Archiefamous Loc: Manhattan

Look for a used wimberly. They just don’t go bad

motorman Loc: greenville nc

I use the manfroto 393. The available long quick release is on both my long lenses providing perfect balance point. I have it mounted to a monopod most of the time. It is great for bif. only down side is weight.

ronichas Loc: Long Island

I recently got the Fotopro eagle series gimble from the B&H optic conference. I absolutely love this tripod head. I can use it with a long lens, Tamron 150-600 or use it with my Sony A711 Camera with an L bracket. While it is a bit pricey, the fact that I can use it all the time whether shooting long or landscape just made it a plus for me.
https://fotopro.com/products/e-6h-ballhead?_pos=3&_sid=153a954ee&_ss=r

here is a great video on this gimbal head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj1x0ey9HyE&t=191s

CO

That's another one that has needle and roller bearings. Most have only bushings.

CO

Wimberley is another excellent one. I've used the WH-200.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Nest

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

fbeaston Loc: Vermont

Thanks everyone for the comments. It seems that many Hogs were pointing at the Nest NT-530H Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head from MT Shooter. So I decided that was good enough for me & I just ordered one. Appreciate the advice. And it also has the added advantage of throwing a little support toward a fellow Hog.

Frank

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

👍👍👍

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Congrats!

photoman43

I use and recommend the wimberly gimbal head, II. I also have the Jobu jr 3 that I use for travel when weight is a consideration. I much preferbthevwimberly as all of the control knobs are on the same side.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

Hobo Jr. has already been recommended. Light and good for travel. Also 4th generation Mongoose 3.6 is a good head.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

M.T. Shooter carries a great gimbal head. He recommended it on UHH some time ago. From what I could tell it looked as though it would move very easily in any direction. Give him a p.m. and I'm sure he'd let you know which one it is. The thing I liked about it is that it would also work nicely for video.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Gimbal heads have little to do with the camera you use... a whole lot to do with the size and weight of the lenses you are using! It's a bit hard to recommend, without knowing what lenses you use. It also would be helpful to know what tripod and head you currently have.

But maybe we can cover some generalities.

There are three major types of gimbals: "J" type, "U" type and "gimbal adapters".

"U" type are very heavy duty... they have two uprights and a "U" shaped piece in between that supports the camera and lens. Due to the size and weight of this type of gimbal, it's probably NOT what you want unless you're using some extremely heavy lens (like the 35 lb. Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 or the Canon 1200mm f/5.6). This type of gimbal replaces any other head currently on the tripod, sort of making the tripod "big lens only" for as long as the gimbal is installed.

"Gimbal adapters" are used in conjunction with an existing ballhead on your tripod, so that you can quickly convert back and forth to use the tripod with other lenses, as well as long telephotos when needed. Gimbal adapters might be somewhat limited in weight capacity.

"J" type gimbal heads are the most common type. It's what many people think of when they refer to gimbals. Wimberley sort of invented their use for still photography with big, heavy lenses. Many other manufacturers make them now. This type of gimbal replaces any other head currently on the tripod, sort of making the tripod "big lens only" for as long as the gimbal is installed.

Some basics...

To be used on a gimbal, a lens must have a tripod mounting ring. And, further, most gimbals for photography make use of and require Arca-Swiss style quick release plates and platforms. This is so that the balance of the lens and camera on the gimbal can be equalized, so that the whole rig can be smoothly moved with a light touch. Other types of quick release that are used on a few gimbals do not allow for that adjustment and won't be possible to balance as well. At a minimum, you'll need to allow for the add'l cost of an Arca-Swiss style lens plate, usually a slightly "extra long" one, for any lens that doesn't have an Arca-style dovetail built into it's tripod ring mounting foot (some Tamron lenses now have that, for example). Lens plates cost between $25 and $50 typically, depending upon manufacturer. In a few cases, a replacement tripod mounting foot is a better option (such as the Canon 100-400mm II, because the OEM foot doesn't work well with lens plates). Manufacturers such as Kirk Photo, Hejnar Photo, Really Right Stuff make replacement tripod ring mounting feet for various lenses that can use them. Those typically cost $70 to $120.

Lenses that are "Internal Focusing" (IF) and "Internal Zooming" (IZ, in the case of zooms) are the most ideal for use on a gimbal. Because those lenses don't change length when focused and/or zoomed, once it's set the balance is maintained. Non-IF/IZ lenses will change balance a little as their focus or focal length is adjusted. They are still quite usable on gimbals, but just won't maintain balance as perfectly. (One lens I use a lot on a gimbal that's not IZ, I just have to make a point to tighten the tilt axis when not holding the camera and lens... So that it doesn't tip forward or backward on it's own. Other lenses that I use on gimbal that are IF/IZ, I can leave the axis "loose" without much concern... though I'd still be cautious.)

Gimbal adapters require that the ballhead they're used with have an Arca-Swiss style QR platform. That's how they attach to the ballhead. The ballhead also needs to have sufficient weight capacity to accommodate the large lens, camera, the adapter itself, as well as any accessories mounted to the camera or lens such as teleconverters, lens hoods and flashes, etc. All gimbal adapters are "side mount". All simply provide the tilt axis for the lens, and rely upon the ballhead to provide the panning axis.

"J" type gimbals come in two styles (and some are convertible back and forth from one style to the other): "Bottom mount" and "side mount".

Fortunately a photographer has compiled a fairly comprehensive list of gimbals of all three types here: http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/gimbal_list.htm

I don't know why, but the popular Nest gimbal head (a full size "J" type, bottom mount) isn't included on that list. It should be, as it's a good value with a good reputation.

Also not on the above list are a myriad of cheap Chinese knock off gimbal heads, mostly "J" type/bottom mount, that are widely available and may or may not be up to the quality and durability of the Nest and listed gimbals.

Personally I use a Wimberley Sidekick gimbal adapter and heavy duty ballhead combo on one tripod and a full size "J" type gimbal on a second tripod that's more dedicated to "long lens use only". The Sidekick was recommended for use with lenses up to 500mm f/4 that weigh about 8 lb., but I've seen them being used without problem with heavier lenses (up to around 10 lb.), as well as heftier cameras and accessories. I use a Kirk BH-1 ballhead with mine, which itself is rated to support 50 lb. The "J" type gimbal I use is a cheapie that's not rated in any way I know of, but has been okay for occasional use with up to around 10 lb. of lens and camera. I don't expect it to be durable and plan to replace it with something better eventually, probably the Nest.

Another helpful accessory with gimbals is a leveling platform. This goes under the head, between it and the tripod. When using a gimbal, it helps quite a bit if it's pretty close to level. This can be achieved by adjusting the length of the tripod legs, but that's rather slow and a little risky releasing the leg locks to make the adjustments and remembering to fully re-tighten them. A leveling platform can make for much quicker re-leveling each time a tripod is moved, while working with it on uneven ground.

The tripod leg set you use needs to be up to the task, too. I use "Series 3, Systematic" Gitzo carbon fiber tripods with a weight capacity around 33 lb. and they've worked well. For me they're a good compromise of size, weight and support capacity, plus have other features I appreciate. For best stability, ideally a leg set should be tall enough that you don't need to raise a center column to bring the camera up to working height. Also for stability, the tripod should have as few leg sections as possible. More sections may make it smaller folded up, but the lowest sections can end up too small diameter. Both the tripods I use with gimbals and big, heavy lenses have 3-section legs. I have another with 4-section legs, but it's an extra tall model that I only rarely use that way, so I don't normally need to extend the lower, smaller diameter leg section at all. That tripod is also fitted with a center column, but I primarily use it reversed to hang camera and lens below the tripod, for low angle shooting. I usually don't use the tripod with 4-section legs/center column with any gimbal. It's fitted with a heavy duty ballhead too, so I could use a gimbal adapter if needed, but have the other tripods for that purpose.

Hope this helps! Have fun shopping.

speakdolphin

Try to get fluid gimbal.....really fluid not simulated.