Gimbal/fluid head recommendation for wildlife

[MEhampshire]

Hi, looking for a gimbal head, I've returned the K&F gimbal I was using due to severe wobble after a few weeks of use. So looking for something under £/$200 if possible or is it better to get a fluid head like Manfrotto 502AH?

If fluid head, I'm looking at Manfrotto 502 or benro s6 pro. I will be mounting a 5D MKIII and Canon 500mm F4 MKI IS + 1.4x MKII which is I think it weigh about 5.5kg, also planning to use it for ground level shots using groundpod.

Any other recommendation is welcome.

Thanks

 

[Box Brownie]

FWIW
Some years back I initially bought a Lensmaster Gimbal and for me me I 'found it lacking', I sent that back for a refund. I bit the bullet and bought a Wimberley gimbal.

At that time there were various forum users on a couple of fora who said they found Jobo models to their liking.

Having said that there are folks who use video fluid heads.

IMO your budget is quite modest.

All being well, others more experienced & knowledgeable than me will chip in.

 

[Redbeard the Cameraguy]

I think the Manfrotto 502 is a solid option fairly close to your budget.
Personally I don't like their cinema QR plates but I'm sure you can find an Arca Swiss clamp
to mount on the cinema QR plate If you feel the same way.

 

[MEhampshire]

FWIW
Some years back I initially bought a Lensmaster Gimbal and for me me I 'found it lacking', I sent that back for a refund. I bit the bullet and bought a Wimberley gimbal.

At that time there were various forum users on a couple of fora who said they found Jobo models to their liking.

Having said that there are folks who use video fluid heads.

IMO your budget is quite modest.

All being well, others more experienced & knowledgeable than me will chip in.

Thanks for your reply,

I saw a Lensmaster gimbal for £60 it looks very straightforward but I can't find any reviews on them and how they are in the long run. Not sure if you can still remember, what did you find it lacking of compare to Wimberley? I have a feeling that I won't like the edge design aspect of it as it will dig on your hand if you grab it on the side, I sometimes carry my tripod by the gimbal.

I'd go for Wimberley but they're quite out of my budget .

 

[Box Brownie]

Thanks for your reply,

I saw a Lensmaster gimbal for £60 it looks very straightforward but I can't find any reviews on them and how they are in the long run. Not sure if you can still remember, what did you find it lacking of compare to Wimberley? I have a feeling that I won't like the edge design aspect of it as it will dig on your hand if you grab it on the side, I sometimes carry my tripod by the gimbal.

I'd go for Wimberley but they're quite out of my budget .

I can't remember exactly as it was IIRC sometime around 2014/5.......

I bought it directly from Lensmaster and I think it was a model LH-1

It was a sidekick type i.e. without the swing arm component and IIRC the clamp had a minor issue with the construction of the fixture of the clamp to the gimbal. Also, again IIRC the 'bearing' mechanism at the tripod mounting point was binding and the tightness control was too coarse.

The guy that makes was very understanding of my concerns and offered to supply a swap replacement but I declined and sent it back for a refund.

I would surmise that perhaps 8+ years on, the design and construction may be improved on what I saw at that time?

 

[tbone1004]

Hi, looking for a gimbal head, I've returned the K&F gimbal I was using due to severe wobble after a few weeks of use. So looking for something under £/$200 if possible or is it better to get a fluid head like Manfrotto 502AH?

If fluid head, I'm looking at Manfrotto 502 or benro s6 pro. I will be mounting a 5D MKIII and Canon 500mm F4 MKI IS + 1.4x MKII which is I think it weigh about 5.5kg, also planning to use it for ground level shots using groundpod.

Any other recommendation is welcome.

Thanks

I'm a fan of the Manfrotto personally. Depending on how you intend to use it the top plate may not be an issue. If you know that nearly 100% of your use will be on a single lens that is almost always going to be mounted to the tripod then save the money and just mount the plate directly to the foot. IIRC Morten Hilmer uses this configuration and it saves you from buying a new foot if you're shooting with a lens that doesn't have an Arca foot. If you are going to use the head with multiple lenses and/or you handhold the lens on a regular basis then there are various ways to adapt the Manfrotto plate to Arca. I use a cheap Leofoto clamp on mine since my head gets relatively little use, mostly with a spotting scope, but you can check this thread and several others that talk about various ways to get to Arca from the Manfrotto plate. The "best" IMO is probably the Kirk setup since it replaces the entire top bridge with Arca which saves a good bit of weight as well as compound sliding if you aren't careful.

Manfrotto to Arca Swiss?

I have a Manfrotto mvh500 with a Manfrotto plate which I use, when making video. I'm tired of changing plate to Manfrotto when I use mvh500 as I have Arca Swiss on all my lenses/camera. Is there a “converter plate“ I can use?

bcgforums.com

 

[MEhampshire]

I can't remember exactly as it was IIRC sometime around 2014/5.......

I bought it directly from Lensmaster and I think it was a model LH-1

It was a sidekick type i.e. without the swing arm component and IIRC the clamp had a minor issue with the construction of the fixture of the clamp to the gimbal. Also, again IIRC the 'bearing' mechanism at the tripod mounting point was binding and the tightness control was too coarse.

The guy that makes was very understanding of my concerns and offered to supply a swap replacement but I declined and sent it back for a refund.

I would surmise that perhaps 8+ years on, the design and construction may be improved on what I saw at that time?

Yeah I think the design hasn't really changed since, I don't see any other updates from their website as well. Most reviews they have on their websites are from 2013 no recent updates.

I'm a fan of the Manfrotto personally. Depending on how you intend to use it the top plate may not be an issue. If you know that nearly 100% of your use will be on a single lens that is almost always going to be mounted to the tripod then save the money and just mount the plate directly to the foot. IIRC Morten Hilmer uses this configuration and it saves you from buying a new foot if you're shooting with a lens that doesn't have an Arca foot. If you are going to use the head with multiple lenses and/or you handhold the lens on a regular basis then there are various ways to adapt the Manfrotto plate to Arca. I use a cheap Leofoto clamp on mine since my head gets relatively little use, mostly with a spotting scope, but you can check this thread and several others that talk about various ways to get to Arca from the Manfrotto plate. The "best" IMO is probably the Kirk setup since it replaces the entire top bridge with Arca which saves a good bit of weight as well as compound sliding if you aren't careful.

Manfrotto to Arca Swiss?

I have a Manfrotto mvh500 with a Manfrotto plate which I use, when making video. I'm tired of changing plate to Manfrotto when I use mvh500 as I have Arca Swiss on all my lenses/camera. Is there a “converter plate“ I can use?

bcgforums.com

Yeah it'll be mainly used for my 500mm F4, I have 70-200 but ofc that can be hand-held even with an extender. I'm also planning to get a ball head at some point for lighter use cases. If I go with the manfrotto I can just attach an arca-swiss mount on top as I have spare arca mount and plates.

I mostly do photography very little to non-video but I've been thinking of recording short clips, I think my only reservation for going with it is it's size.

Another options are Sirui PH-20 gimbal or Benro GH2 I'm looking for something that smooth when panning for tracking.

 

[wotan1]

I bought a used Gitzo fluid head a while ago and it worked fine but I eventually decided to pick up the Wimberley 200 because of the excellent reviews. I am considering letting the Gitzo go. If you are interested contact me by PM. I think the used Gitzo would be better than any of the inexpensive choices discussed here.

 

[ricardo00]

FWIW
Some years back I initially bought a Lensmaster Gimbal and for me me I 'found it lacking', I sent that back for a refund. I bit the bullet and bought a Wimberley gimbal.

At that time there were various forum users on a couple of fora who said they found Jobo models to their liking.

Having said that there are folks who use video fluid heads.

IMO your budget is quite modest.

All being well, others more experienced & knowledgeable than me will chip in.

It is Jobu and have had one for over 10 years and happy with it. But costs somewhat more than the OPs budget:

Jobu Jr.3 | Jobu Design

The Jobu Jr.3 gimbal (BWG-J3K) is smaller, lighter, smoother and more compact than our earlier BWG-J2K head. Needle roller bearings allow smoother tilting under heavy loads and better adjustment of friction. Lockout force has been improved 200%, and overall durability has been improved in all...

www.jobu-design.com

 

[tbone1004]

Yeah I think the design hasn't really changed since, I don't see any other updates from their website as well. Most reviews they have on their websites are from 2013 no recent updates.

View attachment 101626


Yeah it'll be mainly used for my 500mm F4, I have 70-200 but ofc that can be hand-held even with an extender. I'm also planning to get a ball head at some point for lighter use cases. If I go with the manfrotto I can just attach an arca-swiss mount on top as I have spare arca mount and plates.

I mostly do photography very little to non-video but I've been thinking of recording short clips, I think my only reservation for going with it is it's size.

Another options are Sirui PH-20 gimbal or Benro GH2 I'm looking for something that smooth when panning for tracking.

If you have spare arca clamps and the lens feet are already arca then just go that route for short term. If you end up using it a lot and the few ounces of weight mean much you can grab a bridge for $80 or whatever and that greatly simplifies the top of it.
Depending on the legs, I'm not sure when you'd really go with a ball, the 502 especially is quite small for what it is, definitely easier to travel with than a gimbal.

 

[wotan1]

It is Jobu and have had one for over 10 years and happy with it. But costs somewhat more than the OPs budget:

Jobu Jr.3 | Jobu Design

The Jobu Jr.3 gimbal (BWG-J3K) is smaller, lighter, smoother and more compact than our earlier BWG-J2K head. Needle roller bearings allow smoother tilting under heavy loads and better adjustment of friction. Lockout force has been improved 200%, and overall durability has been improved in all...

www.jobu-design.com

My photo buddy uses the Jobu Jr 3 and is happy with it. He uses lenses in size up to the Z 600mm pf with tc.

The one question that I have about this unit concerns the ability to adjust the vertical height of the lens.

The advantagte of a true gimbal over other types of heads is the ability to balance the lens/camera precisely. When perfectly balanced you can let go of the lens/camera and it stays where you left it without having to tighten anything. If you are looking for a shot and are for waiting for some action to start, this allows you to wait comfortably for long periods of time while being able to jump in immediately when things start to happen. You don't have to loosen a knob to start moving the gimbal.

As I understand it, this sort of precise balance can only be had with a gimbal that mounts underneath the lens. I think this side mount versions can't do that but somebody may know more about this than me.

To adjust a gimbal precisely you first need to start by getting the vertical center of gravity of the lens/camera to the same height as the rotation point. This generally means adjusting the height of the clamp vertically to align the center of gravity with the rotation point.

Once you have the vertical position you then adjust the fore-aft position of the lens int he clamp so the lens does not tilt either direction when let go.

When the balance is dialed in precisely the lens/camera moves smoothly and effortlessly in any direction and stays where you point it when you take your hands off. No need to tighten anything to hold it in place.

As an academic point and solely for completing this analysis, I note we live in a three dimensional world and there is the potential for a third adjustment. The gimbal I have been discussing adjusts vertically and front to back, but does not adjust in the third dimension, which would be side to side from the perspective of the camera operator.

The only gimbal head I am aware of that provides full three dimensional adjustability is the super expensive Really Right Stuff PG-02. Its vertical arm can be adjusted in or out.

To my understanding this third dimension adjustment is only helpful for panoramic shots. With those parallax can become a problem because closer objects shift position as the camera is rotated. Reportedly the RRS PG-02 allows you to balance the parallax axis of the lens precisely over the gimbal rotation point so parallax shift is eliminated.

Of so I am told. I am not an expert in this stuff but I read a lot.

 

[Abinoone]

Hi, looking for a gimbal head, I've returned the K&F gimbal I was using due to severe wobble after a few weeks of use. So looking for something under £/$200 if possible or is it better to get a fluid head like Manfrotto 502AH?

If fluid head, I'm looking at Manfrotto 502 or benro s6 pro. I will be mounting a 5D MKIII and Canon 500mm F4 MKI IS + 1.4x MKII which is I think it weigh about 5.5kg, also planning to use it for ground level shots using groundpod.

Any other recommendation is welcome.

Thanks

I use the Benro GH2 and have been very pleased with it. It's very well made, provides solid support, and is very smooth and fluid in its motion. In my opinion, it's every bit as good as the far more expensive Wimberley gimbal.

 

[AlanB313]

My photo buddy uses the Jobu Jr 3 and is happy with it. He uses lenses in size up to the Z 600mm pf with tc.

The one question that I have about this unit concerns the ability to adjust the vertical height of the lens.

The advantagte of a true gimbal over other types of heads is the ability to balance the lens/camera precisely. When perfectly balanced you can let go of the lens/camera and it stays where you left it without having to tighten anything. If you are looking for a shot and are for waiting for some action to start, this allows you to wait comfortably for long periods of time while being able to jump in immediately when things start to happen. You don't have to loosen a knob to start moving the gimbal.

As I understand it, this sort of precise balance can only be had with a gimbal that mounts underneath the lens. I think this side mount versions can't do that but somebody may know more about this than me.

To adjust a gimbal precisely you first need to start by getting the vertical center of gravity of the lens/camera to the same height as the rotation point. This generally means adjusting the height of the clamp vertically to align the center of gravity with the rotation point.

Once you have the vertical position you then adjust the fore-aft position of the lens int he clamp so the lens does not tilt either direction when let go.

When the balance is dialed in precisely the lens/camera moves smoothly and effortlessly in any direction and stays where you point it when you take your hands off. No need to tighten anything to hold it in place.

As an academic point and solely for completing this analysis, I note we live in a three dimensional world and there is the potential for a third adjustment. The gimbal I have been discussing adjusts vertically and front to back, but does not adjust in the third dimension, which would be side to side from the perspective of the camera operator.

The only gimbal head I am aware of that provides full three dimensional adjustability is the super expensive Really Right Stuff PG-02. Its vertical arm can be adjusted in or out.

To my understanding this third dimension adjustment is only helpful for panoramic shots. With those parallax can become a problem because closer objects shift position as the camera is rotated. Reportedly the RRS PG-02 allows you to balance the parallax axis of the lens precisely over the gimbal rotation point so parallax shift is eliminated.

Of so I am told. I am not an expert in this stuff but I read a lot.

Great info, thanks.
I'm still using a fluid head but hopefully will switch to a gimbal when I get a 2nd tripod. The fluid head will be used primarily for my spotting scope. I just feel like I can't follow things with the fluid head like a gimbal might allow.