2-Benro B2 Double Action Ball Head/ or any other ball head
not sure the ball head will work without jitterring (moving in pulses/not smooth). I have no experience with ball head but I imagine if I tighten the knob it will not move smooth, and if I loosen it, the camera and lens will swing when I lift my hand.
4-Hand held.
There is no need for any support for the combination of d-500 and the 500pf
For me it is not about the weight. I could carry this combination all day but it is about stability and better image sharpness
I like to turn the vr of the 500 pf off and be able to shoot at lower shutter speeds if the MH-100 or any of the above help.
Also if the MH-100 mounted on monopod helps in panning in BIF shooting.
p.1 #2 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
Hi,
I'm using the D500/500mm PF with Wimberley's Monogimbal and a Gitzo Carbon Monopd.
As you say D500 + 500mm PF is easy to handhold all day but as soon as the light gets weaker the f5.6 quickly pulls up Iso rates. That's when I pull the Gitzo off my backpack und mount the D500/500mm on the MH100.
I manage to get slow shutters below 1/100 with tack sharp images with VR engaged -- as long as the subject doesn't move obviously.
For BIF you need much faster shutters - wouldn't see the need for a tripod/moonopd for such light combo at all.
Carrying around the set is also very convenient - as you just put in on your shoulders.
p.1 #4 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
I vote for the WH-200 as I own one and it is a damn fine piece of gear. It makes my 400mm f/2.8 behave as though it is weightless. A properly set up gimbal head is a thing that I really can't even begin to describe how wonderful they are to use.
I occasionally throw it on a monopod but most of the time I use a tripod. I know there are internet heroes that will talk about shooting handheld all day even with that heavy thing but I myself am not capable of such things.
p.1 #5 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
The D500 and 500PF combo is great for shooting hand hold.
Today I was shooting hand held BIF in strong wind and most of the time I was not able to keep the focus points on the birds.
Tomorrow I’ll try again with my Gitzo 3 series tripod, RRS ball head and Wimberley sidekick. 😊
p.1 #6 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
take a good hard look at the promediagear GK Jr. it is very well built and relatively light. i have one (in red) and for me its a happy thing. its available in black too
p.1 #7 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
I like to use the Gitzo GHF2W fluid head with the 500 PF. It allows slower shutter speeds and dampens vibrations better than a gimbal head. I find it easier to follow bird movement using it if the movement is relatively slow and even as the fluid system smooths the movement of the lens, kind of acting as a low-pass filter. For fast-moving birds it may be easier to use a gimbal. I have the Sidekick but I don't really use it, preferring the fluid head.
p.1 #8 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
Personally I always try to shoot hand held for BIF because it seems more "natural" to me. I do use a tripod with my 600mm sometimes -- especially when "nest sitting" and waiting for something to happen -- because of the weight. But when it comes to the 500PF the only time I use a tripod is when shooting video. The high shutter speeds required for BIF negate any unsteadiness from hand holding, but I always shoot with VR in "sport" mode anyway to help keep the bird steady in the viewfinder when following it.
BTW I replaced my gimbal head with a fluid head (per Hudson Henry's recommendation) and have never looked back. Now I do everything from shooting stills to video from the lightest lenses all the way up to my 600 using a single tripod: RRS TVC-24L w/TA-2U-LB levelling base topped with a Manfrotto MVH500AH fluid head w/Kirk MVH500-BQRV2 Arca-swiss replacement mounting plate. My tripod life is greatly simplified and everything works like a charm. I can never go back to a gimbal. YMMV.
p.1 #9 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
I find that I can hold focus on the bird more consistently using the fluid head than hand-held. Also I want to practice shooting birds taking off from water and try to get wing movement into the picture using slow speeds. I think the gimbal helps me keep the bird steady in the viewfinder during takeoff and eliminate the up and down shake that I may have hand-held. I haven't really nailed my panning technique yet, and at slow speeds I still have a bit of loss of sharpness in the bird's head, but on tripod I am closer to my goal than hand-held. I hope to eventually be able to pan at 1/100s and get sharp body and blurred wings.
p.1 #13 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
HANDHELD....shooting flight from a tripod is a fools game. I've never seen anyone be able to match my handheld results when shooting next to them and they are using a tripod/gimbal. Sure you can get results but you will miss a lot of shots you would have got if handholding. Even with my 600/4 I handhold BIF...with the 500PF it would be a very poor decision to use a tripod for BIF.
If you still want a gimbal for other stuff then I'd recommend the Jobu Jr 3 or PMG Katana Jr. But to be honest I'm not even sure if you can balance a 500PF on a gimbal because of how light it is??
p.1 #14 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
NissanPatrol wrote:
yes as some mentioned it only can help at low shutter speed
at high shutter speed it is not required, I woulds say 1/800 and faster.
unweighting the load on your arms always helps. used it for sports events. a flying frisbee or moving target is pretty fast
i defer to Arbitrage as he is the bird man. but i keep trying and getting them. but i don't do bird work which might make a big difference especiallu with a 500 shorti.
p.1 #16 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
If you have a reasonably long plate (doesn’t need to be really long, mine is a couple cm longer than the foot), you can balance the 500 PF and D500 or D850 without grip on a gimbal. A D5 + TC-14E III + 500 PF is possible but the plate restricts hand position on the grip. The fluid head I use is easier as there is an adjustable counterbalance.
When photographing divers, it can take up to 30 min of waiting before the bird suddenly takes off. I don’t have the patience to wait that long while hand-holding the lens pointed to and focused on the bird. If the bird takes off and I am not pointed that way, it’s too late to pick up on the takeoff. With tripod it is easy. I just wait and let the tripod do the work until the action starts. It’s irrelevant to me if someone else can get better results hand-held as I am not them and I use the technique that works for me. And it’s much more enjoyable for me to just watch and wait rather than have to hold the lens steady all the time.
For a fast bird that flies in an erratic path, it may be different.
p.1 #17 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
As usual, there are many helpful replies here. In my opinion, the best replies to this thread are those that end with YMMV. While many threads here are about technical matters than do have objective solutions this really is a thread about personal preferences.
I use a WH-200 on top of my Gitzo tripod with both my camera (with a 600mm f/4 prime lens) and with my Swarovski spotting scope. I have no problems at all tracking flying birds with the spotting scope on the gimbal head, even when I have the eyepiece set to 60x magnification. While it does look more like an anvil than a piece of fine mechanics, the WH-200 actually allows for smooth precision work. I can easily set the exact amount of friction needed to pan the spotting scope smoothly by holding it by its eyepiece zoom ring eith my right hand and the left hand on the focus ring. I know that is not the norm for birders. I have only met two birders with their spotting scopes on gimbal heads. Thus, I have no need for a (fluid) video head. But then, I really would not say that I shoot video. If I were to look at other options, it would either be a Zenelli to save some weight or something like a Uniquball.
While I do have a very good ballhead (which allows me to minimise creep while retaining smooth movements until it locks without droop), I would not use it for birds (neither with the camera nor the spotting scope).
My Gitzo monopod has a traditional tilt-head and as long as you balance the lens properly, setting the right amount of friction is a breeze. A low-profile lens foot helps with my heavy 600mm lens, but your 500mm PF already comes with one. I do find the MH-100 interesting and would like to try one.
Given the weight of your gear, I would encourace you to give nr. 4 a fair chance before you borrow/buy stuff. Handheld sure has its advantages and its only ”cost” are missed shots before you get your technique sorted. However, it does take practise.
I suggest you try all solutions yourself to see what you actually prefer in the field. YMW(ill)V.
p.1 #18 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
"2-Benro B2 Double Action Ball Head/ or any other ball head"
There are ballheads out there that do not jitter. I have a Novoflex ballhead that does not jitter. The ballhead needs to be large enough, and obviously needs to be designed and produced by a company that cares about this issue.
p.1 #20 · the WH-200 vs MH-100 vs ball head vs hand held d500with 500pf combo
Very large birds *can* be acquired and held in the viewfinder when using a tripod.
But it’s impossible to acquire and track small birds on the wing when the lens is mounted on a tripod, no matter what head you have.
During the winter, I have successfully shot incoming waterfowl off a gimbal (Jobu Jr. 3 or even a Manfrotto fluid head), but the birds are headed right into me as they fly up the esturary. In this case only, the reason I use a tripod is because I sit down behind it and wait for them (some swimming and some flying). The swimming ones do know I am there, but my relative inactivity behind the tripod eventually overcomes their fear of me and they swim upstream and right by me. If I was handholding I would have to pick up the lens every time and they wouldn’t go for that.
