Gimbal for stills

[thayes15]

Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question.

Is a gimbal useful only for video and completely impractical for stills photography?

 

[Lee Jay]

Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question.

Is a gimbal useful only for video and completely impractical for stills photography?

Pretty much.

For stills, use a tripod, monopod, or image stabilization rather than a gimbal. A gimbal can also work, but it's overkill.

 

[bobito CT]

I use a gimbal head on a monopod for shooting birds, it has been a game changer. It's very comfortable to shoot eye level or high in the trees with just a change in height on the monopod. I find I'm getting many more keepers since I'm not standing awkwardly. I also have a much easier time tracking bird jumping from branch to branch with the gimbal over monopod alone.

 

[sybersitizen]

Is a gimbal useful only for video and completely impractical for stills photography?

I'm pretty sure gimbals for stills shooters have been around longer than gimbals for video shooters - but they're a different type.

 

[Lee Jay]

I use a gimbal head on a monopod for shooting birds, it has been a game changer. It's very comfortable to shoot eye level or high in the trees with just a change in height on the monopod. I find I'm getting many more keepers since I'm not standing awkwardly. I also have a much easier time tracking bird jumping from branch to branch with the gimbal over monopod alone.

Are we talking about a gimbal?

Or a gimbal head?

--
Lee Jay

 

[BBbuilder467]

Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question.

Is a gimbal useful only for video and completely impractical for stills photography?

The type of gimbal used for video is different than the tripod mounted type for stills. I don't know what benefit the hand-held video type would have for stills.

 

[bobito CT]

I was assuming a gimbal head.

 

[Boomanbb]

Some 3 axis gimbals can be mounted on a tripod and controlled remotely. You can do an automated pano for instance.

 

[Lee Jay]

I was assuming a gimbal head.

Yeah, I know. And as a result of my assumption that he meant a motorized stabilization gimbal and your post, I asked the question.

 

[Rexgig0]

Is a gimbal useful only for video and completely impractical for stills photography?

I'm pretty sure gimbals for stills shooters have been around longer than gimbals for video shooters - but they're a different type.

Gimbals have been in existence for more than two thousand years. I first remember encountering gimbals in the nautical context, to keep ships’/boats’ compasses level, but it seems quite a few tools and instruments have been mounted on gimbals, over the centuries.

--
By accident of availability, I learned to use Canon and Nikon DSLRs at the same time. I love specific lenses made by both Canon and Nikon, too much to quit either system. Dabbling with Leica-M is fun, too. I am, certainly, not an expert.

 

[thayes15]

A gimbal The first photo

Not a gimbal head

 

[thayes15]

So I want image stabilization for hand held stills photogrphy

 

[Rexgig0]

So I want image stabilization for hand held stills photogrphy

I nearly rented a gyro stabilizer, about ten years ago, for shooting from a helicopter, at night.

https://www.ken-lab.com/

--
By accident of availability, I learned to use Canon and Nikon DSLRs at the same time. I love specific lenses made by both Canon and Nikon, too much to quit either system. Dabbling with Leica-M is fun, too. I am, certainly, not an expert.

 

[Lee Jay]

A gimbal The first photo

Not a gimbal head

Then my original recommendation stands, unless you have an unusual application.

 

[thayes15]

Thanks Lee Jay

Your original recommendation does indeed answer the question. I'm just not familiar with gimbals and was wondering if I was missing something.

Thanks again very yours and everyone's input.

 

[ZX11]

I was assuming a gimbal head.

Yeah, I know. And as a result of my assumption that he meant a motorized stabilization gimbal and your post, I asked the question.

Glad I'm not the only one. Another thread had me thinking it was a motorized gimbal when the writer was talking about the tripod gimbal head. I have mounted my gimbal to a tripod and to a monopod so I didn't think about a gimbal head.

The gimbal does moving time lapse for me. A monopod allows me to hold the motorized gimbal and camera upside down by the ground as i run or segway.

 

[markyboy81]

Some 3 axis gimbals can be mounted on a tripod and controlled remotely. You can do an automated pano for instance.

 

[ZX11]

So I want image stabilization for hand held stills photogrphy

Since you are focusing on stills, you want a light weight monopod with a small tilt and pan head on it. It will be lighter than using a gimbal strong enough for an ILC. And the gimbal will not stabilize for horizontal sliding and vertical sliding of your hand like a monopod or tripod would.

 

[jerryf128]

I am curious, if you use a gimbal for stills ( side mount ) for tripod, would you turn off IBIS on the camera, as if it is mounted directly to the tripod?

 

[BBbuilder467]

So I want image stabilization for hand held stills photogrphy

When I use a monopod with tilt-head, I average about 2 to 3 stops over hand-held. If I compressed the monopod to use the weight as a stabilizer, I don't think I'd gain anything for stills.

with short focal length lenses, I wouldn't use a gimbal head for stills in the first place.