Gimbal head

[fcotterill]

According to Canon, the lens weighs in at 3lbs. One thing to consider is your overall kit weight. In other words, how much are you schlepping including the tripod and whatever head you put on it? If you have good ballhead, then the Wimberly Sidekick is both cost and weight effective. I used one for years with my 300 2.8 and teleconverters. You can often find them used at a discount too if you are so inclined. When I got my 600 f/4 G VR (11.25 lbs), I looked at a lot of full gimbals and settled on this one from Leofoto. Overall, I have been very happy with it and it balances the 600 just fine.

Leofoto PG-1 Lightweight Gimbal Tripod Head w/ Plate & Bag (Black/Camo)

Leofoto PG-1 Lightweight Gimbal Tripod Head w/ Plate & Bag (Black/Camo Color) Travel lightly with the Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head constructed from T6061 aluminum. The PG-1 enables you to capture fast-moving subjects with a large and heavy telephoto lens that you otherwise could not do manually...

leofotousa.com

Leofoto have updated their range of gimbals, including a compact PG2S of listed weight of only 850g.
Unfortunately none of their cradle clamps have an (adjustable) quick lever release on the jaw. Perhaps it's possible to disassemble a LR70 clamp and swop in the locking release mechanism into the gimbal clamp.

PG-2 - Leofoto

Leofoto was founded at the beginning of 2014. It is located in Zhongshan, beautiful Pearl River Delta area in China. Leofoto team has been designing and manufacturing series of camera support systems by comparing and studying the high-end photographic accessories made in China and abroad and...

www.leofoto.com

 

[MMoretti]

I’ve read the value of a gimbal head with respect to offering a nodal point for multi-level panoramas. Is there a way to accomplish the same on a pano head (e.g., Acratech Panoramic) using a nodal rail? In my use case, this might be for either an astro or landscape panorama with an UWA.

I‘m also considering the use of my Sidekick on the pano head for vertical camera shots, instead of an L-bracket. Thoughts?

 

[Anjin San]

I’ve read the value of a gimbal head with respect to offering a nodal point for multi-level panoramas. Is there a way to accomplish the same on a pano head (e.g., Acratech Panoramic) using a nodal rail? In my use case, this might be for either an astro or landscape panorama with an UWA.

I‘m also considering the use of my Sidekick on the pano head for vertical camera shots, instead of an L-bracket. Thoughts?

I have and used for a long time a FlexShooter Pro but it has a max 15 degree elevation which wasn’t going to work in CR…so I got a SmallRig fluid head and for my needs…heaviest lenses are the 180-600 and 600PF although it would work fine with the 40l or 600TCs IMO. It has all the benefits of both ball and gimbal heads and is much lighter than a true gimbal. It’s the only head I use now. Imhigly recommend it if weight is a factor. Works fine with my nodal rail for panos.

 

[Jose Raposo]

My FotoPro E-6H is light and an innovative design, including for close ups using a telephoto such as 70-180 or 100-400. The tilt forward facility works well. It's also useful for panoramas with a wide angle on a Side mounted L plate.

However, I was unimpressed by the quality. The lens foot clamps, in particular, suffer from too little aluminium in the jaws and feeble fasteners of inferior quality. Bearings are also inferior. (Poor show considering the price, but perhaps Leofoto will clone a high quality version.)

So I modified my E-6H fairly radically, and replaced both the lens clamps.

PG01 is solid, well made and relatively light, but it's stupid of Leofoto to have still failed to provide a lens plate foot with Lever release. Their LR70 (see above #41) could be modified to fit I think.

I replaced mine was the RRS clamp but inexplicably it's impossible to adjust the lever throw, unless it's shimmed with thin washer(s). This requires disassembling. Irritating for such an expensive product, and it's also unnecessarily heavy.

Best travel tripod/gimbal setup?

I'm going on some bird trips this year and need help choosing the best travel tripod with lightweight gimbal head set up for my Sony A1 with 200-600. Closer to home I use a monopod and Wimberly head. I have a fine RRS tripod with gimbal head - but it's too heavy to carry more than a short...

bcgforums.com

Hmm.. I share some of your observations regarding the Fotoeagle however not sure that comparing the E-6H to the PG-01 is a valid comparison, the Fotoeagle is made for the smaller,lighter teles where as the PG-01 can handle just about anything you can mount on it, I certainly wouldn't use the E-6H with a 600mm but for lighter lenses like the 300-400s it's build quality is more than adequate, I have been using that gimbal with the Sony 300GM with 2x extender and Sony A1 II with battery grip for a number of months now, usually hiking 8-10Kms 3-4 times a week and it has never let me down, it's a great light weight gimbal that has some very unique features, I use it almost exclusively on a RRS monopod rarely mounted on a tripod.

In respect to the build quality from a finish perspective I actually thing the Fotoeagle is more refined, there are no sharp machine edges anywhere on the gimbal it's silky smooth. The bearing action between the two gimbals are significantly different, however I don;t believe it has anything to do with the quality of the bearings. The Fotoeagle bearing action is very dampened, similar to the movement of a fluid head, it was designed that way whereas the GG-01 has completely effortless rotation, it's a more of a preference than an indication of quality I think.

The PG-01 is a much heavyduty gimbal, it's designed with a much higher weight handling capacity and I really like it quite a bit on the RRS 34L tripod and heavier teles but I'm not also crazy about the lens cradle and I swapped it out with the RRS PG-CC lever release cradle which I really like.

 

[DRwyoming]

I’ve read the value of a gimbal head with respect to offering a nodal point for multi-level panoramas. Is there a way to accomplish the same on a pano head (e.g., Acratech Panoramic) using a nodal rail? In my use case, this might be for either an astro or landscape panorama with an UWA.

I‘m also considering the use of my Sidekick on the pano head for vertical camera shots, instead of an L-bracket. Thoughts?

You can easily use a panning head and nodal slide to set the nodal point for single row panning macros. But for multi-row panos it's ideal to set both the pan and tilt axes of rotation so they're at a nodal point. This is pretty easy to do with a full gimbal that allows vertical adjustment of the camera mounting plate. A long time ago I built a small adapter bracket that let me do the same thing with a Wimberley Sidekick but a simple panning base won't give you nodal alignment in both the pan AND tilt axes.

 

[wotan1]

Someone tell me if I am wrong.

The RRS PG-02 is unique among gimbals in that it allows you to center the lens nodal point exactly over the pivot point of the tripod.

The process is that you first have to have the tripod leveled such as with a leveling base. You then have to center the lens over the tripod rotating point. Third you find the lens/camera's nodal point and you use a nodal rail to move the lens forward or back so that nodal point is centered over the tripod rotating axis.

The problem with most gimbals is they have a fixed position for the vertical arm. This means that unless the lens just happens to be the right size you have no way to center the lens.

Tje RRS PG-02 has the capacity to move the vertical arm in or out so the lens can always be centered whatever its size.

When everything is set properly it means you can eliminate parallax issues when creating a multi shot panorama image.

That is what RRS says. Are they right?

 

[Nimi]

Someone tell me if I am wrong.

The RRS PG-02 is unique among gimbals in that it allows you to center the lens nodal point exactly over the pivot point of the tripod.

The process is that you first have to have the tripod leveled such as with a leveling base. You then have to center the lens over the tripod rotating point. Third you find the lens/camera's nodal point and you use a nodal rail to move the lens forward or back so that nodal point is centered over the tripod rotating axis.

The problem with most gimbals is they have a fixed position for the vertical arm. This means that unless the lens just happens to be the right size you have no way to center the lens.

Tje RRS PG-02 has the capacity to move the vertical arm in or out so the lens can always be centered whatever its size.

When everything is set properly it means you can eliminate parallax issues when creating a multi shot panorama image.

That is what RRS says. Are they right?

That's the P in PG. I think K&F makes a garbage version, but otherwise I don't know of another pano-gimbal. You can modify most standard gimbals by adding some doodads like a nodal slide (I've done that for my DJI), but I think that RRS PG is unique. Love mine.

 

[wotan1]

That's the P in PG. I think K&F makes a garbage version, but otherwise I don't know of another pano-gimbal. You can modify most standard gimbals by adding some doodads like a nodal slide (I've done that for my DJI), but I think that RRS PG is unique. Love mine.

Ditto.

 

[fcotterill]

Hmm.. I share some of your observations regarding the Fotoeagle however not sure that comparing the E-6H to the PG-01 is a valid comparison, the Fotoeagle is made for the smaller,lighter teles where as the PG-01 can handle just about anything you can mount on it, I certainly wouldn't use the E-6H with a 600mm but for lighter lenses like the 300-400s

The risk is the shallow jaws on a lens clamp can twist under torque if one stumbles or jumps with the rig on a monopod or tripod. The E-6H mechanism has too much lateral play.

I would never risk any telephoto rig in this thing, because of the increased risk of torque twisting the point of attachment.

Even though the jaw height is 1-2mm shallower it matters, subject to the moment of force of telephoto rig in the clamp. Even Acratech suffers from this design oversight on its GPSS ball head, although a rig on an Plate with UWide lens is secure on a tripod.

All's well and good until one trips up and the gimbal is jerked suddenly..... Hard earned experience.

The wise good practice is to clip on a safety lanyard from lens barrel to (mono) tripod itself.

it's build quality is more than adequate, I have been using that gimbal with the Sony 300GM with 2x extender and Sony A1 II with battery grip for a number of months now, usually hiking 8-10Kms 3-4 times a week and it has never let me down, it's a great light weight gimbal that has some very unique features, I use it almost exclusively on a RRS monopod rarely mounted on a tripod.

My modified E-6H handles a 800 f5.6E on a light Sirui monopod for local use, but I don't hike with it assembled, and prefer a tripod and PG 01 (or Gimpro)

In respect to the build quality from a finish perspective I actually thing the Fotoeagle is more refined, there are no sharp machine edges anywhere on the gimbal it's silky smooth. The bearing action between the two gimbals are significantly different, however I don;t believe it has anything to do with the quality of the bearings. The Fotoeagle bearing action is very dampened, similar to the movement of a fluid head, it was designed that way whereas the GG-01 has completely effortless rotation, it's a more of a preference than an indication of quality I think.

A gimbal designed for heavier rigs benefits from free rotation (ideally on needle bearings) to adjust the balance point, especially in the vertical plane - as well as spinning freely on its horizontal axis.

The PG-01 is a much heavyduty gimbal, it's designed with a much higher weight handling capacity and I really like it quite a bit on the RRS 34L tripod and heavier teles but I'm not also crazy about the lens cradle and I swapped it out with the RRS PG-CC lever release cradle which I really like.

I really like my modified E-6H for multiple uses : lighter telephoto usage, with the flexibility to quickly switch over to macro, landscapes (with the panoramic feature). It's unique in this ubiquity.