Do you mean the WH-200? That's not the best for me, so I would use the PMG Kitana Jr. or something like that if it is not necessary to attach any Wimberley Modules. Several Jobu gimbal heads are Wimberly Modular system compatible but have their own limitations. Other than the huge weight, what are your complaints of Wimberley WH-200? It's actually cheaper than some of the others.
I went with the Oben GH-30 to use with my Canon EF 300 f2.8 vII and Canon EF 400 DO. I'm no expert and had never used a gimbal head before, so I stayed with something less expensive. Seems to work for me! I will say that the one mistake I made was only having one plate. When that got lost (I'd kept it on the gimbal head and it must have come loose) right before I needed it to shoot some sports, I couldn't use it! Now I've got two plates and keep one in my roller bag and one with the gimbal head.
crteach wrote:
I went with the Oben GH-30 to use with my Canon EF 300 f2.8 vII and Canon EF 400 DO. I'm no expert and had never used a gimbal head before, so I stayed with something less expensive. Seems to work for me! I will say that the one mistake I made was only having one plate. When that got lost (I'd kept it on the gimbal head and it must have come loose) right before I needed it to shoot some sports, I couldn't use it! Now I've got two plates and keep one in my roller bag and one with the gimbal head....Show more →
Buy a plate for each of your lenses that need them and install them semi-permanently. Get something other than the Oben as they appear to be too short to allow proper balancing of the lens, at least for some lenses.
In many respects the Leofoto gimbal is a knockoff of the PMG gimbal with one important to me exception: the pivot point for horizontal rotation is located under the camera-lens mounting clamp. On the PMG it is offset about half an inch. Important if you plan to use the gimbal for multi-frame panoramas. My PMG Kitana is now in reserve for odd jobs and the Leofoto gimbal is on a tripod at all times.
juststeve wrote:
In many respects the Leofoto gimbal is a knockoff of the PMG gimbal with one important to me exception: the pivot point for horizontal rotation is located under the camera-lens mounting clamp. On the PMG it is offset about half an inch. Important if you plan to use the gimbal for multi-frame panoramas. My PMG Kitana is now in reserve for odd jobs and the Leofoto gimbal is on a tripod at all times.
Based on the photos it appears not to accept any Wimberley Modular accessories like the WH-200 or Jobs do. Is it cofrect that there is no place for the AS clamp on the vertical part of the swing arm?
Alan Olander wrote:
Buy a plate for each of your lenses that need them and install them semi-permanently. Get something other than the Oben as they appear to be too short to allow proper balancing of the lens, at least for some lenses.
I find it much better to replace the OEM foot with a 3rd party foot containing an integral A-S dovetial. That keeps the center of balance lower/closer to the center of lens. It also reduces weight and eliminates any potential looseness in the connections. Some lenses don't have that option, but most all of the big teles have feet. Wimberley, Kirk, RRS, etc. make good ones.
Here's what I'd be buying if I were in the market today. I presently have the Jobu Design BWG=HD3
Note that the price is in Canadian dollars, so $499.CDN is roughly $340 U.S.. It's an absolute steal at that price. I'd call them and ask when they'll have stock again.
Jobu gimbals (and tripods and monpods) are top notch. The "best" of anything depends on exactly how you're using it. For the biggest lenses, the Leofoto PG-1 equals any of the other large gimbals. For smaller lenses, I think the Jobu Jr Deluxe is the absolute best.
I have the HD-4 which replaced the HD-3 about 10 years ago. However, there are a few issues with it so I would not necessarily recommend one to a happy WH-200 user. The movement is not quite as smooth as the Wimberley and there is a (deliberate?) slight hitch at the horizontal position. The pan and vertical controls are on opposite sides, which may or may not be desirable for a particular user (I actually like it). The HD-4 weighs 2.2 lbs. compared to the 3.3 lbs. Wimberley and the difference is quite noticeble when carrying the tripod in the field. Mostly I use the HD-4 because it supports the Wimberley Modular attachment system like the WH-200 and unlike many of the other gimbal heads. That allows all sorts of setups like flashes, light modifiers, backgrounds, etc. to be on the top of the swing arm and maintain alignment with the lens regardless of tilting or panning as you follow the subject.
I also really like the Jr.3 Deluxe. It's smoother that at least my copy of the HD-4 and only weighs 1.5 lbs., about the same as a middling ball head.
EB-1 wrote:
I find it much better to replace the OEM foot with a 3rd party foot containing an integral A-S dovetial. That keeps the center of balance lower/closer to the center of lens. It also reduces weight and eliminates any potential looseness in the connections. Some lenses don't have that option, but most all of the big teles have feet. Wimberley, Kirk, RRS, etc. make good ones.
EBH
Yes, that what I prefer to do, also. The OP was talking about plates, but a foot or collar replacement would be better yet.
Bobarino wrote:
My BWG-HD3 is basically a Jr.3 Deluxe with the upgraded HD-3 swing-arm.(cradle can be raised or lowered) It also came with the Jobu flash-bracket.
Jobu also has a wide selection of plates, and at very reasonable prices.
That's really good info, thanks.
I see the FB-TM2 top-mount flash bracket, but it apparently does not attach to the gimbal head for some reason.
I realize many people don't use flash nowadays, but it's better to have the flash rig attached to the gimbal when using multiple lenses and/or cameras so they can be more quickly swapped without taking the flash setup off of the foot.
jeffbuzz wrote:
Jobu gimbals (and tripods and monpods) are top notch. The "best" of anything depends on exactly how you're using it. For the biggest lenses, the Leofoto PG-1 equals any of the other large gimbals. For smaller lenses, I think the Jobu Jr Deluxe is the absolute best.
Based on feedback in this thread on Jobu Design, I just ordered the Jr. Deluxe to use on some relatively smaller tele lenses. It will be my first experience using a gimbal as well. The $260 USD price out the door was very compelling! Thanks for the suggestion.
