leftyD500 Loc: Ocala, Florida

I have read reviews, I have looked on B&H, Adorama reviews, but, I feel the bet reviews come from the users here on UHH. So, my question is....do you feel a gimbal head is better that a ball head, and why?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Well most will say gimbals are only for large heavy lenses. And for the most part they are right. The only lenses I use with my gimbal are my two big ones, mostly my Tamron 150-600. They are really meant to be used with lens so big they have collars with a tripod mount built in.
I can see using one for a smaller lens when I want more precision and have a more or less predictable and slightly limited field of motion needed. I can just get steadier tracking and following of moving subjects than when I hand hold.

I own a ball head and rarely use it on my monopod only. I tried to get used to it on my tripod and just couldn't. My personal experience is that having a ball head on a tripod, for me, defeats many of the reasons for using the tripod in the first place. I feel that I need three or four hands to loosen and tighten the set screws or there is too much motion in the camera and lens. I would just as soon hand hold. Other wise on a tripod I much prefer a three way pan head when not using the gimbal.

Others just love ball heads. I will leave it to them to comment on reasons to use one.

Then after everyone has their say it will be up to you to decide what to go with, or maybe try all three types and decide. It just might be that you end up with all three and use them under different circumstances with different gear.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

For close work (macro and closeup), landscape with slower shutter speeds, focus stacking, HDR, and many photographic uses with ultrawide to medium telephoto - a good ball head is hard to beat. Cheap, inadequate ball heads are best not purchased. IMHO Sirui and Feisol make good moderately priced ball heads - look for large balls so that you can lock it down, but also use a lighter touch on the friction so you can set it tight enough to hold the camera in position but you can still move it without readjusting it. Cheaper ball heads either don't lock well - you can tighten the friction knob all the way but still can move the camera, or do not move smoothly when used with a lighter friction setting. The majority of gimbal heads use the Arca-Swiss style quick release clamp.

When using long telephoto lenses, particularly those weighing in excess of 9-10 lbs, and when you need to track movement (race car, airplane, bird in flight) a good gimbal is hard to beat. You can get an excellent, cheap gimbal in the Manfrotto 393 (about $190), but it doesn't lock. better gimbals start at about $300 or so and go up to the ultra light, ultra strong ultra expensive Zenelli at $1000, or the Custom Brackets gimbal at $2200.

Again, the majority of gimbals use an Arca-Swiss clamp. The one notable exception is the 393, which uses a proprietary QR clamp. I modified mine by adding an Arca-Swiss clamp from Hejnar Photo. All my collared lenses have Arca plates and it was a pain in the neck to have to remove the plate to attach it to the gimbal, then put it back on to attach it to my ball head.

For a good gimbal head at a reasonable price, look at Wimberley, Really Right Stuff, Jobu, Feisol, Sirui, etc. Avoid anything under $200 as if it were radioactive, and be very careful of heads that are less than $400, as they are generally not built to the same standards as the better gimbal heads. A poorly made gimbal or one with inadequate materials will break, sending your camera and lens, which together cost many times the price of a gimbal, crashing to the ground. You need to ask yourself if saving a couple of hundred dollars and buying a $300 gimbal is worth the risk.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

What's your biggest lens?

leftyD500 Loc: Ocala, Florida

My biggest lens is the Nikon 200-500 mm lens.

billnourse Loc: Bloomfield, NM

I use a Benro Travel Angel II with a ball head for everything I do. My biggest lens is a Canon 70-200L f2.8. I shoot soccer, baseball, track and football all the time on the tripod because I am too lazy to hand hold for a full game. I have no problem following action and getting all the shots I want.

My sister also uses one for birds with a Sigma 150-500mm.

I had used pan heads for years, but after being turned on to ball heads, I find that I don't need anything else for my needs.

Bill

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

If you need a gimbal (for lenses in excess of 400mm), I might suggest the 4th Generation Mongoose 3.6. Its a side mount area-swiss style gimbal and mounting the lens is quite easy and quick, something I find is important. Not cheap, in excess of $500, but you get what you pay for.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

A gimbal is just too much to deal with while shooting sports.

Of course you never said want kind of shooting you for which you want the head, so it is very hard to say which is better.

It is kind of context specific.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I use the Nest, got it from MT Shooter. I think it is excellent. Well built, functions very smoothly and supports more weight than any lens & camera combo I am ever likely to own.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Then you definitely need a good gimbal. The only source I would trust, other than one of the rated dealers (maybe more), would be the Camera Cottage. Contact MT_Shooter.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

While there are some very good ball heads out there they all share the same "fault" if not properly tensioned they flop around like a limp noodle. I use an older Induro BHL1on a Manfroto CF 055 pro series for my wide angle work and take great care to make sure it is "locked" before letting go of my camera (Nikon D7100) for anything else I use my Wimberly Gimbal head on a very sturdy Gitzo CF tripod (which is no longer produce) probably due to cost.
My rig with the Sigma 150-600 on the Gitzo weighs in at 19# but it is stable and worth every ounce of the weight. By the way the Wimberly was the only quality game in town when I bought mine.

Revet Loc: Fairview Park, Ohio

I second MT Shooters Nest Gimbal. Works beautifully on my Sigma 150-600.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I've used a pan/tilt head for years. I see no reason to use anything else. I've never had a situation arise that required anything else. I've used it to shoot a variety of different subjects.
--Bob

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

I think for the OP this might do. If he primarily did, say, birding and focused on hawks and spent most of his time on a ridge with a heavy tripod, in the wind, then, maybe investing in a gimbal would be a good idea. But, since we have no idea what environment and use the OP has in mind, it is hard to give better advice.

leftyD500 Loc: Ocala, Florida

I shoot mainly wildlife and landscapes, occasional sports. I would say general photography is mainly what I do. At 72 years old, I will noy be climbing windy ridges.