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August 4, 2013

New Desmond DBH Tension Control Ball Head - Updated

After the introduction of a full line of Arca-Swiss® compatible Quick Release Clamps, it was inevitable for Desmond Photographic Distribution, USA to introduce a matching in many respects ball head.

The just released Desmond DBH Ball Head does not resemble to the majority of ball heads which follow the Arca-Swiss® concept and design pattern.
It differs a lot by following a concept introduced by Gitzo® ball heads some years ago, which exercises pressure to the ball-head ball sideways, counterbalanced by an opposing spring.

This design promises a very smooth operation and precise tension control, featuring an oversized comfort-grip control knob, independently adjustable tension control and an independent pan lock knob.

Manufacturer Specification:
Model:DBH
Ball Diameter:42 mm (1.65")
Base Diameter:54 mm (2.14")
Height with clamp:*101-104 mm (3.97-4.09")
Bottom Thread w/ Metal Converter:3/8"-16 to 1/4"-20
Load:10 Kg (22 lb)
Weight:*544-575 gr (19.18-20.28 oz)
* Depends on QR clamp selection.

Desmond DBH is offered with a broad selection of  five Desmond Arca-Swiss® compatible screw-knob quick release clamps and one  duo Lever / Screw-knob quick release clamp by Sunwayfoto to suit almost any need.

Starting top-left Desmond DBH is illustrated with the upcoming Desmond DAC-X1 Skeleton clamp, DAC-04 Dual Arca classic/Slidefix® clamp, Sunwayfoto DLC-50 Duo Lever/Knob clamp, Desmond DBA-01 Dual Bogen/Arca clamp, as well as with the simple DAC-02 and DAC-01 clamps. (More info on the Desmond clamps in the Relevant Articles below).



Once again the goal was to introduce a product, maintaining the Desmond quality standards at a low budget price. So most Desmond DBH model prices are kept below the US$ 100.00 figure, ranging from US$ 93.77 to US$ 98.77 and only the one with the lever clamp reaches US$ 135.00.

I'm very eager to see how successfully the ball-head design concept has been implemented, maintaining such a low price, so stay tuned for a full evaluation and review soon.

Update August 23, 2013
The DBH Ball Head has arrived in my hands for test and evaluation. First impressions are surprisingly better than anticipated, but more in the upcoming review.

Availability:
Desmond DBH Ball Heads are available from Amazon.com

Unfortunately this excellent ball head was discontinued by the OEM manufacturer.

Relevant Articles:
Desmond DBA-1 Bogen (Manfrotto) / Arca Clamp Review
Desmond DAC-01 50mm Quick Release Clamp Review
Desmond DAC-02 60mm Quick Release Clamp Review
Desmond DAC-04 Arca/Slidefix Quick Release Clamp Review

2 comments:

  1. Did you ever get around to writing the review? I can't seem to find it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Paul, I've had this head since Feb of '14. Top quality and gorgeous finish. See my (Woodturner) review on Amazon.

    ReplyDelete