Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register
Main Photography Discussion
Gimbal Head
Page <<first <prev 3 of 4 next>
Apr 13, 2021 14:29:44   #
Stonewall Loc: Pocono Mountains
 
chaim wrote:
I'm an amateur bird photographer using a Sony RX10 IV bridge camera. My first tripod came with a ball head that was difficult to keep from slipping if even so slightly. I switched to a Manfrotto 128RC Micro Fluid Head. I'm basically happy with it but wonder if a gimbal head would give me more flexibility to quickly follow a bird as it flies.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Here's an example of my photography.


I started out with a used Wimberly first edition and still use it on occasions such as sitting at an osprey nest waiting for some action. I did find it heavy and cumbersome to maneuver around or change positions. Last year a got a monopod and the Wimberly mono gimbal and am pleased with the results while in the field to capture quick action. The downside is you either have to hold on to it constantly or set it down while there is a lull in the action.

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 16:28:14   #
mstracke
 
I have two gimbal heads: my main Custom Brackets head and a backup +/- $100 chinese gimbal that use on my sand frisbee for shore birds. I love the CB; it stays on my Gitzo tripod most of the time unless I am doing night or close/longer exposure/multiple exposure stuff. Try one of the cheap chinese knockoffs to see if a gimbal works for you.

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 16:32:21   #
f8lee Loc: New Mexico
 
amfoto1 wrote:
No, a gimbal tripod head WILL NOT WORK with your camera and usually isn't a good choice for birds in flight, in particular.

Gimbals are designed for use with lenses that have tripod collars. Those are typically only found on interchangeable telephoto lenses (for DSLRs and mirrorless). I'm not aware of any "bridge camera" like yours that has a tripod mount collar on the lens.

In fact, it would be impossible to mount your camera to most gimbal heads.

Gimbal heads also are generally best used with very large and heavy lenses. They work well with 300mm f/2.8 and larger. I regularly use with a 100-400mm too, though it's doesn't "balance" quite as well on the gimbal, as do heavier and longer lenses. I do not use my gimbal heads with 70-200mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/4 lenses that are around 3 lb. or less. They balance very poorly on a gimbal.

For birds in flight, I find hand holding best. There are exceptions, of course, but most bird flight is too erratic to follow well with a lens on a tripod, regardless the type of head being used. MAYBE a monopod... I use one sometimes for sports such as auto racing, equestrian events... But those subjects are also moving along predictable paths, unlike most birds.

Several responses above praise various gimbals or their use in general... and they aren't wrong. Gimbal heads can be very useful with the right cameras and lenses. However those earlier responses didn't consider the camera you're using. They simply aren't made for use with non-interchangeable lens "bridge" cameras like your RX10.

EDIT: In a followup you mention that your camera is light weight. Many people actually find that "lighter" often doesn't translate into "steadier" shots. In fact, I add battery grips to my DLSRs in part to increase their weight and mass, for steadier shots. (This also helps the camera balance better when fitted with a large lens on a gimbal head. Of course, the grip also doubles battery capacity, provides a comfortable means of holding the camera in vertical orientation and provides a secondary set of controls.) I currently use five "full size" DSLRs for work, each of which weigh around 2 lb. for the camera and grip alone... plus the weight of any lens (some of the largest of which weigh 8 lb.) I also have a small mirrorless "travel, hiking, street photography" kit... a body with four compact lenses and a few accessories... that entire kit weighs less than even one of the DSLRs with one of the more moderate size lenses. Frankly, I find it a lot more difficult to get a steady shot hand holding that little mirrorless camera, versus hand holding one of the DSLRs.
No, a gimbal tripod head WILL NOT WORK with your c... (show quote)


Alan, thank you for being the only other person who actually read the request and wrote the correct answer (you see I said the same thing earlier) - it fascinates me how so many feel the need to pontificate without actually thinking through the answer...it's obvious when you look at that camera a gimbal will not work.

Reply
 
 
Apr 13, 2021 16:43:40   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
ialvarez50 wrote:
I do not use a tripod for bird photography, too restrictive. I use 400 ISO, Shutter speed proyority mode which is set to 1/1000 of a second and the camera sets the aperture, I also use AI servo focusing. All with the camera on my hands to follow a bird easily.



Reply
Apr 13, 2021 17:47:52   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
SuperflyTNT wrote:
That won’t work with an RX10MIV. Most of the lens moves as you zoom. That particular setup will only work with an internal zoom.


It Will work at a single focal length - and maybe even a small range ..... and Can work on other extending zooms - but, yes, works BEST on an internal zooms - like the Sony 200-600, Canon 200-400, Nikon 180-400, and Sigma 100-300.
.

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 17:49:53   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
f8lee wrote:
Alan, thank you for being the only other person who actually read the request and wrote the correct answer (you see I said the same thing earlier) - it fascinates me how so many feel the need to pontificate without actually thinking through the answer...it's obvious when you look at that camera a gimbal will not work.


It could be made to "work" tho ....

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 18:18:58   #
SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA
 
imagemeister wrote:
It Will work at a single focal length - and maybe even a small range ..... and Can work on other extending zooms - but, yes, works BEST on an internal zooms - like the Sony 200-600, Canon 200-400, Nikon 180-400, and Sigma 100-300.
.


You can make a lot of things work. That doesn’t make them useful. There’s no advantage to using that on a Sony RX10MIV, or just about any long zoom. Including those internal zooms you listed.

Reply
 
 
Apr 13, 2021 18:37:26   #
f8lee Loc: New Mexico
 
imagemeister wrote:
It could be made to "work" tho ....


So, @SuperflyTNT’s message didn’t resonate with you? Did you not also read @Amfoto1’s reply? what @MDI Mainer proposed is utterly ridiculous for the camera the OP states he has.

In fact, in your retort above you state "Well I don't think most super zooms on the market today are IF” and go on to surmise that because a big piece of glass like the Tamron (or indeed, the Fuji 100-400 I use on a gimbal head) changes the center of gravity so why not a bridge camera, whose lens alters the center of gravity an order of magnitude or more than the mentioned lenses? That is, it is significantly different than the Sigma or Tamron are.

Have you actually used any of this gear, or are you only trying to make us think you are smart?

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 19:48:24   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
f8lee wrote:
So, @SuperflyTNT’s message didn’t resonate with you? Did you not also read @Amfoto1’s reply? what @MDI Mainer proposed is utterly ridiculous for the camera the OP states he has.

In fact, in your retort above you state "Well I don't think most super zooms on the market today are IF” and go on to surmise that because a big piece of glass like the Tamron (or indeed, the Fuji 100-400 I use on a gimbal head) changes the center of gravity so why not a bridge camera, whose lens alters the center of gravity an order of magnitude or more than the mentioned lenses? That is, it is significantly different than the Sigma or Tamron are.

Have you actually used any of this gear, or are you only trying to make us think you are smart?
So, @SuperflyTNT’s message didn’t resonate with yo... (show quote)


LOL .......and, you mis-quote me ... .....YOU can think whatever you want
.

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 19:53:12   #
imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida
 
SuperflyTNT wrote:
Yes, I use a Nikon 200-500 on the Wimberly monogimbal on a monopod. The difference is thos lenses attach directly to the gimbal with the tripod foot and collar. It’s a completely different thing.


Yes, it is "different" - but possible and helpful for SOME.
.

Reply
Apr 13, 2021 20:11:44   #
Jay Drew Loc: Boise, Id.
 
Hi chaim
At 79 yrs, I'm no where near as steady as I was. However I've learned that arm exercise w/ dumbbells has improved my steadiness considerably. I'm not talking about huge hunking weights but < 10lbs ones. I suspect it will help, Jay

Reply
 
 
Apr 14, 2021 02:53:57   #
MDI Mainer
 
What we have here is a classic case of the perfect being the enemy of the good (and possibly a tinge of gear snobbery as well).

Yes the camera and lens are supposed to be perfectly balanced on the gimbal, and yes this can best be achieved with an internal zoom lens attached by a lens collar and foot. But the gimbal function can still be useful (and better than any alternative) where the balance point shifts as the lens barrel length changes, or there is no lens foot and an alternative to using the camera body's tripod mount must be improvised.

After all, if we're strong enough to hold a camera we're strong enough to overcome the force of gravity on a out-of-balance gimbal rig!

So as far as I'm concerned simply saying that it can't be done or won't work just evinces a lack creativity and ingenuity. And yes I've successfully used a similar rig on a Sony A6000 and 18-200mm lens, jacked to 400mm using CIS, so a 600mm FF equivalent.

Reply
Apr 14, 2021 08:54:46   #
SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA
 
MDI Mainer wrote:
What we have here is a classic case of the perfect being the enemy of the good (and possibly a tinge of gear snobbery as well).

Yes the camera and lens are supposed to be perfectly balanced on the gimbal, and yes this can best be achieved with an internal zoom lens attached by a lens collar and foot. But the gimbal function can still be useful (and better than any alternative) where the balance point shifts as the lens barrel length changes, or there is no lens foot and an alternative to using the camera body's tripod mount must be improvised.

After all, if we're strong enough to hold a camera we're strong enough to overcome the force of gravity on a out-of-balance gimbal rig!

So as far as I'm concerned simply saying that it can't be done or won't work just evinces a lack creativity and ingenuity. And yes I've successfully used a similar rig on a Sony A6000 and 18-200mm lens, jacked to 400mm using CIS, so a 600mm FF equivalent.
What we have here is a classic case of the perfect... (show quote)


I have the camera in question and this solution will provide zero benefit. Just because you can make something work doesn’t make it a good idea.

Reply
Apr 14, 2021 09:01:00   #
dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia
 
chaim wrote:
Thanks. If I could, I would, but my hands are just not steady enough. The attached Osprey photo was taken with a 600mm (equivalent) lens.


Don't know if they still make them, but a gun stock mount is great for birding, especially for the big hawks during migration.

Reply
Apr 14, 2021 12:22:53   #
MDI Mainer
 
SuperflyTNT wrote:
I have the camera in question and this solution will provide zero benefit. Just because you can make something work doesn’t make it a good idea.


Zero benefit to you perhaps, but you don't speak for anyone else.

Reply
Page <<first <prev 3 of 4 next>
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Main Photography Discussion
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.