Gimble heavy duty lens support
Mar 18, 2014 13:47:27 #
I'm in the market for a HD Gimbal head and would appreciate impute as to which head would be my best bet. I plan on using the new Tamron 150-600mm lens mainly, I realize this lens is not as heavy as the non-zoom lens's but age has finally taken it' toll on me and I'm not as steady as I once was....
Mar 18, 2014 14:57:46 #
Mar 18, 2014 15:14:34 #
snipe wrote:
I'm in the market for a HD Gimbal head and would appreciate impute as to which head would be my best bet. I plan on using the new Tamron 150-600mm lens mainly, I realize this lens is not as heavy as the non-zoom lens's but age has finally taken it' toll on me and I'm not as steady as I once was....
Check this one out. Best Gimbal buy in the USA, and distributed from right here in Montana.
http://www.cameracottage.com/equipment
Mar 18, 2014 17:16:15 #
MT Shooter wrote:
Check this one out. Best Gimbal buy in the USA, and distributed from right here in Montana.
http://www.cameracottage.com/equipment
http://www.cameracottage.com/equipment
The above statement is absolutely true! MT sent my issue of the Nest NT-530H last week and it is better than he claimed. First, you notice the light weight carbon fiber construction, then the accuracy and machining stand out When used with a long lens the balance is superb, light on the touch yet firm enough to stay where you put it. The best features have to be the smoothness and balance. The EF500mm feels as if it were floating on air, there is no drag or pull in any direction. It is the closest to handholding I can get with this lens, and I don't have to support the weight. Great piece of equipment. Glad he forced me to accept it, thanx MT.
He throws in a great calendar with the deal! That alone is worth the price of admission.
Mar 18, 2014 20:33:41 #
Thanks MT Shooter, for the link and heads up on the Camera Cottage, I'll differently take a drive that way a investigate...
Mar 18, 2014 20:41:11 #
Mar 19, 2014 06:36:19 #
I'm a Wimberley user, but the Nest MT is selling looks like a carbon copy (pun intended). Make sure you have a tripod that will be rock solid under it.
Mar 19, 2014 09:49:28 #
NEST NT-530H Gimbal looks interesting - I'd love to get my hands on one to try, take apart and review - (and reassemble and return, of course).
I have always felt that the Wimberley knockoff from India just "looked" like a Wimberley, quality is not there. Jobu Mk III is OK, but a bit heavy at 2.6 lbs and not much cheaper than the W. Feisol's head is the best I've worked with, but it is even with the carbon fiber it is heavier than the 3.15 lb Wimberley at 3.5 lbs.
My only concern is the compatibility issue with Arca-Swiss plates - I use three lenses that have replacement Arca-standard feet, and not being able to use this head with those lenses would not be good.
I have always felt that the Wimberley knockoff from India just "looked" like a Wimberley, quality is not there. Jobu Mk III is OK, but a bit heavy at 2.6 lbs and not much cheaper than the W. Feisol's head is the best I've worked with, but it is even with the carbon fiber it is heavier than the 3.15 lb Wimberley at 3.5 lbs.
My only concern is the compatibility issue with Arca-Swiss plates - I use three lenses that have replacement Arca-standard feet, and not being able to use this head with those lenses would not be good.
Mar 19, 2014 12:00:43 #
RRS
Loc: Not sure
snipe wrote:
I'm in the market for a HD Gimbal head and would appreciate impute as to which head would be my best bet. I plan on using the new Tamron 150-600mm lens mainly, I realize this lens is not as heavy as the non-zoom lens's but age has finally taken it' toll on me and I'm not as steady as I once was....
Before you buy anything you owe it to yourself to check out "JOBU design" just north of you in Canada. There are some good ones out there but the JOBU is the only one I think that has a locking switch to instantly lock so that you don't have any vertical movement. As has been said, you need a good tripod under it too! Look on YouTube for info for most. A good one will last a lifetime and beyond. I forgot to mention, it's not cheap but the quality is outstanding and it will handle an 800mm lens with no problem.
Mar 19, 2014 12:54:00 #
Check out the Bieke. I just recently purchased one on MT Shooters review and am very happy with it. About $90.00 on E bay.
Mar 19, 2014 13:14:26 #
Check out the Opteka GH1 Pro Heavy Duty Metal Gimbal Head - supports up to 30 lbs and is only 2.7 lbs. I found it easy to use and have had no problems with it - used it with a 40D with the 28-300 lens. The quality is excellent and for the price ($149). I am extremely pleased with this unit - since I used it with my Manfrotto (O55XPOB) around, I wasn't concerned over a couple of more pounds.
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0071BIQZC/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_dp_1
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0071BIQZC/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_dp_1
Mar 19, 2014 14:29:21 #
I would need something heavier duty than the Opteka - I am not sue I would trust a $150 gimbal to support a D800, battery grip and a 600mm F4. That total weight is around 18 lbs and would cost $18K to replace. But it might be ok for the OP's Tamron.
Mar 19, 2014 15:07:38 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
I have a Sidekick I use on one tripod and a full size gimbal on another 'pod.
If you have a heavy duty ballhead with an Arca Swiss compatible QR platform, I recommend the Wimberley Sidekick. It simply slips into the ballhead that's been tilted fully off to one side. I've used one for over ten years and it works well. It would be plenty strong enough for that Tamron lens (I've used it with up to Canon 300/2.8 IS and 500/4 IS lenses).
The beauty of the Sidekick is that the ballhead remains on your tripod and you can quickly and easily convert it back for normal usage. It just takes a few seconds to remove the Sidekick and reposition the ballhead. This is an advantage over a full size gimbal that completely replaces the ballhead, sort of making a tripod "dedicated to big lens use only" (unless you take tools into the field to swap out the tripod heads).
Another, unadvertised benefit of the Sidekick is that it mounts to the lens from the side... i.e. you rotate the lens' tripod ring foot off to the LH side to use the Sidekick. I discovered this also makes the Sidekick neatly usable to set up any camera fitted with a shorter lens and an Arca Swiss release plate in vertical/portrait orientation, so it isn't necessary to fit a bulky, expensive L-bracket on the camera for this purpose.
Full size gimbal mounts designed for use with the heaviest lenses position the mounting platform below the lens, sort of cradling it. This is good with the biggest and heaviest lenses, but it doesn't allow you to mount the camera in portrait orientation, as described above.
However, some full size gimbal mounts, including the one I use, can be pretty easily modified to mount to one side or the other and might serve in the same way. The platform that sits under the lens is vertically adjustable. It also can be completely removed, and the lens can be mounted from the side instead, same as with the Sidekick. I just wouldn't do this with the biggest and heaviest lenses.
Whatever you do, some other things you might consider...
Hopefully you already have a pretty sturdy tripod (and, if you choose the Sidekick, a sturdy ballhead).
You'll need a somewhat longer than usual Arca Swiss plate on the foot of the lens. This is so that you can slide the lens & camera forward and backward a bit to set up a good balance on the gimbal. Some gimbal mounts come with a lens mounting place, but most don't.
Be sure whatever plate you get has anti-rotation features. This can simply be a couple nubs on the plate that prevent it from twisting, or it might be double mounting screws, or a pin that fits into a socket on the lens foot (which you might have to drill), or similar. There's a lot of torque on a heavy lens and camera rig, so be sure there's something preventing that lens plate from twisting.
You also might want to consider a leveling platform on your tripod, under the head. When using a gimbal it's often important to have the head near perfectly level, for the panning motion. Without a leveling platform, this involves a lot of fiddling around with the length of the legs to get it leveled. Then, if you move the tripod at all, that setup is lost and needs to be redone. More fiddling! Depending upon what tripod you have, there are various types of leveling platforms. Some replace any center column on the tripod completely (Gitzo). Others can be used in conjunction with a center column (Manfrotto). The leveling platform will add more than a pound of weight to the tripod, but I feel it's well worth it for the time saved setting up quickly and easily.
That NEST NT-530H looked interesting! I have three carbon fiber tripods and several carbon fiber bicycles, so I really appreciate the benefits CF offers: lighter weight, strength, fine vibration dampening. However, I just looked up the NEST gimbal head online and see that it weighs 1336 grams. My $100 Chinese-made gimbal mount (that looks exactly the same, except it's metal... it's identical to the Opteka and Beike, too, for that matter), weighs 1180 grams with a camo cover added to it!
So, as is all too common with some unusually low priced "carbon fiber" parts for bicycles, I'm suspecting "fake".... I'd be surprised if NEST weren't simply a standard metal head clad with a layer or two of carbon fiber to give it the high tech "look", while keeping costs low. I can't confirm this one way or the other online... but if it were truly mostly made of carbon fiber, it should weigh considerably less, not more than a comparable all-metal head. Tech info on the NEST from their Chinese wholesale distributor: http://nest.en.alibaba.com/product/544140170-213784987/NEST_NT_530H_gimbal_head_tilt_head_bird_watching_head_with_Quick_Release_Plate_and_Carry_Bag.html
No, you don't need anything heavier duty than the Opteka... it's rated to 30+ lbs! The Tamron 150-600mm weighs about 4 lbs and most cameras, even with a battery grip, are less than 3 lbs. That's a 4X to 5X safety ratio! (My 500/4L IS and one of my cameras weigh nearly twice as much, and I trust them to either the Sidekick or the Chinese-made full size gimbal).
The Sidekick doesn't have a listed weight rating... But any ballhead used with it needs to be pretty heavy duty. Both the ballheads I use my Sidekick with are rated to 50 lbs (Kirk BH-1 and a Smith-Victor B8). The tripod you use also needs to be fairly sturdy, mine are rated to 25+ lbs (two Gitzo 1325 and one 1348).
If you have a heavy duty ballhead with an Arca Swiss compatible QR platform, I recommend the Wimberley Sidekick. It simply slips into the ballhead that's been tilted fully off to one side. I've used one for over ten years and it works well. It would be plenty strong enough for that Tamron lens (I've used it with up to Canon 300/2.8 IS and 500/4 IS lenses).
The beauty of the Sidekick is that the ballhead remains on your tripod and you can quickly and easily convert it back for normal usage. It just takes a few seconds to remove the Sidekick and reposition the ballhead. This is an advantage over a full size gimbal that completely replaces the ballhead, sort of making a tripod "dedicated to big lens use only" (unless you take tools into the field to swap out the tripod heads).
Another, unadvertised benefit of the Sidekick is that it mounts to the lens from the side... i.e. you rotate the lens' tripod ring foot off to the LH side to use the Sidekick. I discovered this also makes the Sidekick neatly usable to set up any camera fitted with a shorter lens and an Arca Swiss release plate in vertical/portrait orientation, so it isn't necessary to fit a bulky, expensive L-bracket on the camera for this purpose.
Full size gimbal mounts designed for use with the heaviest lenses position the mounting platform below the lens, sort of cradling it. This is good with the biggest and heaviest lenses, but it doesn't allow you to mount the camera in portrait orientation, as described above.
However, some full size gimbal mounts, including the one I use, can be pretty easily modified to mount to one side or the other and might serve in the same way. The platform that sits under the lens is vertically adjustable. It also can be completely removed, and the lens can be mounted from the side instead, same as with the Sidekick. I just wouldn't do this with the biggest and heaviest lenses.
Whatever you do, some other things you might consider...
Hopefully you already have a pretty sturdy tripod (and, if you choose the Sidekick, a sturdy ballhead).
You'll need a somewhat longer than usual Arca Swiss plate on the foot of the lens. This is so that you can slide the lens & camera forward and backward a bit to set up a good balance on the gimbal. Some gimbal mounts come with a lens mounting place, but most don't.
Be sure whatever plate you get has anti-rotation features. This can simply be a couple nubs on the plate that prevent it from twisting, or it might be double mounting screws, or a pin that fits into a socket on the lens foot (which you might have to drill), or similar. There's a lot of torque on a heavy lens and camera rig, so be sure there's something preventing that lens plate from twisting.
You also might want to consider a leveling platform on your tripod, under the head. When using a gimbal it's often important to have the head near perfectly level, for the panning motion. Without a leveling platform, this involves a lot of fiddling around with the length of the legs to get it leveled. Then, if you move the tripod at all, that setup is lost and needs to be redone. More fiddling! Depending upon what tripod you have, there are various types of leveling platforms. Some replace any center column on the tripod completely (Gitzo). Others can be used in conjunction with a center column (Manfrotto). The leveling platform will add more than a pound of weight to the tripod, but I feel it's well worth it for the time saved setting up quickly and easily.
That NEST NT-530H looked interesting! I have three carbon fiber tripods and several carbon fiber bicycles, so I really appreciate the benefits CF offers: lighter weight, strength, fine vibration dampening. However, I just looked up the NEST gimbal head online and see that it weighs 1336 grams. My $100 Chinese-made gimbal mount (that looks exactly the same, except it's metal... it's identical to the Opteka and Beike, too, for that matter), weighs 1180 grams with a camo cover added to it!
So, as is all too common with some unusually low priced "carbon fiber" parts for bicycles, I'm suspecting "fake".... I'd be surprised if NEST weren't simply a standard metal head clad with a layer or two of carbon fiber to give it the high tech "look", while keeping costs low. I can't confirm this one way or the other online... but if it were truly mostly made of carbon fiber, it should weigh considerably less, not more than a comparable all-metal head. Tech info on the NEST from their Chinese wholesale distributor: http://nest.en.alibaba.com/product/544140170-213784987/NEST_NT_530H_gimbal_head_tilt_head_bird_watching_head_with_Quick_Release_Plate_and_Carry_Bag.html
No, you don't need anything heavier duty than the Opteka... it's rated to 30+ lbs! The Tamron 150-600mm weighs about 4 lbs and most cameras, even with a battery grip, are less than 3 lbs. That's a 4X to 5X safety ratio! (My 500/4L IS and one of my cameras weigh nearly twice as much, and I trust them to either the Sidekick or the Chinese-made full size gimbal).
The Sidekick doesn't have a listed weight rating... But any ballhead used with it needs to be pretty heavy duty. Both the ballheads I use my Sidekick with are rated to 50 lbs (Kirk BH-1 and a Smith-Victor B8). The tripod you use also needs to be fairly sturdy, mine are rated to 25+ lbs (two Gitzo 1325 and one 1348).
Mar 20, 2014 07:44:00 #
I bought MT Shooter's field test model of the Nest 530. It's lightweight, very smooth in movement, the lock-up on the knobs is fast and solid, the carbon fiber gets neither too cold or too hot to the touch and the price makes it a no-brainer if you want a really high quality gimbal head.
Mar 20, 2014 07:52:08 #
This is enough to get me to avoid the Opteka -
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1170101 -
the post from "Thang" who owns a Wimberley and tested the Opteka. Cant wait to see a review on the Nest.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1170101 -
the post from "Thang" who owns a Wimberley and tested the Opteka. Cant wait to see a review on the Nest.
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