dugeeeeeee

Check out the wimberly sidekick. Connects to your ball head so you don’t have to remove it. Ive got that on my gitzo and love it. And it’s smaller than a gimbal head and cheaper in price but not build quality. It’s still a wimberly. Think I paid $125 on eBay.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

ahudina Loc: Browns Point, WA

Another vote for Nest. Good price and exceptional quality purchased from Mt shooter. I use it with a 200 to 500 Nikon zoom on a D850 and could not be happier.

wireloose

Another vote for Nest. Sold my Wimberley, the Nest is much lighter and half the price, works well, never seen a negative review so I take that as evidence they are as reliable as they look.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

You have and will hear this a lot:

NEST

https://www.cameracottage.com/equipment

If you are a cold climate (say Arctic) photographer, Nest has a non-dampened version designed for cold use.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Yes, the Wimberley costs more, and their is a good reason for that. You will find the Wimberley constantly great. I use it and highly recommend it for anyone who is SERIOUS about what they do.
Affordable does not mean better.

markinvictoria Loc: Victoria TX

About 5 years ago when I was curious about the gimbal heads...wanting to try one but didn't even want to spend $500+. I then looked at the other extreme...a Beike BK-45...a Chinese cheapie sold under a dozen or so different brand names for $25 to $50.The reviews said it was pretty much junk out of the box...but others said with a bit of tinkering they work fine. I checked out a few You Tube videos on how to improve the BK-45. I ordered one from Ebay for $26. Probably disassembled it 3 times over the first 6 months till I have it functioning the way it should. Is it as pretty as the $600 model? No. Does it function as well? Real close!

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

I have used two, the Mongoose 3.6 and the Job JR. I like the side mount design of the Mongoose, IMO much easier to mount a long lens, although the Job Jr. can be reconfigured to a side mount. The advantage of the Jobo is that its light and good for traveling. I have seen 600mm with 2X converters on the Jobo and apparently it does just fine.

photoman43

I have used the Jobu and the Wimberley and prefer the Wimberley. The Wimberley has all of the controls on the same side whereas the Jobu has them on both sides. Having to go to both sides to make adjustments might drive you crazy. If that is not an issue for you, Jobu products are very well made and are an option to consider especially if you plan to take it on air plane trips. I believe its weight is less than the Wimberley.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Here is a pretty complete list of gimbals, showing the different types....

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

But there are so many brands now, that a list cannot be truly complete... it would be huge and constantly changing.

One that's not listed there but well worth mentioning is the Nest, which is lighter than most being made of carbon fiber, costs $298 and is sold exclusively in N. America by Camera Cottage: https://www.cameracottage.com/apps/webstore/

You didn't specify what model Gitzo tripod or Kirk ballhead you have. For many years I've been using an older Series 3 Systematic G1325 fitted with a Kirk BH-1 (50 lb. capacity) ballhead, and in between them a Gitzo G1321 Leveling Platform (an accessory which makes for quicker setups on uneven surfaces and is especially helpful when using a gimbal).

With that tripod I use a Wimberley Sidekick instead of a full size "J-type" gimbal. The Sidekick allows me to quickly swap the tripod back and forth from gimbal/long lens uses and supporting the camera directly with shorter lenses. In comparison, a full size J-type gimbal will fully replace the ballhead on your tripod and you'll end up having to carry that separately, will need to stop to change heads for different uses and might need tools to swap the gimbal and ballhead in the field. A tripod with a J-type will be mostly "long lens only".... It will no longer very usable to mount the camera directly (either Wimberley or Kirk makes an adapter, although it's just one more thing to buy and carry around).

Here's how the adapter works. Your ballhead remains on the tripod and the Wimberley Sidekick fits into the ballhead (as shown on the website) to provide the tilt axis, while the ballhead itself provides the panning movement. The combination of ballhead and Sidekick weighs about the same as many full size, J-type gimbal heads... so there's little or no difference in weight. The Induro GHBA is very similar to the Sidekick. So long as your tripod and ballhead are up to the task, either of those would work well with your 200-500mm. I've used the Sidekick with larger and heavier lenses. The Jobu BWG Micro is a more compact and inexpensive gimbal adapter which is only recommended for use with smaller and lighter lenses than yours.

I also have a second Gitzo G1325 set up as a "long lens only tripod", with a full size, J-type gimbal (and Leveling Platform). But I use the tripod with the Sidekick and ballhead a lot more often. It's more versatile and the rig I choose when I'm only taking one tripod with me. That second G1325 and some other tripods are more "specialized" setups.

Regardless whether you go with a full size J-type gimbal or a gimbal adapter, you will need an Arca-compatible lens plate or a replacement foot with an Arca dovetail for the 200-500mm. Wimberley recommends their P-30 plate which appears to be about 4.5" or approx. 115mm long. Kirk recommends their KLP-450, which is a similar length. A replacement foot can be more secure and a little less bulky than a lens plate. Hejnar Photo, Kirk and Really Right Stuff all make replacement feet for your lens tripod mounting ring. Some also offer complete replacement tripod mounting rings, though I don't know that's needed. Whatever you choose, I recommend using some blue Locktite on the mounting screws, as a safety measure.

Another benefit of the side-mount style Sidekick or GHBA is that it can also be used to mount a camera with a short lens in vertical/portrait orientation. The camera needs to have an Arca-style plate on it, but that's going to be needed anyway, since all gimbals and gimbal adapters use that system. As a result I have no need for a bulky, expensive L-bracket on my camera. Instead I can simply use the Sidekick. This can be done with all the "side mount" gimbals. It isn't possible with the "bottom mount" J-type or U-type gimbal.



Wow! If you see another at that price, give me a heads up! I'd jump on it! That's half price. The Induro GHBA sells for about $200.

Several have mentioned video "fluid heads", which can work well too.... But real ones ain't cheap, plus are rather bulky and heavy. Wouldn't be much fun to take on a hike! Sachtler fluid heads start around 4 lb., $500 and go over $1500. (BTW.... Sachtler, Vinten, OConnor, Gitzo, Manfrotto and Joby all have the same parent company: Vitec Group. They also own LowePro, Lastolite and a number of other photo/video related brands.)

ashriverguy Loc: Rural Minnesota

What beautiful photos Joer, wow!
I have been reading about fluid heads vs gimbal heads and I’m interested for reasons of size, weight and
cost. Do you have a favorite brand/model?

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I do NOT recommend using ANY head for BIF - HANDHELD only - but with with smaller lenses. I do recommend any size lens with a fluid head for general wildlife tho. Smoooth trackability and ergonomics is why I like the fluid heads - but you do need a decent one - currently using a Manfro 502 flat base.
.

redlegfrog

I'm looking for a good sales pitch on fluid heads, are you up to the task or can you point me in the right direction?
Thanks

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=billnikon]Yes, the Wimberley costs more, and their is a good reason for that. You will find the Wimberley constantly great. I use it and highly recommend it for anyone who is SERIOUS about what they do.

Affordable does not mean better.[/quote

Neither does expensive.