Why the acratech gXP is the best Tripod head for Landscape photography

My Search to find the best tripod head for landscape photography, and how I fell in love with the Acratech GXP Ball Head.

Why I was looking to upgrade

In January 2020, I invested in some brand-new tripod legs, the Gitzo GT3543XLS. This was a big investment that I should have made YEARS ago as I had been battling with my Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 legs for a few years – to put it simply, they have the worst leg clip design I have ever used and each one had to be replaced several times due to corrosion.

The ball head I’ve been using for the past two years was the Manfrotto XPRO with Top Lock that don’t get me wrong, is great for the price, however, I started to notice it creeping when locked, salt corrosion in the screws and the top lock kept getting stuck - I had it replaced by Manfrotto on two occasions because the clamp would stick and not allow me to use my L-bracket. What was the point in investing £700+ in tripod legs if I could not trust the one thing that was securing them to my camera?  So, there we go, that was my dilemma. I needed a new tripod head that would pair perfectly with my Gitzo and tick all the boxes for landscape photography. Here are some of the key things I was looking for:

• Easy to maintain and clean when using on the coast

• Able to comfortably hold a lens like the Sony 100-400 in high winds

• Arca-Swiss compatible

• Quick to level when doing panoramas

• Build quality and feel in the hands (we all love a well-designed piece of gear, don’t we?)

After a lot of research and watching countless hours of YouTube videos, I stumbled across a company called Acratech. My first glimpse into their products was the long lens head used by Thomas Heaton, with the engineering and unique design jumping out at me – they looked so unique and I liked that, a lot. The only problem was, I couldn’t find many reviews or experiences from photographers here in the UK, being based in California, Acratech are HUGE in America and have been for many years. So, my next step was to try and find one here in the UK and see what all the hype was about.

Bob Rigby Photographic

Welcome, Bob Rigby. A quick Google search brought me directly to Bob’s website who specialises in professional tripod heads from the likes of GimPro, Wimberley and yep, you guessed it, a family run business called Acratech. I dropped Bob an email explaining my dilemma and that I was looking for a new ball head for landscape photography, listing my requirements and sharing my interest in the Acratech range.

Within a few hours, I got a phone call from Bob who must be the friendliest person I have ever talked too and knew exactly what needed – the new Acratech GXP Ball Head. After a long chat on the phone, Bob very kindly sent me the Acratech GXP with both the standard clamp, and locking lever clamp, to put through its paces here in Dorset. This was the moment where, I feel, I discovered the best tripod head for landscape photography.

The Acratech GXP Ball Head

The first thing I noticed when opening the box was how good the GXP feels in your hands. The skeletonized design of the Acratech head is a real piece of engineering genius that blows my mind. The smooth, free-flowing ball head sits within the CNC machined frame (made from aircraft-grade aluminium) and is fully exposed, making it completely unique and super easy to clean - you just have to look at the base to see the engraving “this product is protected by one or more patents or patents pending” to know it’s a pretty revolutionary design that Acratech want to protect. As a landscape photographer that jumps from shooting misty woodlands to chaotic seascapes within a few hours, the versatility and ability to just get on and shoot without worrying about sea water or sand getting into the head is fantastic.  No more having to take a ball head apart to remove sand when you hear that HORRIBLE crunching noise us landscape photographers all fear - simply run the Acratech GXP under the tap, give it a shake, let it air dry and that’s it, say goodbye to corrosion.

As soon as you start using the GXP, you’ll notice the chunky rubber dials and knobs that make it super easy to control and make precise movements when wearing gloves in cold weather. They take very little force to lock into place but once they are, the ball head is not moving in the slightest, making it very easy to frame up precise compositions. One thing I could not get over was how light the GXP was, like it is seriously light! Cold to the touch due to the all aluminium design, Acratech advertise a ludicrous load rating of 50lbs (22.7kg) for a ball head that weights a mere 1lb (450g) - that’s seriously impressive and straight away, ticks one of the features I was looking for in a ball head, albeit ever so slight overkill for my mirrorless setup that comes in at around 1.5kg.

Here are some of the key statistics listed over on Bob Rigby Photographic’s website:

• Max Weight Load: 50lbs (22.6kg)

• Ball Diameter: 1.5” (38mm)

• Tripod Thread: 3/8-16 (includes 1/4-20 reducer bushing)

• Height: 4.2” (106mm)

• Length: 3.62” (92mm)

• Width: 3.17” (81mm)

• Base Diameter: 2.375” (60mm)

• Weight: 1 lbs. (.45kg)

If you want to see the true performance of the original GP and new GXP, and literally see it act as an axle stand for a two-tonne truck, take a two-minute break from reading my waffle and watch this:

Secret Feature of the Acratech GXP - Panorama Mode

Now, be honest with me, how many times have you had to level your tripod by slowly adjusting each leg, watching the bubble level to make sure it is perfectly level for that stitched landscape panorama? If like me, that is a lot. This is a real deal breaker for anyone thinking about buying the GXP as it offers a solution to fix all those problems, without buying an expensive levelling base. Simply remove the quick-release clamp from the standard position with the provided allen key, and install it to the base of the ball head, then BAM – flip it upside down and secure it to your tripod where the clamp used to be. You now have a ball head attached below the clamp, making it perfect for panoramic photography, ensuring the horizon stays level across all your photos and minimises jagged edges in post-processing.

You may be thinking, how does this work? Well, instead of levelling each one of your tripod legs to make sure the base is level, simply setup as you would, then move the ball head until the level on the clamp is perfectly level. This means when you loosen the panning clamp and rotate, you will be perfectly levelled and save so much time messing around. Personally, I probably shoot a handful of panorama’s during each season, so I keep my GXP in the normal position – however, it is great to know that if I need it setup for panoramas, it is a simple 60 second job in the field.

Which Acratech GXP is right for you?

When it comes to ordering the Acratech GXP either from Acratech directly if you live in America, or from Bob Rigby Photographic here in the UK and Europe, you will have the option to choose one of two locking clamps - a twist or lever lock. After spending a lot of time with both, I settled on the locking lever clamp version (1207) as it gave me that extra sense of security when placing my Sony A7RIII onto the head (I was constantly checking to make sure I had tightened the twist knob as I can sometimes be clumsy when the light hits and adrenaline kicks in).

Another reason I chose the locking clamp was the position of the bubble level on the standard clamp was not ideal for my shooting style, it made it hard to see when you have a long lens on your camera. The most natural position I found for the twist knob was to have it facing me, meaning the level was under my lens making it extremely hard to see. Now, this really wasn’t much of a problem, technically you can just rotate it so that the level is in front of you and the twist knob is under the lens - but the off centre position of the bubble level on the lever lock solved all those problems.

Final Thoughts

I was extremely fortunate to be sent Acratech’s new GXP directly from Bob Rigby (Official UK importers and distributors of Acratech products) and Scott Dordick (founder and CEO of Acratech) shortly after launch, for me to review and share my honest opinions as a landscape photographer here in the UK. I have been using it continuously for over three months now, putting it through its paces and seeing if this would change the game for us landscape photographers. My honest opinion? Yes, it really has made a HUGE difference to my photography workflow and although it won’t necessarily help me take better pictures, it makes the build up to getting that shot so much easier, more enjoyable and simply, effortless.

Now, let’s talk about the price. Coming in at £570 (special offer price of £542 as of writing this review) the GXP is not exactly the cheapest option, but why should it be? It’s a piece of engineering brilliance, and when holding in your hands, you can see the craftsmanship and hard work that has gone into it - it doesn’t feel like a mass produced item like some others. Saying that, the Acratech GXP comes in at a similar price range to the RRS BH-40 or BH-55, Arca Swiss P0 and Monoball Z1 - which in my opinion, is a fair price for the quality of product you receive. I can almost guarantee that you will not regret adding the GXP to your gear list in the slightest, as soon as you get it in your hands, you know exactly why this head is perfect for landscape photography. Put it this way, I now have my own copy of the Acratech GXP with Locking Lever Clamp attached permanently to my Gitzo Systematic tripod legs, and it is a match made in heaven.

So, is it time you upgrade your tripod head? I can’t really answer that, but what I can say is if you’re getting frustrated with your current setup, feel like your being held back, limited, or slowed down, then that in my eyes, is the time to start looking for something new. If I had any gear advice for my younger self when starting out in landscape photography, it would be invest in the best gear you can afford at that time. If you buy cheap tripod legs and heads, I can almost guarantee you’ll be buying 2-3 times over the next 5 years (believe me, I have). In my eyes, there’s no reason why the Acratech GXP, paired with my Gitzo Systematic, won’t last me 10-15 years, that is an investment worth making surely? Anyway, I hope this has given you a good little insight into the Acratech GXP and why I think, it is the best ball head for landscape photography.

Best,

Jack