Gimbals for 180-600 and wildlife

PLShutterbug said:

I’m thinking of getting a gimbal head for wildlife photography. I had a friend in Singapore using one years ago and he made work seem effortless with it.

What are y’all’s experience with them?

https://www.amazon.com/Concept-Alum...a53-b83d-2b978f3858bd&pd_rd_i=B093GCCQLK&th=1

TIA.

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I wouldn't be without my Wimberley:

https://www.tripodhead.com/products/wimberley-main.cfm

They do, however hinder mobility in more dynamic situations, sometimes I think a monopod is more suitable, especially for a lighter lens such as that 180-600.

I have a Really Right Stuff gimbal (not the latest version). It's beautifully made and has the advantage that it breaks down into three parts, but I think that the Wimberley probably has a smoother operation judging by my Wimberley monopod head.

If I was buying a gimbal now it would be the Wimberley.

I would steer well clear of cheap gimbals. You are looking for solid construction and very smooth bearings. The higher end gimbals are expensive for a reason.

ajr images said:

I have a Really Right Stuff gimbal (not the latest version). It's beautifully made and has the advantage that it breaks down into three parts, but I think that the Wimberley probably has a smoother operation judging by my Wimberley monopod head.

If I was buying a gimbal now it would be the Wimberley.

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I think my friend’s was a Wimberley.

It's $595 at B&H.

It is difficult to give advice as improved in lens VR, improved noise performance in cameras and much improved post things processing noise improvement reduce the need for a gimbal.

As already mentioned, they are relatively large and heavy to transport, even those that break down into three separate parts.

ajr images said:

I would steer well clear of cheap gimbals. You are looking for solid construction and very smooth bearings. The higher end gimbals are expensive for a reason.

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This is a good point. With a high quality gimbal head that has precise bearings, you can slightly loosen the knobs and follow action smooth as silk. Good for videos too. Go for quality. And if this is your first gimbal head for a long, heavy lens, you will be amazed how the lens sits (seemingly) weightlessly and balances in the gimbal. It's a real eye opener.

heavy lenses cannot be handheld for long and thus call for support. The gimbal head has long been the best solution combining solid support with ease of directional changes for the camera.

For my 300mm f/2.8 lens, about 3Kg, I bought a Jobu Junior quality gimbal head more than ten years ago. The Junior is a downsized head, at reduced weight a lot and at the same time maintained or improved stiffness. The compromise is that stable pendulum balance cannot be fully reached as with big gimbal heads. With the Junior, center of gravity stays about 10mm above the pivot, which is a lot less compared to a top heavy situation with a ball head, where the CG would be more than 100mm above pivot.

This first version of the Junior was not totally satisfying as when tightening for a little friction the joint occasionally got sticky and would not move smoothly.

As quick steeply inclined takes get awkward with any tripod setup including with gimbal head. I tend to freehand aiming for steep angles. For animal images taken near the horizontal, I strongly prefer the monopod. On an open safari vehicle, I have used a simple tilt head on the monopod to avoid having to tilt the entire monopod. A head with more degrees of freedom than simple tilt is counterproductive on the monopod.

The monopod is my support of choice for flexible lenses with VR in the weight range ...2-3 kg like the 180-600 .

For tripod use I am in the process of converting to using a fluid head. The SmallRig lightweight fluid head with levelling base has become a game changer for me. It is comparable to a midsize ball head in weight, but, with leveling for panning, fluid motions and a restoring spring to counteract the top heavy toppling motion. It is rated for 4kg support, but a 180-600 + Z8 seems pushing things. -- I still prefer a monopod for animals, where freehand is too tiresome.

PLShutterbug said:

I’m thinking of getting a gimbal head for wildlife photography. I had a friend in Singapore using one years ago and he made work seem effortless with it.

What are y’all’s experience with them?

https://www.amazon.com/Concept-Alum...a53-b83d-2b978f3858bd&pd_rd_i=B093GCCQLK&th=1

TIA.

Click to expand...

I bought that same gimbal, and it has worked well for me in the limited use to which I have put it. I have no experience with Wimberly or other more expensive brands, so I can't offer a comparison.

I will say I have used it less than I anticipated, because I find that with good technique, and thanks to VR and IBIS, I am able to hand hold my Z6/200-500 F5.6 more than I thought I'd be able to. No regrets about the purchase though!

tclune said:

jtr27 said:

I bought that same gimbal, and it has worked well for me in the limited use to which I have put it. I have no experience with Wimberly or other more expensive brands, so I can't offer a comparison.

I will say I have used it less than I anticipated, because I find that with good technique, and thanks to VR and IBIS, I am able to hand hold my Z6/200-500 F5.6 more than I thought I'd be able to. No regrets about the purchase though!

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I think that people suggesting that the OP should only buy a gimbal costing five times as much as the one you bought miss this point. The OP really has no idea whether he'll actually use the gimbal or not. These inexpensive gimbals are perfectly adequate for determining whether or not he'll use one. If he ends up using one once a year or so, it'll meet his needs. If he finds that it's a regular part of his shootiing kit, he will probably want to get a more expensive one. But I suspect that most gimbals, like most tripods, are purchased far more often than they are used. And, despite what afficionados may believe, that is not because the item is too low-quality. Not every piece of kit suits every shooter.

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Exactly. Except the Wimberley is over 6x the price of this one, not just 5.

As a hobbyist I want to balance quality with cost. I chatted with my friend, PT Lee (look him up on Facebook - his portfolio of birds in Singapore and SE Asia is quite impressive) and he thinks the Wimberley is overpriced today for what it delivers.

I bought the K&F yesterday and will receive it tomorrow. I will put it through its paces and report back.

I will use this maybe 5x per year - hopefully more - so spending $600 is just more than I want to afford.

My first was a Manfrotto 393, which is pretty much what the original gimbal was. As I recall, my experiences with gimbals go back to ship's compasses which were gimbal-mounted. It did a fair job, and I modified it to accept Arca-Swiss plates. I still have it and it's a very versatile accessory.

I've also purchased an Induro GHB2, used, and it's really a great piece of hardware. I also got a case of the "gotta have its", and bought an Sirui PH-10 CF gimbal, and it's a very solid performer.

I adapted the Induro to a window mount for my car.

if you have a very good ballhead you may consider :


or


or look at B&H.

easier to travel with, work well with a lens like yours.

FSPhoto said:

if you have a very good ballhead you may consider :

https://leofotousa.com/products/leofoto-mpg-02-gimbal-attachment-for-heads-arca-compatible

or

https://www.amazon.com/Sevenoak-SK-...d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

or look at B&H.

easier to travel with, work well with a lens like yours.

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Thanks.

Both look like they would produce a lot of force on the ball itself, making that the weak point.

It's not hard to replace a tripod head, and generally if I'm using the gimbal I've decided to go shoot subjects that require that - as opposed to carrying it with me on the off chance I might encounter something that requires it.

I've already ordered the full gimbal, at lower cost than the Sevenoaks product. I'll give that a go and report back in the Accessories Talk forum - that seems most appropriate. Actually I see this thread was moved there already.

The K&F looks like it's based on the RRS design. No doubt it's made in the far east so they can probably make and sell it for far less than a US based company.

Let us know how it works out, especially how smooth the 'tilt' bearing is.

I have to admit that I've rarely used my gimbal, especially now that I use Z telephotos that for me are all hand holdable, including the 400TC and the 800.

ajr images said:

I have a Really Right Stuff gimbal (not the latest version). It's beautifully made and has the advantage that it breaks down into three parts, but I think that the Wimberley probably has a smoother operation judging by my Wimberley monopod head.

If I was buying a gimbal now it would be the Wimberley.

Click to expand...

Alan,

Curious what it is about your RRS gimbal you don't like. I believe we have the same gimbal--the PG-02--and I've been VERY happy with mine. Seems to move quite easily and smoothly. Granted, I haven't used mine a WHOLE lot, but when I have, it's performer well.

Sam

All,

Along these same lines, if the OP already has a good-quality ball head, then getting something like the Wimberley Sidekick makes a certain amount of sense, as well. It's small, relatively inexpensive (compared to a full-on gimbal), and from all accounts I've seen works well. It attaches onto the ball head and gives it the functionality of a gimbal. To me, it would also be worth considering, as long as the OP already has a good ball head, or if they want to also have a good ball head for other use and a gimbal for when they need it.

Sam

Hi Sam,

Yes, I have the original PG-02, not the recent Mk. 2 version.

I certainly don't hate it but I don't consider the 'tilt' bearing to just 'smooth' not 'silky smooth'. Maybe it's a problem with my gimbal.

I had hoped that once everything is balanced the head would move at the touch of a fingertip.

While I haven't personally used a Wimberley gimbal, I have their monopod head and the bearing on that is unbelievably smooth. I also have the RRS mono head and that is not as smooth as the Wimberley.

I don't think I've actually used the gimbal since acquiring the Z telephotos. I found that I can easily hand hold these including the 400TC and 800. I typically used the gimbal with my old 500 f4VR on a D4 or D5.

My personal opinion is that a gimbal is more useful if you want to set up the camera on a subject for an extended period of time as there's a limit to how long you can handhold a long lens.

PLShutterbug said:

tclune said:

jtr27 said:

I bought that same gimbal, and it has worked well for me in the limited use to which I have put it. I have no experience with Wimberly or other more expensive brands, so I can't offer a comparison.

I will say I have used it less than I anticipated, because I find that with good technique, and thanks to VR and IBIS, I am able to hand hold my Z6/200-500 F5.6 more than I thought I'd be able to. No regrets about the purchase though!

Click to expand...

I think that people suggesting that the OP should only buy a gimbal costing five times as much as the one you bought miss this point. The OP really has no idea whether he'll actually use the gimbal or not. These inexpensive gimbals are perfectly adequate for determining whether or not he'll use one. If he ends up using one once a year or so, it'll meet his needs. If he finds that it's a regular part of his shootiing kit, he will probably want to get a more expensive one. But I suspect that most gimbals, like most tripods, are purchased far more often than they are used. And, despite what afficionados may believe, that is not because the item is too low-quality. Not every piece of kit suits every shooter.

Click to expand...

Exactly. Except the Wimberley is over 6x the price of this one, not just 5.

As a hobbyist I want to balance quality with cost. I chatted with my friend, PT Lee (look him up on Facebook - his portfolio of birds in Singapore and SE Asia is quite impressive) and he thinks the Wimberley is overpriced today for what it delivers.

I bought the K&F yesterday and will receive it tomorrow. I will put it through its paces and report back.

I will use this maybe 5x per year - hopefully more - so spending $600 is just more than I want to afford.

Click to expand...

I hope you enjoy it and that it meets your needs! I should also have said I plan to use mine more in the future. In Maine that means longer shooting sessions (eg if a cooperative moose is spotted) where I do not want to hand hold the camera the whole time.