All the talk about "soft corners" just wondering what is the best way to asses/test the corners? Assume you have a test chart or a nice big brick wall..something flat. Do you focus on the center then examine the corners? Or do you move flexible focus spot to the corner and shoot, or do you use the center focus but focus at corner, keep focus and then go back to center and shoot? Focusing at the center would seem to bring into play the fact that the corners are farther from the lens center than the center portion of the image.

I currently have a compact MeFoto (lightweight) c/f travel tripod and a ball head I use when traveling and basically anytime I need a tripod at home. My current Ball Head is rated pretty well for weight but still has some movement when the larger lenses are mounted (limited throw for balancing). Considering upgrading to a more solid tripod and a new tripod head to use at home, not necessarily for travel so weight is not really an issue. Used the ball head quite extensively but never I've used a gimbal head.

I've seen a lot of discussions about Gimbal heads lately and wondering if would there be an advantage of buying a Gimbal versus a Ball Head? I understand using a gimbal is great for large tele's and for BIF's and other action photos. My current inventory is a 70-400mm (plus a 1.4X) and 18-200mm as my two primary telephoto lenses along with a couple of wide angle and wide-medium zoom lenses. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Blaster