Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK

I have a Nest full gimbal on a tripod and a Manfrotto 293 on a monopod when using a 600mm lens I find they both work fine.
Originally I bought a Lensmaster due to it's cheaper price. However I could never lock it up satisfactorily. Even though I had got the lens/camera balanced correctly it would still creep.
You pays your money and takes your choice.

mrtaxi Loc: Old Westbury NY, Fort Lauderdale, FL

I am very happy with my Jobu Jr.3 Deluxe. It’s works smoothly and effortlessly and securely with my canon 5DS or 5DIV and my Sigma contemporary 150-600 or Canon 100-400.

gompfer

Wimberely is the original. All the other mfgs. have copied their design. I have used both versions for years and have been very happy with them. Sirui makes a nice one for a lot less money.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Yes I like the way you think and it appears to be well made and at a very modest investment. Thanks and I will try one out DOC.


Jimbo

RickL Loc: Vail, Az

I have a D810 with a 150-600 g2 Tamron lens. I use a carbon fiber Nest Gimble head . It is easy to set up . If you balance your camera and lens to the head, loosen all knobs then you have a very fast action setup. The quality is excellent

Rick

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

The Movo is a very good knock-off of the Wimberly - I have one now. - but I would not use it for an airshow. As I have mentioned before, that with the long arm bottom mount gimbals, the action is relatively slow compared to a side mount like the various Lensmaster's .

Here is a comparison chart of the various models/designs/prices.http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/gimbal_list.htm

You will also need a good tripod that goes HIGH for airshows - unless you are going to sit down .....and, have you considered using a good video fluid head instead of a gimbal ?? I think that is what I would prefer using.....

..

Rayban

Thanks for the tip.

I did some research on Lensmaster Gimbal, all very positive.

Went to their website ordered the RH2 and within 10 minutes it has been despatched. Price £187.95 including delivery.

Hope the Gimbal lives up to their efficiency.

RRS Loc: Not sure

I've switched from a gimbal head to a Manfrotto 504 video fluid head. I shortened the handle and mount it on the left side extending out to the front. Smooth as silk, no creep and I shoot a 600mm f/4.0 with a pro body. The 504 requires a tripod with a 75mm bowl but the next model up (NitroTech N 12) will handle more weight and does not require a tripod with a bowl. Works great for BIF.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

There are a number of very good gimbal heads on the market. The Nest from Camera Cottage seems a very good value.

The much more expensive Wimberley WH-100 (now WH-200) full size, "J-type" gimbal was the first and all the others are more or less copies of it.

HOWEVER, any of the full size heads essentially replace whatever head is currently on your tripod, turning it into a "long lens only" tripod, for all practical purposes.

IF you have a fairly sturdy tripod and IF you have a reasonably heavy duty ballhead on it with an Arca-Swiss quick release platform, you might instead want to consider a Gimbal Adapter such as the Wimberley Sidekick or the similar Induro GHBA or the smaller/lighter Jobu BWG. All of these work in conjunction with a ballhead, instead of replacing it. With the adapter in place, the ballhead provides the panning movement while the adapter provides tilt movement. The adapter can quickly and easily be removed any time to use the tripod normally with other lenses that don't require the gimbal.

The gimbal adapters are limited in the amount of weight they can handle (full size gimbals can handle more). But using them with an 80-400mm should be no problem at all. At about 3.5 lb. that's not a particularly heavy lens. I've used a Sidekick for over 15 years with much heavier lenses (up to 500mm, nearly 8 lb.) I often use it with a Canon 100-400mm, which is similar size/weight as the Nikkor 80-400mm. Of the three adapters mentioned, the Jobu is the lightest duty and it might be pushing it a little to use it with an 80-400mm. The other two can easily handle an 80-400.

Here's a web page with pretty good info about the different gimbals available:

http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/gimbal_list.htm

Whatever gimbal head you get, you will need to install a slightly over-sized Arca-Swiss plate on the tripod mounting foot of your lens (there also may be a replacement tripod mounting ring available for it, with built-in Arca-Swiss dovetail). This is necessary in order to mount the camera lens to the gimbal. The Arca design mount allows you to slide the rig slightly forward and backward to achieve equilibrium, which is what makes gimbals ideal for use with large lenses... makes it nearly effortless to move them while following a moving subject.

Something else I use with both my gimbals (one Sidekick adapter, one full-size "J-type") is a Leveling Platform. This goes between the head and the tripod, to allow rapid setups. It's often important that the head be reasonably level, and adjusting the legs is sort of a fussy and slow way to achieve that. If you move the tripod frequently, especially on uneven ground, the leveling platform is a really valuable time saver. I would have missed a lot of shots over the years while I was messing with setting up the tripod, if I hadn't been using one. With a leveling platform, it only takes me a couple seconds to re-establish level each time I move the tripod. There are a number of different leveling platforms available. Most add about 1 lb. to the weight of the tripod, but I feel it's well worth it. I recommend the type that can be loosened with a single lever or handle, for quickest possible setup.

You've got more than enough budget for a good, solid setup. And your camera and lens aren't particularly heavy, so you have lots to choose among.

nikondoug

First off you DO NOT want to short change yourself, go with the best of the best, for the price range you can afford. I have the Wimberley WH-200, I upgraded from the WH-100. Never had a problem with either one. This head works flawlessly with my D810 with a 1.4x TC and my Nikon 200-400 lens. I have a number of friends who also use the WH-200 head. There is one friend who uses the Wimberley sidekick head, and he has the same setup as I do and he has never had an issue. Good Luck

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

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clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

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GED Loc: North central Pa

I have used a Wimberly for many years and it has been all over the country in all kinds of weather. It has work flawlessly. It is easy to take apart clean and lube.
As others have mentioned the Wimberly was the original which others have copied. I like to support American companies when they produce a well designed and constructed product.
I have used the Wimberly gimbal head for all types of natural history work, as well as horse racing, boat racing, airshows, action on dogs and a variety of other subjects and it is a great head.

daiqngo Loc: San Diego, CA

Thank you for all your comments. Like several other Hoggers, I've decided to go for the Nest NT-530H, advertised by Camera Cottage. All day yesterday, I logged on to their website to purchase it for $320+ (delivery included), but for some odd reasons, I could never go beyond their checkout screen (froze on me??). I finally gave up and looked on Ebay, and guess what, I've found a brand new NEST NT-530H MKII from this Canadian vendor mdstudio-ca, advertising it for C $288.00 (about US$ 219), free delivery + no sales tax. I completed the purchase and will receive the Nest NT-530H MKII next week.

foxfirerodandgun Loc: Stony Creek, VA

I read all of the reviews on B&H, positive & negative, regarding the Manfrotto 393, as well as talking to a Manfrotto representative. While the 393 is listed on B&H, and is referred to as such by the Manfrotto rep, as a heavy telephoto Lens support, many seem to use it as a substitute for a true gimble head. It seems as it will work as one with the possible issues of accessing the controls on the side of the lens and adjusting the tension controlling panning, especially when used for landscape photography. But the huge difference in the price of it and a high quality gimble head, such as a Wimberley, seems to weigh heavily in its favor. The Manfrotto rep also said that the issue of the rubber cap easily coming off of the base cap has been resolved some time back. I'm going to replace my old Manfrotto/Bogen 3047 pan head with a 393 and see how it works out. I guess that I'll continue to lug my old, very heavy, Manfrotto/Bogen 3236 tripod around for a while yet until I can save enough to purchase a high quality carbon fiber one.

Oh yea, FedEx just delivered my SB-800 flash unit that I purchased from mpb.com on Wednesday. It came with original box and all original packaging & components save the clip on diffuser. It was listed "As New" and appears that way. For $169.00 + free shipping I have no complaints.