[Yes] To be completely upfront, I purchased this pan head as an inexpensive quality-of-life upgrade for my copy stand, which I use to photographically digitize film negatives and slides. Essentially, it probably won't move very much for the next several years. However, in setting everything up, I noticed a few things:


1. The milling and forming of all the components is excellent. I have significantly more expensive tripod heads that don't feel as substantive or tightly assembled.


2. All of the locking knobs are superb. There's hardly any movement once you have things set and locked down, which, again, I can't say the same for other ball heads I own.


3. Even though I'm not using it for myself, I tested the included quick release plate and found it to be quite excellent. It secures quite nicely, it doesn't foul the tilt/swivel screen on the X-T100 I'm using, and I can't think of many cameras where it would cause a problem.


If I weren't making this an explicitly single-use device, I could easily see this as an inexpensive entry for anyone looking to make stitched panoramas, architectural photos, or even as a portable tripod head for video.

[Ball Head] I purchased this Field Optics Research 35 mm Ball Head for a spotting scope setup for myself and for some photography my wife does. The control you are able to achieve over the friction of the ball head is amazing! The way this ball head has the ratchet tensioner for the ball allows for a lot of friction to be applied incrementally which allows so much control. The ball head is smooth those, there's not much jerking which happens while in use and the independent panning lock screen allows the ball to stay tensioned while still moving the head. The weight is amazing too, only about half a pound and the head is all aluminum/steel components so it's very durable. B&H was good on their shipping also and had the best price on this product. I highly recommend this product and this company to anyone considering it!

[1x 1/4"-20 Male] B&H is the best!

[Yes] I haven't put this through the wringer yet, but I have initial impressions.

Strengths:
Light
Strong
Smooth panning
Smooth plate release
Bubble levels

Potential weaknesses:
The pan tension screw seems to be an all or nothing deal. The panning is smooth and has a fair bit of resistance so the screw really only serves to lock the panning. Maybe the panning will become less resistant over time

The 'ratcheting' mechanism for tightening the ball is a great feature since you aren't limited by turning once right or left then running out of room to turn. IMO, it would be nice if each turn added resistance more slowly so fine tuning the tension was easier

[Yes] I tried the BH-300....too bulky. I've had the original pan/tilt head. My medium sized tripod was overwhelmed by the 300, but this fits just fine and works very well for my EM-1 mk iii and 300mm with 2x. Controls are easy to access, and weight works well for me.

[1x 1/4"-20 Male] Precision engineered with solid feel, yet very, very light. I generally use the larger FPH-200 pan head with the 85mm spotting scope for range duty, but this ball head is a perfect complement to my 55mm spotter for backcountry glassing.
Another top tier product from Field Optics Research.

[Yes] We use on copy stand, well made, locks solid.

[1x 1/4"-20 Male] Sturdy build with super smooth adjustments. Currently using with a Sony a6300 and 12mm on a slider for indoor fitness shoots. The ball head mounts quickly and setting up the camera is a breeze.

[0.735 lb] Well built. Affordable. Works with d5300, d7500 flippy floopy screens without hampering operation.
Would buy again.