A marvel of innovation. You have instant access to 85% of a sphere, making this far and away the quickest to position ballhead. The ball head provides an unbelievable positioning range of 120° in virtually any plane. There is no vertical notch necessary. The surface is coated with a scratch-resistant, smooth shell which reduces vibration transmission while allowing the user to move the gear with ease and expedience. There is no independent panning capacity, however this can be solved by using a NOVOFLEX Universal Panorama Plate. Together these two pieces provide quicker use than all other ballheads. The Mini MagicBall can hold almost all 35mm-sized digital SLR gear, and will not creep even with an SLR with 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and flash attached. While it has immense locking power for its little size, it does not have tension control like the two larger models-the Mini was designed for the traveller whom needs the lightest kit possible and was willing to make such a sacrifice. Save the size, weight and cost of quick release mechanisms; the MagicBall's moving screw with thumbwheel is fast enough that you'll be glad to be travelling lighter.