Cheap Gimball Type Head...

Like most people who get into wildlife or aviation photography, and after acquiring a reasonably sized/heavy zoom lens, thoughts soon turn to supporting the thing.

One thing I've learnt over the last few years is that even a 300mm lens needs proper support if you're going to get results anywhere near what we we would hope for...

The other thing I've learnt is the phrase 'Buy cheap, buy twice'...

So, I started researching Gimball heads etc and sat down to price up what I'd need. After selecting a sidekick, arca swiss ballhead, and a lens plate, I was soon up to about £600, and that's without buying a decent set of tripod legs!

I don't know about anybody else, but I do baulk a little at paying that kind of money for a head, especially when for the same cash I can get a very decent lens! I understand the importance of a good support though, and also that a support that can't do the job is a waste of money, no matter the price. Off to eBay I headed then!

A quick search soon found a company in India churning out what can only be described as Kirk Cobra clones, supplied with a lens plate and a couple of adaptors to fit 1/4 or 3/8 fittings.

So, for approx £93 delivered (including the lens plate), I thought I'd give one a go. The worst case scenario was that it would be a pile of rubbish and that I'd only end up going out and buying a Wimberley/Kirk setup anyway, but for the cash I thought it was worth a go.

So, after about a week, the head turned up and I've set it up and had a play around with it, so thought I'd share a few pics/comments with you guys in case any of you were thinking along similar lines. (Excuse the pics, I received a Fuji S5 Pro in the post this morning too for a try out, so thought this was as good an excuse as any, but I don't know my way around it yet!)

First up, the finish is not anywhere near as good as the Wimberley/Kirk stuff, but then I guess this is why they are priced as they are. It's a powder coated finish that looks pretty tough, but clearly the metal underneath isn't all that nicely finished. My view on this is that as long as it does the job, I will forgive it the aesthetics!

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/3506309895_0339bd24e3.jpg[/IMG]

The longest/heaviest lens I have at the moment is a 300mm f4, which is pictured below with a 2x converter. With the lens plate pushed all the way forward in the clamp, it balances as shown, and you can move the camera/lens very easily with the two knobs backed off. The action is really quite smooth, which surprised me. The body is fitted with grip/AA's, so probably as heavy as you're going to get body wise, but with the grip removed you can slide the lens plate further back to balance it out.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3507117052_6fa9008719.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3659/3507117606_92cedb9608.jpg[/IMG]

The next shot is a close up of the lens clamp/lens plate assembly. It looks worse than it is due to harsh flash/dust (I was using a Fuji S5 Pro which I was trying out for a few days so didn't know my way around it properly!), but it's really to show that it does all fit together nicely. The lens plate has two additional allen bolts that stop the lens plate sliding all the way out of the clamp forwards or backwards, but it's basically a clone of the Wimberley plate, albeit a less well finished one.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3544/3506310061_aa8bb556a7.jpg[/IMG]

The whole setup is quite solid, and I have to say I'm quite impressed. The two big round tension knobs are smooth in use, and they also only wind out so far that there is no chance of you detaching the lens clamp and crashing your kit to the ground. Once you find the balance point, it works just the same as a Wimberley Sidekick/Kirk Cobra setup.

This is not meant as an advertorial, and I have no connection with the company concerned, it's just that I see lots of discussion on heads of this sort and I thought this would help some people make up their mind, and perhaps be reassured that alternative lower cost solutions exist.

I have no idea how long this head will last, it may fall apart after 6 months occassional use, but I will report back if that happens! Looking at its construction, and the simple and proven tech involved (ie clamps/screws/bolts/welds) I don't fear that will happen.

I have no idea of any copyright issues involved with this, as although it is like a sidekick, it is different, and I'm not sure if it's possible to patent such a relatively simple device anyway, certainly outside the US. I'll leave the ethics of that one up to you good folks, so please take this as the helpful post it was intended to be!

It's a Nikon camera, naughty boy

Yes, I know, that's why it's a post about the tripod head, not the camera, and why it's in 'General Chat'...

Very interesting, Tooks. Are you going to share the URL of the manufacturer with us?

We need a few more "pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap" people in the accessory world in my view.

G

I wasn't sure if that would be allowed, but it's eBay seller;

dvaccessory23

He has all manner of interesting things for sale, including booms and steadicam type stuff.

Quick delivery and good comms from him too.

Thanks. I shall have a look.

G

Looks like this one?
Matt

It appears to need a lens that has it's own tripod socket. Is that right?

G

Thats right George. The same goes for the original Wimberly stuff.
Looks logical, you don't want to hang a large telephoto on your camera.
Even if the bayonet mount survives, trying to balance it without a external tripod collar would make it a scary experience.

Now.....I see one major disadvantage, compared to the Wimberly system.
With the latter you only have to slide the system into the Ball head without the use of clamps or knobs to secure it.
If you attach the Chinese version you loose all portability and flexibility. You end up with one rigid system mounted to your tripod. (at least, it looks that way)

With the Wimberly/Kirk system you can slide the side kick
in or out of the Ball head (which is the base of the system) within a second and mount another body directly on your ball head.

It is also proven that the Wimberly/Kirk system will still work under the worst weather conditions possible.
The used lubricants and gearing parts are weather/dirt/debris proof.

All comes at a price, I'll guess.

That's right George, it only works with lenses that have tripod feet, as per the Kirk Cobra design.

You're right Martin, in that this type of Gimball head is only really for long super-telephoto style lenses, the ones where such a system is required I guess. When setup correctly, you can move the camera/lens to any position and it will stay exactly where you left it. For setting up at a birding location, behind netting or in a hide, it's an ideal solution. It still allows full panning/tilt movement (one handed if necessary) for birds in flight etc.

If you need the flexibility to be able to whip the Gimball off a ball head to fit your camera body to it, then this isn't really the most convenient solution.

It does screw off the tripod easily and quickly though, and then you can fit whatever you need in its place, such as a ball head.

If you already have a decent ball head (arca swiss style etc), then it might be better to get the Wimberley sidekick attachment, or one of the similar clone systems available. You really need to check your ballhead is up to it though, as many aren't.

I think, as with so many things in photography, the law of diminishing returns applies with tripods/mounts etc.

This was just a heads up for a workmanlike system for not much cash in comparison to the established big names.

I think it looks very good for the money.

Thanks, Tooks. You have your uses on occasion!

G

Thanks! I'll take that!

I use the Manfrotto MN-393 which can be had for around £100 for my Sigma 500mm f/4.5 and find it excellent. I can move the lens and camera around with one finger and it stops where I put it. For some reason they bill it as a monopod head, but it works really well on a tripod.

Second that, found the Manfrotto MN 393 very good, even on a light weight tripod, I also built one from scratch which I mainly use.