Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head-Straight from CES!
Jan 14, 2014 14:04:50 #
I just received my new "Nest" brand Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head Model NT-530H (called NT here). This is the very first of these heads delivered anywhere in the USA and I will be evaluating it against the Wimberley WH-200 (called WH here) which is also in my rental inventory as this is the standard by which all Gimbals are judged anyway.
First thing noticed is the price of course, WH is $595 and the NT is $299, this price difference is expected because the NT is Chinese made and looking for a foothold in the USA.
Second thing noticed is the weight. The original Wimberly Version 1 was a monster at 4 lbs 3 oz. The WH shaved a full pound off that weight by downsizing most components of the head. The NT is 2 lbs 14 oz, only 5 ounces less than the WH but the Carbon Fiber makeup gives this head a really "beefy" look sure to be noticed in the field. And the Carbon Fiber design is just COOL to look at! Both heads are pretty much identical in other dimensions and make-up. They both share the same base design as well as pivot arm design. oth just look very well made.
Third thing you will notice is when you try to use it. The NT has a cool pin-lock design under the lens mount that locks the QR plate into place. This is where the "don't like" part comes into play. In order to accommodate this pin design, the NT is not "fully" compatible with the Wimberley QR plates, the dimensioning is just slightly off and the Wimberley plate will not slide into the Nest mount. BUT, I did test plates from Desmond, Kiwi, and Sunwayfoto and they all worked very nicely! The think you lose is the safety lock feature of the NT as no other plates have the slide tracks under them to allow for the safety pin to pop up into. This means this head would pretty much require Nest branded QR plates to achieve fully insured safety locking in the head. One 6 inch long plate is included but I have no info yet as to availability of spares or other lengths or even "L" brackets, but I would assume they will be readily available once a distributor is secured.
The plate issued kept me from testing this head with my 800mm F5.6 as it has the Wimberley plate pretty much permanently mounted, so I use my next heaviest lens for testing, a Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 lens. At a feathers weight under 8 pounds its a lens that begs for a tripod. I mounted it with a Nikon D800 body and put this head through its paces. Swing and pivot were smooth and fluid-like, yet with a bit of resistance, not as smooth as my WH, but the WH has a LOT of hours on it with the 800mm F5.6 and is much looser now than it was when new, and I believe the NT will also loosen with use.
I did notice there were none of the catching movements that characterize the cheaper Chinese gimbals such as the Beike/Opteka and Triopo/Flashpoint designs which I also sell in the store. Manufacturing quality and fit appears quite good for a Chinese head.
Bottom line, this looks like an EXCELLENT value in a Gimbal head. At the moment it can be bought on Ebay only with shipping from China direct. I have yet to make up my mind if I want to take on dealership or distribution responsibilities for this item, but it is VERY tempting!
I will post several pics here, but only being able to upload one at a time after the first three may take awhile.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions as I feel very fortunate to have been granted first access to this product!
First thing noticed is the price of course, WH is $595 and the NT is $299, this price difference is expected because the NT is Chinese made and looking for a foothold in the USA.
Second thing noticed is the weight. The original Wimberly Version 1 was a monster at 4 lbs 3 oz. The WH shaved a full pound off that weight by downsizing most components of the head. The NT is 2 lbs 14 oz, only 5 ounces less than the WH but the Carbon Fiber makeup gives this head a really "beefy" look sure to be noticed in the field. And the Carbon Fiber design is just COOL to look at! Both heads are pretty much identical in other dimensions and make-up. They both share the same base design as well as pivot arm design. oth just look very well made.
Third thing you will notice is when you try to use it. The NT has a cool pin-lock design under the lens mount that locks the QR plate into place. This is where the "don't like" part comes into play. In order to accommodate this pin design, the NT is not "fully" compatible with the Wimberley QR plates, the dimensioning is just slightly off and the Wimberley plate will not slide into the Nest mount. BUT, I did test plates from Desmond, Kiwi, and Sunwayfoto and they all worked very nicely! The think you lose is the safety lock feature of the NT as no other plates have the slide tracks under them to allow for the safety pin to pop up into. This means this head would pretty much require Nest branded QR plates to achieve fully insured safety locking in the head. One 6 inch long plate is included but I have no info yet as to availability of spares or other lengths or even "L" brackets, but I would assume they will be readily available once a distributor is secured.
The plate issued kept me from testing this head with my 800mm F5.6 as it has the Wimberley plate pretty much permanently mounted, so I use my next heaviest lens for testing, a Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 lens. At a feathers weight under 8 pounds its a lens that begs for a tripod. I mounted it with a Nikon D800 body and put this head through its paces. Swing and pivot were smooth and fluid-like, yet with a bit of resistance, not as smooth as my WH, but the WH has a LOT of hours on it with the 800mm F5.6 and is much looser now than it was when new, and I believe the NT will also loosen with use.
I did notice there were none of the catching movements that characterize the cheaper Chinese gimbals such as the Beike/Opteka and Triopo/Flashpoint designs which I also sell in the store. Manufacturing quality and fit appears quite good for a Chinese head.
Bottom line, this looks like an EXCELLENT value in a Gimbal head. At the moment it can be bought on Ebay only with shipping from China direct. I have yet to make up my mind if I want to take on dealership or distribution responsibilities for this item, but it is VERY tempting!
I will post several pics here, but only being able to upload one at a time after the first three may take awhile.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions as I feel very fortunate to have been granted first access to this product!
Included Case
Back
Top
Side
Front
Included plate top
Plate bottom next to Desmond 5" plate bottom
Quick slip tracks for quick mounting
Mounted
Mounted opposite
Balance hold
Both ways with pivot lock loosened
WH-200 base design
NT base design
WH Pivot design
NT Pivot design
Weight
The Setup, FedEx Truck tracks still in the snow!!!
The result
Jan 14, 2014 14:15:22 #
sounds like you are having fun with this Carter--they picked the right man for the job!
Jan 14, 2014 14:18:13 #
Soooo.....is this better than what you sold me last year???
And the answer better be "Absolutely not!" :-)
And the answer better be "Absolutely not!" :-)
Jan 14, 2014 14:35:46 #
cosmo54 wrote:
Soooo.....is this better than what you sold me last year???
And the answer better be "Absolutely not!" :-)
And the answer better be "Absolutely not!" :-)
WOOPS!
Sorry, but yes it is. Question being.....Do you NEED better?? There are lots that are better, but by how muchn and for how much more money????
Jan 14, 2014 14:40:40 #
MT Shooter wrote:
I just received my new "Nest" brand Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head Model NT-530H (called NT here).
Second thing noticed is the weight. The original Wimberly Version 1 was a monster at 4 lbs 3 oz. The WH shaved a full pound off that weight by downsizing most components of the head. The NT is 2 lbs 14 oz, only 5 ounces less than the WH...
Second thing noticed is the weight. The original Wimberly Version 1 was a monster at 4 lbs 3 oz. The WH shaved a full pound off that weight by downsizing most components of the head. The NT is 2 lbs 14 oz, only 5 ounces less than the WH...
So in selecting a tripod, you have to consider not only the weight of the camera and lens, but also heads and gimbals. That's considerable weight.
Jan 14, 2014 14:46:44 #
jerryc41 wrote:
So in selecting a tripod, you have to consider not only the weight of the camera and lens, but also heads and gimbals. That's considerable weight.
Well unless you are mounting your camera/lens directly to the legs, then yes, the weight of the head has to be considered always. Its a part of the total load that the legs must carry when in use.
Jan 14, 2014 14:48:52 #
MT Shooter wrote:
WOOPS!
Sorry, but yes it is. Question being.....Do you NEED better?? There are lots that are better, but by how muchn and for how much more money????
Sorry, but yes it is. Question being.....Do you NEED better?? There are lots that are better, but by how muchn and for how much more money????
Ahhh...very diplomatic answer :-)
Jan 14, 2014 14:53:27 #
It's an interesting bit of gear for sure but why would you need one of these as apposed to a ball head...just wondering, does it do something a ball head won't do?
Ron.
Ron.
Jan 14, 2014 14:59:46 #
SX2002 wrote:
It's an interesting bit of gear for sure but why would you need one of these as apposed to a ball head...just wondering, does it do something a ball head won't do?
Ron.
Ron.
It does a TON that a ball head will not do. Ball heads are not designed to carry such a big load above the ball, when you loosen the ball you get motion in all axis of movement, and with a long, heavy lens that gets very difficult to control. A gimbal type head is designed to cradle that gear as well as balance it so you have full control over all axis' of motion at all times.
The question of whether or not you need one is based entirely upon your lens inventory. If you have no long lenses, then no, you don't need one. If you have long lenses then you first have to try one. Once you use a Gimbal on a long lens you will never want to mount it on a ball head again!
Jan 14, 2014 15:03:14 #
MT Shooter wrote:
It does a TON that a ball head will not do. Ball h... (show quote)
I have a Sigma 150-500 that I use with a Manfrottto ball head and have never had any problems but I can see that the gimbal would be an advantage...thanks.
Jan 14, 2014 15:12:47 #
SX2002 wrote:
I have a Sigma 150-500 that I use with a Manfrottto ball head and have never had any problems but I can see that the gimbal would be an advantage...thanks.
I use a Flashpoint DG-2 Sidemount Gimbal with my Sigma 150-500mm and really like that combo, very light and very smooth action.
Jan 15, 2014 07:46:48 #
Jan 15, 2014 08:14:06 #
Very interesting. After you've used it for a while please let us know your final opinion.
Jan 15, 2014 08:24:00 #
yaterman96 wrote:
Would b willing to pay more if it was made in the USA
But because of the better quality it would cost more! So the question you have to ask is will the Chinese version last as long for the cheaper price? If the unit is not heavily used it may be worth the price :mrgreen:
By the way MT...Thanks for this evaluation
Jan 15, 2014 08:49:17 #
MT, Thanks for the detailed description. I, too, would love to hear about any comments you might have after using the new setup for a while. On the technical side, do you think the lock pin device might work with a Vanguard QR plate (which is designed for use with a lock pin)?
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