Ball head vs Gimbal

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Abinoone said:
I've also tried ball head/gimbal hybrids, like the Flexshooter Pro, but found their range of motion and fluidity no match for a good gimbal, although they are useful when traveling, when space and weight are considerations.
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"No match?" As someone who has long used gimbals and now uses a Flexshooter, I think this is hyperbolic. Range of motion is just fine; you have the ballhead control to adjust for extreme upward (or downward) angles. Fluidity is completely adjustable. The only "downside" is that you have to set the balance of the ballhead when you begin shooting, something that after a while takes just a few seconds. You can use the Flexshooter for all of your cameras and lenses, unlike a gimbal, which is yuck when you mount the camera directly on it. I now use my gimbal (Wimberley) pretty much only when I do flash photography, and this because Wimberley offers a terrific flash bracket that mounts right on the gimbal itself.
 
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Many topics like this one make for great conversation. But there's plenty of objective information that is fairly clear. What do professionals use? Gimbals are heavy and a PITA to haul around. But they perform better than anything else for the intended purpose. Any multiuse solution is a compromise by definition. It all comes down to individual needs. I've tried most of the alternatives at some point and still use several. But for pure performance a good gimbal can't be beat.
 
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Arthur Morris is a strong advocate of the Flexshooter, as is Andy Rouse. The Flexshooter is still relatively new and I suspect that over time more professionals will come to use these devices. Gimbals are terrific; people can use what they want and opinions will vary, but I don't think it's fair to imply that an "objective" look at the issue clearly leads one to use a gimbal. I will add that I have been in the field quite recently with professionals who (still!) use old-fashioned ballheads and don't accept that they are "compromising."
 
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GrandNagus50 said:
"No match?" As someone who has long used gimbals and now uses a Flexshooter, I think this is hyperbolic. Range of motion is just fine; you have the ballhead control to adjust for extreme upward (or downward) angles. Fluidity is completely adjustable. The only "downside" is that you have to set the balance of the ballhead when you begin shooting, something that after a while takes just a few seconds. You can use the Flexshooter for all of your cameras and lenses, unlike a gimbal, which is yuck when you mount the camera directly on it. I now use my gimbal (Wimberley) pretty much only when I do flash photography, and this because Wimberley offers a terrific flash bracket that mounts right on the gimbal itself.
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I'm happy that it works for you, but my experience isn't as positive. Mind you, I use a Flexshooter Pro sometimes when I'm traveling to a distant place and am limited by weight and space on flights, but I'll take a good gimbal any day over a hybrid like the Flexshooter. Not hyperbole, just my personal experience and preference.
 
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Ball heads are fine for shooting from a blind but for subjects in motion a pan tilt head or a gimbal allow for smooth tracking whether shooting stills or video. I use a pan tilt (standard for videographers) for smaller lenses like the 28-300mm that is great for video and I use two different gimbal heads with my heavy 600mm f/4 lens.

I use a Custom Brackets gimbal when traveling as I can take it apart without tools and so it is easier to fit it inside my carry-on bags. Stateside I use the Gitzo dampened gimbal that I bought originally for video but like it so much I use it for all my still shooting with the 600mm lens.

When I had lighter lenses the Wimberley Sidekick was what I used. I mounts in seconds to a ball head and provides a side mount gimbal for a lens. I store it in a pocket of the tripod carry case. In the field it fits in a pocket of the camera bag so I could go from shooting landscapes of panos to wildlife in seconds. The 500mm f/4 lens at 8+ lbs was too much for the Sidekick even with a Kirk BH-1 ballhead but it works perfectly for my wife with her much lighter Olympus MFT cameras and telephoto lenses.

Something to watch out for is that some gimbal heads work only for side mounting a camera and lens. With the Sigma Sport 15-600mm the foot got in the way of the controls on the D850 using a side mount head. The Sigma Sport is the only lens I have had a problem with in this regard but it is something to consider when shopping for a gimbal head.
 
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GrandNagus50 said:
Arthur Morris is a strong advocate of the Flexshooter, as is Andy Rouse. The Flexshooter is still relatively new and I suspect that over time more professionals will come to use these devices. Gimbals are terrific; people can use what they want and opinions will vary, but I don't think it's fair to imply that an "objective" look at the issue clearly leads one to use a gimbal. I will add that I have been in the field quite recently with professionals who (still!) use old-fashioned ballheads and don't accept that they are "compromising."
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If it works keep shooting. We all have different needs. Otherwise there wouldn't be options on the market. But by design ball heads are a compromise vs a gimbal for action photography. It's simple geometry. Each individual has to decide whether it's an acceptable compromise. There's no right or wrong. Anyone contemplating spending a significant sum of money and/or planning on using something extensively is well advised to try before you buy. The right answer isn't likely to be found reading other's opinions.
 
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"The right tool for the job" is a well worn axiom but is also so true. As someone once asked me many years ago, "would you cut down a tree with a hammer"? The correct answer is: only if you had to and there was no other tool available.

On the assumption we get to choose the tools we employ for mounting longer and heavier lenses on our cameras, there is no question that there is always a healthy element of personal preference but there is equally good reason as to why well-engineered gimbals atop equally well engineered tripods work so well for so many in the wildlife photography sphere...the physics of their setup facilitate brilliant performance. We also know the tradeoffs of inconvenience, mass, weight, etc, combinations of which get amplified when travelling, hiking or requiring particularly fast adaptive movements when shooting.

Further, I will add that I am another who has added a Flexshooter Pro to my kit and I've been impressed with it to date. For me it would be more likely to replace older ball heads, (none of which were particularly satisfying in my case) than my Jobu gimbal. However, if I was constrained on luggage and load, I would be happy to work with the Flexshooter with my 600mm f4.
 
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I would suggest finding Hudson Henry on you tube and watching his video on setting up a tripod with a fluid head. A Manfrotto 502 AF, in my opinion, is way better than any gimbal setup on the market. Don't believe me. Find someone you know that uses one and take a ride with it. I recently bought a new tripod that I could setup a ball head or a fluid head. Change from one to the other in about 30 seconds. Started with the Robus RTH-1050 ball head. Great product, good as RRS for a little less money and one less knob to fight with while using. Tripod is Robus RC5570. After a couple of days, I switched to the fluid head to test. The ball head is just as dead as some folks here think a DSLR is. That fluid head is indeed for video but is the best setup I have ever used on a tripod! If money is no object, then neither is a Wimberly. You owe it to yourself to try a fluid head setup. (y) (y)(y)
 
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Hut2 said:
I use a Peak Design Slide strap attached to the lens foot.

www.peakdesign.com

Slide

The original Peak Design flagship camera strap, Slide is everything other pro camera straps aren't: beautiful, low-profile, adjustable, quick-connecting, and configurable to your gear. Wear Slide as a sling, neck, or shoulder strap. Internally-padded nylon webbing has a smooth side that glides...
www.peakdesign.com www.peakdesign.com
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Could you post a picture of your setup? ❔
 
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I am too old, and busted up, to handhold my 200-500 (and 500 PF for that matter) for any length of time so I have invested in a really lightweight Really Right Stuff tripod (they also have the long size that I need at 6' 4") and a Jobu Designs (Canada company) Jobu Jr Deluxe which is super light at 1lb 8oz (680g) (and happens to be on sale right now). It is an A+ gimbal that is very smooth and you can tighten it to exactly what you need for the camera not to move up and down on its own, but is very easy to move both left/right and up/down. There are others on this forum that use that gimbal.

You attach that gimbal to a Really Right Stuff TFC-24L MK2 Series2 Long-Leg Ultralight Carbon Fiber Tripod (66.1") at 3.6 lbs you end up with a tripod and gimbal at 5.2 lbs!! Almost the same as the 5.1 lb 200-500!!

The only time I use a Ball Head is for macro photography with a micro rail.

Yes, a ball head is typically lighter and easier to pack, but I am just not fast enough with it for any bird shots.

I cut a pool noodle down to about a foot long and cut a slit in it, and put it over a leg of the tripod anytime I'm planning to carry it over my should for a length of time. I now have a Z6 II with the 500pf (or 300 pf) and it is super light with this mount and super steady. I'm a fanatic for "tack sharp" shots and I have to use a tripod to get what I like most of the time.

 
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Hut2 said:
I use a Peak Design Slide strap attached to the lens foot.

www.peakdesign.com

Slide

The original Peak Design flagship camera strap, Slide is everything other pro camera straps aren't: beautiful, low-profile, adjustable, quick-connecting, and configurable to your gear. Wear Slide as a sling, neck, or shoulder strap. Internally-padded nylon webbing has a smooth side that glides...
www.peakdesign.com www.peakdesign.com
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Those are fantastic straps. I use them with the QD rings on the long lenses and attached to the body with shorter ones. I have never had any issues with them.
 
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Andrew Lamberson said:
I like that! I have a Peak Designs neck strap and I'm going to see if I can do that with my 500PF.
Thanks for the picture!!!
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I have a Kirk foot on the 500PF with the peak strap and use the QD ring with those anchors attached. Works really well
F9ED96F8-F75F-4312-A3DF-36A2D9CD7DA4.jpeg
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Abinoone said:
While many people shoot BIF handheld, I prefer to use my gimbal on a sturdy tripod whenever possible (which is most of the time). Not only does it give you good stability and fluid motion, it relieves fatigue considerably when using a long lens. A ball head won't do you a lot of good for BIF - it's just too hard to maneuver. Wimberley gimbals are the reputed gold standard, but I found the Benro GH2 to be excellent at about 40% less expensive. I've used both my Benro and a friend's Wimberley, and can't tell any real difference in performance. I've also tried ball head/gimbal hybrids, like the Flexshooter Pro, but found their range of motion and fluidity no match for a good gimbal, although they are useful when traveling, when space and weight are considerations. One other consideration: if you do landscapes, panos, or macro work, you'll definitely need a good ball head - a gimbal is generally useless for thus kind of work. I use a Kirk BH1 ball head, but there are many other excellent brands. Really Right Stuff (RRS) is very highly rated, but pricey.

Hope this helps.
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Update: I ended up taking your advise and went with the Benro GH2. Silk smooth operation, not sure how any other Gimbal could be any more fluid. Thanks again. I got a lot of great information from all the posters but in the end it was the GH2
 
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Cas1234 said:
Update: I ended up taking your advise and went with the Benro GH2. Silk smooth operation, not sure how any other Gimbal could be any more fluid. Thanks again. I got a lot of great information from all the posters but in the end it was the GH2
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So glad that you're pleased. I completely agree with you about the Benro. Enjoy!
 
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It comes down to the intended use and the load presented by the lens and camera. For a heavy 600mm lens for stills and video I use the dampened Gitzo gimbal head which is the best I have found. For video with smaller lenses my choice is the iFootage video head that is a pan tilt and works very well on a tripod or a monopod when shooting video.

For camera straps the best I have found are the ones from Op/Tech that use neoprene for the strap and this acts like a shock absorber and is a real neck saver and the material is the least likely to slip off a shoulder of any I have used over the years. Many "pro" camera straps have failed in this regard and ended up in the trash. At $21 they are a bargain but what matters most is that they work better than any other strap on the market. I also like that they come in different colors so I can color code the attached cameras and binos with different color straps.
 
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