

Best Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx & Ddy-64 Discal Arca Comp Clamp on Sale

TTMSTUFF.COM  SALE the best Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx & Ddy-64 Discal Arca Comp Clamp on Retail & Wholesale. Quick & Easy to Shops, Purchase Online & Secure Check out.Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx

SUNWAYFOTO Indexing Rotator DDP-64 DDP64 for Tripod Head

sunwayfoto paypal

Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx & Ddy-64 Discal Arca Comp Clamp on Sale. The Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx & Ddy-64 Discal Arca Comp Clamp is high quality product. 100% best and lowest price guarateed. You can buy Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx & Ddy-64 Discal Arca Comp Clamp Best Price. Buy Ddp-64mx Now!

Description:

New SUNWAYFOTO ® brand Indexing Rotator DDP-64MX DDY-64 Discal Clamp Preassembled selfless items (can be used widely separately)Super extremely smooth. Smaller Lighter than the large original DDP-64 While retaining irrespective functionality of the large original Includes AM-01 (removable) Arca Mount 1. Anodized participate actively completely different scratch-resistant, scary black finish.2. Lubricated bearings in behalf of absolutely smooth rotation.3. Laser engraved index marks .4. Two Knobs in behalf of locking highest rating platform and panning base rotation .5.Detent interval can be changed easily.6.Ideal f

Quick Overview

  • Ideal for HDR Panoramas
  • Degree Increments from 5-90??
  • Easily Change Detent Interval
  • Independent Top Platform & Pan Locks
  • All-Metal Construction
  • Lubricated Bearings
  • 22 lb Load Capacity
  • Weighs Just 0.73 lb

The Combo Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator Ddp-64mx & Ddy-64 Discal Arca Comp Clamp is high quality product from manufacturer. Get Lowest Price Guarantee and Super Saver Shipping.

Sunwayfoto Indexing Rotator DDP-64 Review

Posted by on March 25, 2012 No comments

The Sunwayfoto DDP-64M Indexing Rotator is a rotating head that allows you to pan at precise degree increments. This enables you to capture a series of photos – at stop intervals that range from 5° to 90° – that you’ll later stitch into a panoramic masterpiece (possibly involving high-dynamic range capture as well).here are Indexing Rotator DDP-64 Review from openphotographyforums.com.

sunway DYH-120-TRO related products:

Indexing Rotator DDP-64M

Indexing Rotator DDP-64M

Indexing Rotator DDP-64M

sunwayfoto paypal

This is a review of gear that can take much of the stress out of professional level photography requiring flat stable platforms with rotation and ability to hold 5-10 kilo or more lb in weight of pro gear.

SUNWAYFOTO photographic equipment company was founded in Shenzhen China in 2008. It aims to produce high-end photographic equipment. It has set itself a goal of the highest standards and has added it’s name to the other manufacturers of gear that are standardized to the Arca Swiss style dovetailing clamp and plate system that is so popular with enthusiasts and professionals alike. I had never come across their products until I found myself losing so much time making wonderful Panoramas, one of the worse addictions to have in Photography! Until recently I thought I had no real need for precision even in ambitious panoramas I was proud to make. Really what was happening was that I was working far to hard because I had scrimped on equipment and short-changed myself in upfront technique and discipline. I had such good results that I thought I was dong well!

The Black Hole of Panorama Stitching and Corrections!

With software like AutoPano Pro, AutoPano Giga, Photoshop, PTGUI and many more being able to stitch even quick handheld panos, there’s a huge temptation to just do everything freehand. It seems so easy!

If one software package has problems, try another. Yes there might be errors, but is adept at photoshop, anything can be repaired. Add up the time, it might be 20 hours of labor for 1 ambitious panorama. At first, there’s a great satisfaction that one can do miracles like this. However, it’s a huge mistake. One’s time gets sucked into a black hole of pano repairing!

A New Era in Photography: Rapid Pano Sketching

Sometimes, a large pano is not as appealing when completed as one might have imagined. We cannot normally see the wide vistas that our panoramas build from overlapping shots. So there’s an advantage for rapidly “sketching” potentially fabulous panos. For this I looked to see what others here had successfully accomplished.

I followed the practices of Bart Van Der Wolfe, Nicolas Claris and others here and decided to build a careful considered and systematic approach to panorama building. Taking a clue from Nicolas’ work, I purchased an 8mm Sigma circular fisheye lens with an Eos mount. With the Really right Stuff Gimbal, I made 6 flat ectilinear panos in a about 1 hour. Each required just 3 overlapping shots, which consumed less than a minute to snap!

To my astonishment, stitching such weird circular frames, is a 30 second to 1 minute job for Autopano Giga! rendering was only about 3 minutes more. Yes I spent a minute or too checking out choices other than a circular projection and yes, sometimes a mercator projection looked better. Remarkably, the stitches are perfect! No more errors to correct, no cloning, nothing to do but alter the contrast or saturation perhaps and sharpen! The most time consuming is being awestruck!

So now my method is to sketch my panos with the 8mm Sigma Fisheye. If I like the result, I then will make an high resolution set of images with a 24, 50 or even 200 mm lens. Now with many more images from left to right, there’s need for indexing and having several rows.

For my work with many architectural panoramas both exterior and interior, fixing errors in stitching was becoming time consuming. What took up the time handling large numbers of files, stitching and rendering the panoramas, often over hours and then far too long correcting and retouching mistakes in the stitched pano. So to go the extra step of stitching accurately and the least number of frames, I am looking at choices of equipment.

Sunwayfoto is a design and engineering company that works with aircraft grade aluminum and CNC machines to build a large line of tripod head attachments and camera brackets and plates and the like for photography. I decided to look for gear that would work with my 5DII and the Really right Stuff Gimbal for 360 degree Panoramas and also be suitable for working with 8×10 large format. Why not aim to go first class?

I have just received for review from the following:

  • A giant leveling base, The sunway DYH-120-TRO that could hold any camera from a 1Ds Mark III to an 8×10 LF camera or even 20″x24″, I’d guess!
    Indexing Rotator DDP-64

    This is a 120mm wide platform and has 17 degrees of angular adjustment in any direction with an oiled head.

  • A supersized Arca type clamp for the DIY 120 TRO with a safety button to press before release is possible. It can be fine-tuned for non-standard Arca type plates.
    sunwayfoto DDP-64
  • An Indexing Rotator,
    sunwayfoto DDP-64

    The Sunwayfoto DDP 64 for taking panoramas a regular selectable over a wide range of choices.

  • A nicely made-to-match circular clamp, the Sunway DDY-64 that can either be securely fixed with two bolts to the indexing rotator or with one central bolt, can be fitted to any other type 1/4/20 head fitting.
    sunwayfoto DDP-64

So off goes the Acratech leveling base and then I’ll try the Sunway system with clickstops.

I have 6 shoots to work up to deliver, but will go back and redo some panoramas I took with the Acratech as the leveling base and the Sigma 8mm circular Fisheye lens and will use a 24 MM Tilt-shift lens, the TSE by Canon to make a more detailed version of the panorama for a Spring Celebration theme I’m working on. In this review, I’ll share my experience using this equipment.
The Leveling Sunway Base: This is a 120mm, (4.7″) wide circular platform. Regular size versions (66 mm, the DYH-66, and 100 mm, the DYH-100), of this platform, are also available from Sunway.

sunway DYH-120-TRO

The DYH-120 like all Sunway products I’ve seen so far, is a smoothly finished black-satin machined fitting. It is supplied in a felt purse string bag with instructions and was already fitted with the oversized Arca Swiss type clamp. They have the look and feel of technically well designed and manufactured gear of a similar quality to the brands I already buy. I’m a great fan of Really right Stuff, as many know, but they do not happen to make such a large flat base that can go on a regular tripod with a center column.

They do have a giant ball type leveling head which is beautiful, but that occupies the central space and removes the possibility of a center column in its current form. So that’s why I looked at Acratech and now Sunfoto for other possibilities.

sunway DYH-120-TRO

sunway DYH-120-TRO

These pictures come from the Sunwayfoto website and help explain how the gear has been designed to fit together very well and at each stage, there’s care to not only rigidly secure one component to the next in the series, but also to prevent any rotation. The only place that is possible is the center 3/8″ tripod screw from the bare tripod head or center column to the underside of the leveling base.

My preliminary impression is that the gear is going to work very well. I note that the hemi-ballhead in the leveling base is lubricated with oil. However, it’s not particularly messy and doesn’t worry me. I do not know why they chose oil instead of a teflon-type casing. Still the base moves well and the friction can be easily adjusted, in fact, much more accurately than the Acratech. It seems that this is going to be smoother to operate and level. With 17 degrees, this is more generous than the 10 degrees of Acratech, which by the way is in itself adequate. Since I did have one occasion to quickly re-adjust a tripod legs to get the Acratech leveling base within operating range, having the extra 7 degrees is going to be a considerable advantage, I expect.

Do we need 17 degrees of adjustment? I was using the tripod loaded up, (with the Acratech leveling base and the RRS panning gimbal head and my 5DII with a 70-200 lens), for photographing a musical performance. Everything was perfect. Then two folk in wheelchairs needed to be fitted in next to me at the back of the concert hall. One leg must have been on a raised piece rug of on the edge of a step! In any case, I could have benefitted from extra 7 degree range of adjustment! It’s obviously less disruption in tight quarters to recenter a hemi-ballhead than to keep changing the legs to achieve the same purpose.

Sunwayfoto DPL-03 review

Posted by on March 25, 2012 No comments

Review Sunwayfoto DPL-03 Arca-Swiss Compatible Universal L Plate

by SimplyNess

The Sunwayfoto DPL-03 Arca-Swiss Compatible Universal L-Plate is priced at $89 at the time of this writing. First of I must say it is made of high quality materials, build quality is excellent. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to the more expensive Arca Swiss type L Plate from Really Right Stuff and Kirk Enterprises, then, you might want to take a look at the Sunwayfoto L Plates.

We all know why we need an L Plate or L Bracket for our camera so let’s go right into the review. I bought my DPL-03 L-Plate from ttmstuff, and it came  nicely pack on a small red and black box with a really great protective padding. When I was holding the package, the first think I noticed was it was really light(80g).

Top/Front side of the box
Bottom side of the box
Inside rotective paddings

The Sunwayfoto DPL-03 L-Plate is precision CNC machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminum, it feels really nice and sturdy and I can tell that it can last a life time. In the box you will find the DPL-03 L-Plate, 3 different size allen wrench, a 1/4″ hex screw and two extra small screws that goes underneath the base of the plate to serve as a lock when place on an arca swiss type clamp. The DPL-03 is the only model with a removable / movable backstop, meaning it can be mounted on either side of the rail and it can also be mounted in 3 different positions on each side, making it flexible and compatible with most type of DSLR’s. This is the reason why I picked the DPL-03 from the other models, I’m planning to use it on my EOS 60D and EOS 40D. So far I have only tested it on my EOS 60D and my feelings are mixed.  Sunwayfoto has 4 L-Plates in it’s line up, DPL-01, DPL-02, DPL-03 and DPL-04. DPL-01,02 and 04 doesn’t have movable/ interchangeable backstop, dpl-04 has the widest based for really large camera.


Fits Nicely on the EOS 60D

Does not block the battery door

Does not get in the way of the rotating screen

The Good:Without the 60d battery grip(BG-E9), the DPL-03 fits snugly on the EOS 60D, it’s like a perfect fit. It does not block the battery door which is important, the rotating display screen of the 60d can be freely rotated to any position and switching from landscape to portrait is just plain easy.

The Bad:Since this is a Universal L-Plate it’s really not designed for a specific camera and because the side bracket is not completely open it blocks most of the entry points on the left of the 60d, like the HDMI, mic port, and the shutter release cable. There’s just no way for me to fit the mic jack on top or the shutter release cable on the bottom. The only work around is to adjust the bracket to have some space between the bracket and the camera, but doing so may introduce unwanted vibrations when using it in portrait mode. Another way is to use a hacksaw to remove the obstruction on the side.

With the BG-E9 Battery Grip

Fits OK on the EOS 60D with battery grip

from the back

Completely blocks the battery door of the grip.
Rotating screen can be adjusted to any position

Also works on portrait mode

Now the mic port and shutter release ports are free from obstuction.

The DPL-03 also works when the BG-E9 Battery grip of the 60d is attached. It actually works better for me, first I never take out my battery grip, it’s on my camera 100% of the time so taking it on and off would be too much. This actually solves the obstruction problem. if I use it with the battery grip, it frees up the mic port, hdmi and shutter release cable, the usb is still block but that’s ok, since I never really use it.

The bad: It block’s the battery door completely. But since I use two batteries all the time, may not have to change batteries that often.

Conclusion:

Overall all, the DPL-03 L Plate from Sunwayfoto is a great product, quality wise, it is excellent. Usability? It depends on what you need, how you use your camera with it and on what type of camera you have. It somehow works for me, but I still can’t decide if I will keep it or if I’m going to return it. I still haven’t tested it with my older EOS 40d, maybe after that, I can decide if I’m keeping it or not.

The Sunwayfoto DPL-03 Arca-Swiss Compatible Universal L Plate is available at:

Sunwayfoto DPL-03 related product:

Universal L-type QR Plate DPL-01

Universal L-type QR Plate DPL-02 

SUNWAYFOTO Universal L-Bracket Quick-Release Plate DPL-03

SUNWAYFOTO Universal L-Bracket Quick-Release Plate DPL-04

article from :

http://www.simplyness.com/photography-gear-reviews/review-sunwayfoto-dpl-03-arca-swiss-compatible-universal-l-plate.html

 

SunwayFoto DB-44LR Ballhead Review

Posted by on March 25, 2012 No comments

this is SunwayFoto DB-44LR Ballhead review from dcains.

There is yet another player looking to grab part of the higher-end ballhead market, attempting to join the likes of Arca-Swiss, Markins, Kirk, Really Right Stuff, PhotoClam, and a few others most of us are familiar with. SunwayFoto is based in Shenzhen, China, and I was contacted by one of the company principals requesting my review and honest criticism of this ballhead – The DB-44 with DDC-50LR clamp mounted.
Here’s a link to the company’s ballhead page, although the ballhead I received has a lever clamp mounted, rather than the pictured screw clamp:

Ballhead DB-44LR

http://www.sunwayfoto.com/html/products/200912/160.html
http://www.ttmstuff.com/ballhead-db-44lr.html

To start with, this ballhead is of the “traditional” design, dating back to the Arca-Swiss B1, and it appears similar to the Markins, Kirk, and PhotoClam products as well. Size-wise (500g), this ballhead places about even with the Markins Q10LR (aka M10 @ 490g), and is a tad heavier than the RRS BH-40LR (480g). This mid-sized class of ballhead is often paired with a Series-2 (to use Gitzo’s reference scale) tripod, and the combination is usually considered stable with lenses up to the size/weight of a typical 300/4 or 70-200/2.8.

The ballhead appears to be of very high quality, in both the materials used and the finishing of the exterior surfaces. All the alloy parts appear to be anodized, rather than painted, for a smooth hard finish, although I’m no expert on such details. It’s not quite as shiny as the painted PhotoClam, nor quite as matte as the anodized Markins or RRS. This is a two knob design; one for the panning brake, and another for the ball friction control. The small panning brake knob has sharp axial grooves for an easy grip, while the larger friction control knob has a fine diamond-point knurling pattern. Both work well bare-handed or with gloves, and the friction control knob also has a smaller thumb-screw built into its face for setting a minimum drag level. There is a numbered scale on the friction control knob, next to the ballhead body, but that scale is not adjustable, so it’s just for reference, not absolute value. The two knobs are spaced 60-degrees apart on the ballhead body. The ballhead panning base has a 30-degree window, with a painted white arrow to indicate rotation around the degree scale fixed on the ballhead body in 5-degree increments. Finally, the ballhead body has double drop-notches spaced 90-degrees apart, and when the ball shaft is dropped into a notch, it rests at 90-degrees from vertical.

Now the details about how this ballhead behaves in real-world use. For testing purposes the ballhead was mounted on my Gitzo G2541LVL tripod, using a 3/8″ stud and the standard Gitzo Safe Lock mounting plate.

Pro’s:

* As already mentioned, the knobs are easy to grip and use, with precise control of the ball friction and minimum drag settings.

* Build-quality, fit and finish are excellent.

* The lever clamp does what a good lever clamp should do. It releases and clamps quickly, and has a halfway position to allow adjustment of the lens or camera plate without a complete release. Safety notches will keep the plate from sliding out of the clamp, if the plate has safety screws installed. The clamp has a bullseye level on the side opposite the lever, so it can be easily seen with a camera mounted. As with the recent lever clamps from Markins and A-S, this clamp has an adjustable closed position, so like a screw clamp, it will work with virtually any plate within a reasonable tolerance of the A-S standard dimensions. Nonetheless, it’s not advisable to mix and match too many different brands of plates, because the clamp adjustment isn’t something you’d want to perform every time. A small knurled knob nests inside the clamp body, between the lever and mounting screw hole. Finally, the lever arm itself is reversible, so you can flip it 180-degrees either way, to match your preference, and there is a small sliding button on the end of the lever. This is a nice safety measure, and addresses the concerns of those who fear a lever clamp’s unintended opening. Generally, a very serviceable clamp, and out of the box it was perfectly adjusted to secure my RRS and Kirk plates properly. The adjustment did not seem to change on its own, during my several weeks of use.

* The panning base, with the brake released, is firm to adjust and very smooth, with its degree scale easy to visualize.

Con’s:

* This one is a big pet peeve of mine, yet it seems common to just about every ballhead based on this “traditional” design. The panning “lock” slips, which is why I have been referring to it as a panning “brake”. The knob can be tightened until you’re tearing skin off your fingertips, and still the base will slip under some conditions. For example, getting the ballhead screwed tightly to the tripod (or unscrewing it, too) can be an issue, because if it’s not tight enough you’ve got two different areas which might allow the ballhead to pan when you don’t want it to. Having a long lens mounted, because of the leverage it can apply to the panning base, can also cause some slipping. The smaller the ballhead, the more prone to slipping its panning base seems to be. So, the Markins Q3 seems worse than the Q10, and this Sunway feels about the same as the Q10 or PhotoClam PC-44 of similar size. I should probably just get over it, but the RRS BH-40 has spoiled me in this regard.

* There is another issue which may bother me more than others, but which also may ultimately be resolved. The ball friction knob provides very precise adjustment, and it’s easy to set an “ideal” friction level which will allow the ball to move only when touched, yet stay in place on its own. To me, this is the true benefit of using a ballhead, rather than a pan-tilt or geared head. The issue with this ballhead (and some others) is that when the ballhead is set to this “ideal” friction level, intended movements of the ball are not especially smooth. In the case of the RRS BH-40, I’ve found the same issue, and RRS has addressed it with two responses. One is to allow some time for the ballhead to “break-in”, and after some many hours of use, my BH-40 did improve in smoothness and feel. The Sunway DB-44LR also has improved over the past weeks I’ve been using it. The other response from RRS is that some form of lubrication can be applied to the ball friction surface (they recommend a light machine oil or WD-40), with the caution that this is not reversible and may require additional friction force to maintain the ball’s position. I took a chance, and a few years ago first tried the application of some synthetic polymer automotive wax to the BH-40 ball. The smoothness improved immediately, right up to the level of the best I’ve ever used – the Markins ballheads (which are buttery-smooth right from the box). The wax would wear off fairly quickly, though, so I tried something else, which turned out to be a spray silicone lubricant:

http://www.gunk.com/CAT_AM914_6.asp

I applied a good bit to a paper towel and applied the wet lubricant to the ball while spinning it in the drop-notch. This product has a solvent base which evaporates very quickly, so I did nothing to dry the ball, and there is no visible residue left on the ball. The silicone lasts for a good several months on the RRS, and after application of the same to the Sunway, I now had three ballheads with that silky Markins feel (one of which is the Q3). I’ve found no need to increase the friction setting, at least that I could notice, which was a surprise, and if there is a downside to this particular lubricant in this application, I haven’t found it. I have spoken to SunwayFoto about this, and they are currently investigating the same lubricant, and may apply it during assembly of their ballheads, if they feel a benefit can be realized. So, this con perhaps isn’t a real issue, but I felt compelled to bring it up, and provide what may be a very viable solution.

* I should also briefly mention that when tightening the friction knob from that “ideal” friction level to fully-locked, initially there was some noticeable movement of the camera’s position. If the camera/lens was front-heavy the lens would aim down slightly, or if the combination was rear-heavy the lens would creep up. After initial break-in and subsequent lubrication, this has all but disappeared, and the ball remains static when locking it firmly. So, another con which is not likely to be consequential.

Other comments:

As mentioned, this market is becoming somewhat crowded, and for one of these companies to stand proud of their competitors is becoming more difficult. There is an obvious convergence where ballheads are all starting to look the same, feel about the same, and be priced about the same (excepting RRS, of course). In this regard, the SunwayFoto DB-44LR fits into the pack discretely. Considering my experiences with the ballheads from Markins, SunwayFoto, and PhotoClam, I’d rate them as best to worst in that particular order. That is not to say the differences are great, but they are palpable. The SunwayFoto is very close to the Markins in fit and finish, and a bit better than the PhotoClam. But, the Sunway is closer in operation (“feel” might be a better term) to the PhotoClam than either is to the Markins. Remember, the Markins is silky-smooth and rock-solid right from the box, with no “break-in” or lubrication required, while both the SunwayFoto and PhotoClam are a little “draggy” and can show some minor slippage as ballhead friction is adjusted.

As far as I know, SunwayFoto does not have a formally-established US-based distributor at this point, although I have been told there is one potential company in talks. So, it appears that eBay auctions are the only US-based source right now, and a current auction from a Texas-based vendor has a “Buy-It-Now” price of $248 shipped. I don’t have any information regarding the warranty for SunwayFoto products, but I will inquire about the terms during my next contact with the company.

Conclusion:

Recommended, or not? That’s the big question I don’t have a definitive answer to. I liked using the DB-44LR and will continue to use it. The DB-44LR, if the price of $248 is realistic, is potentially a very good value against the alternatives I’ve mentioned, particularly if one is fond of using a lever-type QR clamp. The PhotoClam PC-44NS with a screw-type clamp is $269 + shipping, while the Markins Q10 with a lever clamp is $369 + shipping, and the Markins Q3 with a lever clamp is $309 + shipping. If you seen my posts in this FM gear forum, you’ll rarely find a word recommending anyone save a few dollars now on a piece of photo gear destined for the long-term use, whether it’s a ballhead, tripod, or quick release system. Of course, if a good value can be had, I’m not one to necessarily pass it by just to spend more money, either. The unknowns in the SunwayFoto equation include long-term durability, the current lack of a US distributor, and potential warranty repair issues.

I haven’t had the time to do a tear-down of the DB-44LR, but will do so shortly. My only reservation is that I might not be able to get it back together, and I’d like to have this ballhead around for continued long-term testing.

Questions, comments? Please feel free to post to this thread, and I’ll answer what I can. I’ve been impressed by my communications with SunwayFoto, and believe the company is sincere in wanting to both improve their products and in their desire to be made aware of any limitations that currently exist. I’ll be sure to pass any such information along, and I think SunwayFoto will be following this thread as well.

Just as an aside, I’ve seen it mentioned that I’ve got some fellow flashlight enthusiasts here on FM. SunwayMan, a sister or parent company to SunwayFoto, makes some interesting LED flashlights, which are available from a variety of US vendors. This is not a paid endorsement (nor is my ballhead review), but the fact that they’ve already established a viable product line in the US can be a positive indicator of their business experience here.

Finally, some detail pictures, which should be obviously self-explanatory:

SunwayFoto DB-44LR

 SunwayFoto DB-44LR(1)
SunwayFoto DB-44LR

Sunwayfoto – Ballhead DB-44LR(2)

SunwayFoto DB-44LR

 SunwayFoto DB-44LR(3)

SunwayFoto DB-44LR uk
 SunwayFoto DB-44LR (4)

SunwayFoto DB-44LR
 SunwayFoto DB-44LR  uk(5)

Sunwayfoto – Ballhead related products:

Low Center of Gravity XB Series Ball Head XB-44

Ballhead DB-44DDH

Ballhead DB-52

Ballhead DB-52DLC

Ballhead DB-44

 

SunwayFoto DB-44LR Ballhead Review  article from http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1097065/0