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Review of the Oben BC-166 Dual Action Ballhead

The Oben BC-166 heavy-duty ballhead doesn't try to do fancy. It aims for no-fuss, rock-solid support and easy adjustment. And it succeeds well.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

Categories: Reviews, Tripod Heads
Tags: Oben
Last updated about 4 years ago // Originally published about 4 years ago

As much as I love good travel tripods, sometimes they’re just too lightweight and just don’t cut it. There are situations where you there’s no escaping the need for a rock solid support that will work with a heavy rig or stay absolutely still even in breezy conditions. And that means ramping up the size and weight of the legs and tripod head.

Oben BC-166 Ball Head
Oben BC-166 Ball Head
Check Price at Amazon
For a ballhead, I’ve used an Induro BHL-3 for quite some time when I need this. I use it for things like timelapse captures or with heavy rigs like panorama robots like the Gigapan Pro and eMotimo TB3. It works well. It’s not fancy or especially refined, but it is solid and has a generous load capacity over 35 lbs.

The Oben BC-166 ballhead is another heavy-duty option in a similar vein. It’s a similar size and works in very much the same way, but it also has almost double the load capacity (66.1 lbs / 30 kg). B&H Photo sent me one to try out. I’ve been pairing it with Induro AT413 and Oben CT-2391 heavy-duty legs.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

This is definitely not a small ballhead. It’s the strongest and largest in Oben’s range, and at nearly 2 lbs just by itself, it’s far too heavy and bulky to be considered a practical travel tripod in most circumstances. And it doesn’t make sense in most cases to use it with a small camera. As you can see, it’s almost as big as an entry-level DSLR. I’ve been using it with a Nikon D810 with a battery grip and a large 150-600mm telephoto zoom lensAnd for those kinds of uses it’s been working very well indeed.

This is a very much a traditional ballhead. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel in the way something like the Arca Swiss p0 does. It just tries to be a solid, reliable wheel. And at that, it succeeds, and it does it without any fuss.

On the bottom is a standard panoramic base that rotates around 360°. It’s locked with a small knob just above it. The base diameter is 2.7 inches, which is larger than the neck attachment point of some smaller tripods.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

The main locking mechanism on the ball is controlled with a large knob on the side. It’s large enough and grippy enough to be used with cold fingers. While it’s certainly possible to find ballheads with smoother ball movement, the movement on this one is plenty smooth enough for the purpose, especially since you’re likely to be using it with quite some weight on it.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

Integrated into the main knob is a tension control that can be tightened or loosened easily with your thumb or a coin. This is especially useful when using cameras of different weights. For a heavy rig you can tighten it so that it doesn’t move too freely and make it hard to position precisely. And vice versa if you need a more freewheeling approach for a lighter camera.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

At the top is an Arca-style quick release clamp that’s locked and unlocked with a knob on the side. If you’re shooting vertically, there’s a bubble level on the end of the knob.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

It comes with a medium-sized Arca-style quick release plate (model QR-40). That extra length, matched by the extra length of the clamp, adds extra stability. And there’s a bubble level on the side for leveling when you’re shooting in landscape orientation.

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

Specs

Quick Release Type: Arca Style (comes with quick release plate)
Maximum Load: 66.1 lb / 30 kg
Base Diameter: 2.7 in / 6.8 cm
Height: 4.7 in / 11.9 cm
Weight: 1.9 lb / 0.86 kg

Oben BC-166 Ballhead

What’s in the Box?

  • BC-166 Ballhead
  • QR-40 Arca-style Quick Release Plate
  • 3/8″-16 to 1/4″-20 Reducer Bushing (thread adapter)
  • hex key

Summary

The Oben BC-166 doesn’t try to do fancy. It aims for no-fuss, rock-solid support and easy adjustment. And it succeeds well.

Buy At

The Oben BC-166 ballhead has an MSRP of $199.95 and can be found at B&H Photo and Amazon.

Oben BC-166 Ball Head
Oben BC-166 Ball Head
  • 66.1 lb Load Capacity | Arca-Type Compatible Quick Release
  • Tension Control | Separate Panning Lock
Check Price at Amazon

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2021-01-14 at 20:59. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on June 20, 2017

Categories: Reviews, Tripod Heads
Tags: Oben

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News & Deals

With the holidays fast approaching, there’s some great deals on photography gear and services available. I’ve put together a roundup of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 Photography Deals. It’s a running list as new deals are announced, so be sure to check back.

Canon announces new EOS Rebel T8i DSLR. Canon has announced their new T8i DSLR. 24MP APS-C cropped CMOS sensor, 4K24 video, and updated image processing and detection systems. It’s available for preorder from B&H Photo.

New Firmware for the Ricoh GR III. Ricoh has release firmware v1.31 for the GR III. Release notes are: “Corrected — When shooting with the multiple exposure, in rare cases the live view may not display correctly. Improved stability for general performance.” You can download it here.

New Canon 1D X Mark III Pro DSLR Announced. Canon has announced their new flagship model of pro DSLR, the 1D X Mark III. They’re sticking with a 20.1MP CMOS sensor, but it’s a new and improved version and boasts an incredible native ISO range of ISO 100 to ISO 102400 and an extended range that goes up to a jaw-dropping ISO 819200. With revamped autofocus, a new image processor, and all sorts of other bells and whistles, it’s no wonder that Canon is billing it as “The Ultimate EOS.”

New Manfrotto Pro Rugged Memory Cards. Manfrotto, an Italian probably best known for their tripods and studio accessories, has launched a new Pro Rugged range of high-end SD, microSD, and CompactFlash cards. While they don’t have a huge selection of sizes and speeds, the cards are aiming for very fast cards that can put up with rugged demands. For instance, they claim that their V90 rated SD cards can withstand three times the force (20kg / 45 lbs) of a regular SD card. I’ve ordered some to run through my speed tests.

New Sony Alpha a7 firmware released. A firmware update for the Sony a7R IV now lets you control external Sony flashes from the camera’s own menu system. Up to 15 flashes in five groups can be controlled via the camera. It also applies to the a7R III and a7 III.

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I take photos. I travel. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

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