Desmond Demon DB-44 44mm Tripod Ball Head Arca Compatible w Pan Lock & DAC-X1 Clamp

You read right.You’re going to have to get the Sirui K-30X to do better than this for an extra $60. After that, you’ll need to spend even more – because Sirui is the screaming deal in the mid $100’s. For about the same price as the Sirui, there's the SunwayFoto DB-44. Or um...When I saw this, I immediately recognized it for what it is – the SunwayFoto DB-44 ball head. When this ball head was introduced back in 2010, there was a lot of buzz that you could buy a ball head of this sort of quality for $300. Just do a search for SunwayFoto DB-44, and look at their website, as well as the reviews on Fred Miranda. Direct comparisons are made to the RRS BH-40 and others. SunwayFoto still makes the DB-44, at a little bit less than when introduced. I see the DB-44DL on Amazon right now with the brilliantly designed Duo clamp, which has a lever on one side and a fine adjustment knob on the other. The best of both worlds.Desmond is a distributor of many fine photographic tools including SunwayFoto products, and I have recently learned that they have helped with the design of some of their products as well (such as the Duo clamp). Desmond designs all of the Desmond products as well as designing and manufacturing for OEM's around the world. So this gives some explanation as to how this ball head came into being.So, how do they do it? The design appears to be identical save for some cosmetic differences. I can only find a couple of places where Desmond has cut some corners either to use their own parts and/or bring the price down. I’ll let you know what I think they are as I go through the review.Packaging:Here’s one cost savings measure right here. The Desmond DB-44 arrives in a plain, brown cardboard box. The box design is exactly the same as many brands, it’s heavy and meant to be reused. A tiny postage stamp sized SKU sticker is on top, with the words Desmond in comic sans, and 44mm Ball Head. There are clear round plastic seals at every seam, so 3 cuts later and I was in. The head is wrapped in closed cell poly foam. Also included is an allen wrench to remove the clamp, as well as a 3/8” to ¼” adapter screw in case you want to do something different with your clamp system.Design:This is a medium sized ball head, suitable for a full sized DSLR and up to a stabilized 70-200/2.8 comfortably. It’s rated at 30kg./66 lbs. and I’ve got a bridge to sell you! What I would rate it at would be 15lbs, and that’s a lot of weight. I have no doubt that it could hold 66 lbs, but the chances of the tiny little case-hardened bolt holding the clamp onto the ball sheering off are much higher than the ball slipping once you’ve locked down your concrete block. A comfortable amount of weight for this ball head from what I’ve found would be right around 5lbs max. That allows you to move the camera and lens with some friction dialed in, but not having to hold it with both hands. You can easily maneuver it into position, make fine adjustments and lock it down without additional movement.The design of this ball head was pretty new at the time, which is a single knob control which acts as the friction and locking mechanism. This was popularized by Markins a few years earlier. It has a panning base with a single lock knob, and a standard knob type Arca Swiss clamp. One valuable feature is the double drop notch body which is fantastic for quick changes from landscape to portrait to full tilt up or down. The ball is a 44mm semi-elliptical type, allowing for a similar feel of motion as the angle gets steeper.DescriptionBody:The single knob acts as friction control and lock. The friction knob is huge and has very nice ribbing on it, giving a sure and positive grip in any environment. This one will be easy to use with gloves on – unlike some of the ones with fine crosshatching. The face of the friction knob has a polished metal inset – and it’s not simply a plate. Like the Sirui this appears to be part of the axle and it’s got a very solid feel and appearance. The marker ring is exactly the same as the SunwayFoto, no change here. Set into the friction knob is a tension clutch – unlike some brands (even SunwayFoto) this has a single slot instead of the star-cut type.The panning base has a square scallop type shape to it, making it easy to grasp when screwing onto your tripod plate, or more importantly, removing! One cost cutting measure I see is that rather than having the base cover the numerals and have a cut-out window, the numerals are exposed and a simple marker denotes your starting point. The numerals go from 0 to 90 back to zero again. This type of demarcation is handy for panoramas if you’re counting off 15 degree increments.Clamp:The other (and most obvious) change from the SunwayFoto is the clamp. This is also the most obvious price-cutting measure I see, although that sounds worse than it is. At first appears to be the same Arca Swiss compatible clamp that Desmond sells (and I own), model number DAC-01. While the design is identical, the machining is completely different, as is the finish. The tolerances are super tight, and the machining is as good as any out there. Other than that it’s the same extended knob and dual pressure-spring jaw, which while not top tier (the springs are semi-exposed) is excellent in its functionality. The clamp has a small bubble level in it which is a nice addition, but useless once the camera is in place.There is not particular safety mechanism in place on the clamp, and as there are on the SunwayFoto or Sirui for instance. The clamp has a center point and numerals on it for accurate placement. The knob on the clamp has the same type of ribbing as the big friction and lock knob. This gives it a consolidated appearance that the SunwayFoto was lacking. It too has a mirror polished face, but in this case it appears that it is a plate. The knobs have a similar look as the Desmond line of products, however the machining is much sharper and the ribs are slightly tighter in spacing as well.Fit & Finish:Unlike many ball heads around this price, the body is machined from a single billet of aircraft grade aluminum. It’s pretty typical of lower cost support to be made of cast metal, finished with a slightly textured looking finish that hides imperfections. Here we have machining comparable to higher end competitors. The finish of the ball head appears to be identical to SunwayFoto’s earlier flat anodizing instead of their semi-gloss. It’s a smooth and even anodizing, but it’s not as luscious and lustrous as what you find on Sirui or ball heads costing far more. Since the finish appears to be identical to SunwayFoto, this means it could be slightly prone to chipping on the sharp corners. My only real complaint here as with the mirror finish on the face of the knobs as well as the matt body is it is prone to fingerprints. Bottom line, the machining is first rate, and the finish is not far behind. For a ball head at this price, nothing else comes anywhere near it.Aesthetically, I actually prefer the overall appearance of the Desmond over the original SunwayFoto. The knobs are all consistently designed, the scalloped edge of the plate has a much more industrial appearance and the squared-off bevels matches the knobs. The polished mirror finish of the knob faces are just enough of an accent to give it a high-end appearance. The pieces all tie together making for a very subtle, understated and handsome piece of gear. The icing on the cake is besides the numeric markings on the panning base and clamp, there are no identification or markings save for a very subtle model number in 9 pt. text on the clamp. I love not having a giant logo and model number mucking things up.Handling:This is absolutely top notch stuff. The friction knob is buttery smooth, as is the tension screw on its face. The panning has just the right amount of resistance, and is dangerously close to the Sirui in this respect. The more weight you put on it, the easier and faster it moves. The clamp too is smooth and easy, with just the right amount of pressure against it as you open it up.The Desmond DB-44’s clamp movement is smooth and even in its action and pressure. The jaw knob is nearly as smooth as the SunwayFoto, but you’ve got to have them next to each other to tell. Both of these are just a notch under the Sirui, which IMO is one of the best standard type ball heads made.With an EOS 6D and my 70-200/2.8 OS, I can easily position and lock the camera with no noticeable slippage. Unlocking and locking again causes very little movement. At extreme angles, if you zero in on your target and lock it, you don’t have to worry about trying to aim high and have it settle into position afterwards.Pros:- insanely inexpensive- first rate fit and finish- fantastic handling- double notch design- single friction/lock knob design- huge friction knob- no rubber on knobs- Arca Swiss Compatible- RRS Compatible- no discerning identification – stealth ball head!Cons:- so inexpensive it falls into the “too good to be true” category- anodizing not as good as some others- mirror finish attracts fingerprints- bubble level could be extended from clamp- no discerning identification – stealth ball head!Other observations:I bought this ball head because I missed my Kirk BH-3, which I sold with a Gitzo tripod. I had the Sirui K-40X, and the K-20X, which are size-wise on each side of this. But to me, a ball head in the mid-40’s is the perfect all-around size. I had planned on replacing it at some point, but only with a good one. However I recognized this right away for what it was. Desmond has proven themselves to be a fantastic value for the money, and they’re the first thing I think of for budget clamps and plates. However, here they’ve taken a huge stride forward. This ball head competes fully with ones costing twice the price. Not even a question.Summary:If you’re looking for a medium sized ball head in the $150-250 range, consider this. Certainly, the Sirui K-30X is a better ball head for $140 – except I prefer the all metal knobs here. Is the SunwayFoto better? I absolutely cannot say. There’s a very slight improved feeling of the machining, and no doubt the materials used would be better. Wouldn’t they? Hmmm. What you do get potentially is an improved warranty. I would put this up against the likes of Benro, Induro, Feisol, Giottos… and it absolutely obliterates Manfrotto. If you’re considering something like a $30 Neewer, for a little more you can have an absolute professional grade ball head that will last a lifetime.This is an absolute screaming deal. I love when I find things like this. OEC camera (currently the only seller) has proven themselves to be a great vendor. I’ve purchased a lot of stuff from them, and they find the highest quality gear for very reasonable prices. This new ball head from Desmond is a jewel.This is 5 stars, and should be more.

EDIT: August 2019I've used this ball head for over a year now, and had success with it, but only within the past week learned how it is supposed to work. Whaaaaat? It was a "oh, wow..." moment for me. Perhaps I'm an idiot and this is intuitive. It was not for me. So here we go: How to Use This Demon DB-44 Ball Head.From the position where both the tension knob (blue outer ring) and lock knob (silver outer knob) are completely disengaged - the ball head will literally flop around if moved - turn the outer silver locking ring clockwise until you've reached the level of tension you want in your ball head for movement without your camera falling over right away, then tighten the tension (blue) ring all the way. The ball still moves with the desired tension. Now... to completely lock in place takes only a fraction of a turn with the locking knob. Likewise, to loosen back to the position where you'd previously set your "movement" tension, a fraction of a turn of the silver lock knob counter clockwise and there you go. I hope this description helps someone.---Overall, I'm satisfied, though I've found the tension/lock knob interaction took some getting used to.The tension knob (large, blue outer ring) and the lock knob (inner, silver ring) aren't completely independent. I assume this is by design, though when I was first testing the head I was fairly frustrated with it.Here's what I mean:The short of it -- it seems the tension knob can do plus/minus a rotation or two from the locking mechanism.- If the lock knob is completely disengaged to allow unfettered movement on the ball, tightening the tension knob as much as possible does almost nothing in terms of providing resistance on ball movement.- From the above point, turning the lock knob slightly towards lock position all of a sudden allows the tension knob an additional couple rotations (thus providing some resistence to movement).I'd read some reviews where the person indicated the tension knob appeared to do nothing. My guess: they had the lock knob completely loose.When the lock knob is slightly tightened/turned to lock, the tension knob functions as expected -- allowing for movement of the head while still holding the camera in position if released.In terms of overall thoughts: I'm happy with it.- The panning motion is very smooth.- There's absolutely no motion, no play once locked tight -- this was a complaint I had with my prior ball heads: there was always some amount of movement, however small, after locking the head.- Solid, sturdy construction.