pKai
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A friend has a Wimberley II and since purchasing a 500/4.5, I've been after one myself. Before parting with $600, and being the curious sort that I am, I decided to try the $100 Beike BK-45 WII knockoff.
After waiting an eternity for the direct-from-China free shipping, the thing finally arrived. It came in a box, wrapped in plastic with no instructions whatsoever. Good thing none are needed. I was skeptical.
After mounting the thing on my tripod and working it a bit by hand, I noticed that everything was a little stiff but nevertheless it felt solid and smooth enough. I mounted the big 500 and 7D on it and, after getting everything balanced, found that the setup is rock solid. My skepticism was turning to wonder about how this would hold up in the field.
The next day, I hiked with the thing all day slung it over my shoulder, etc., and not a single problem. All the stiffness worked its way out of it after a couple of hours of use and now everything is quite smooth. I shot over 1,000 images that day including birds in flight involving a lot of panning and tilting. I am quite impressed with the performance. Panning, tilting, etc., is quite smooth with no grabby or loose spots. When you lock everything down, nothing moves. My Wimberley-owning friend is a bit envious. This was all a few weeks ago and after a few more trips to the field, I have had no problems. The thing is still rock solid and smooth and seems to handle the weight of the 500 and camera quite well.
The differences I've observed between the real thing and knockoff:
1. $400+
2. Wimberley smooth out of the box, knockoff took some break-in.
3. Finish on Wimberley a bit better. Fit is excellent on both.
4. The Wimberley seems smoother and more fluid. Not $400 smoother, IMHO.
5. If I get lost in the woods, the knockoff has TWO -- not one, but TWO compasses. ( ) You'd think for $500+, the Wimberley could have at least one. Seriously, I have no idea why they chose compasses to cover up bolt holes.
6. $400+
As for the moral issue... there is none for me. Mr Wimberley makes an excellent product at a premium price. If money were no object, I would buy his products. That said, he did not invent the "gimbal" concept nor does he own any rights to it. The first time I saw something like this was in a museum decades ago. It was a Portuguese cooking gimbal for use on ships; it was centuries old. Sorry, Mr Wimberley..... capitalism is capitalism. I respect your choice to be and remain the Rolls Royce of gimbal mounts. As it happens, money matters to me. I don't mind spending thousands when it will result in better images. I don't see this advantage with the real Wimberley. I bought a Chevy and for me, it works well enough.
Of course, if this thing eventually falls apart and dumps my $10,000 rig in a pond, I will be back here to eat my words. I would also buy a real Wimberley with the insurance money. In fact, I'd buy two...... to make up for the one I should have bought in the first place. Time will tell.
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