At least, initially, with the (relatively light) weight of a EF 100-400 II + ungripped 6D. The resistance was too stiff to comfortably tilt and pan. Not stuck as such, but definitely more force than I would be happy with. In less than 30 seconds outside the freezer, everything loosened up enough to work fine. I am certain that with a heavier lens or maybe even with just the extra the lever-based torque of, e.g., a flash mounted on a tall flash bracket, there will be enough force exerted in the load to overcome the increased resistance be able to maintain smooth pan and tilting. But, as things stand, in sub-freezing conditions with a light load, this gimbal is a no go.
I will probably still keep it, though. It works really nicely in all other aspects. I figure that if I do go out and shoot in sub-freezing conditions, I will fallback on my trusty Markins (which, despite lots of rumors to the contrary, did pass the freezer test with flying colors), as this can be \"psuedo-gimballed\" up with the BV-22 attachment. Alternatively, I might try out a neoprene wrap. As with outdoor taps, sometimes even an apparently minor thermal buffer/protection can make the difference between freezing and not freezing, so if the neoprene is thick enough to trap sufficient air and cut well enough to allow for movement yet protect the fluid, this might work. Of course, depending on my fortitude of spirit, in sub-freezing conditions I might just try out a completely different approach: fireplace + hot chocolate and/or a stiffer beverage of choice!
At least, initially, with the (relatively light) weight of a EF 100-400 II + ungripped 6D. The resistance was too stiff to comfortably tilt and pan. Not stuck as such, but definitely more force than I would be happy with. In less than 30 seconds outside the freezer, everything loosened up enough to work fine. I am certain that with a heavier lens or maybe even with just the extra the lever-based torque of, e.g., a flash mounted on a tall flash bracket, there will be enough force exerted in the load to overcome the increased resistance be able to maintain smooth pan and tilting. But, as things stand, in sub-freezing conditions with a light load, this gimbal is a no go.
I will probably still keep it, though. It works really nicely in all other aspects. I figure that if I do go out and shoot in sub-freezing conditions, I will fallback on my trusty Markins (which, despite lots of rumors to the contrary, did pass the freezer test with flying colors), which can be \"psuedo-gimballed\" up with the BV-22 attachment. Alternatively, I might try out a neoprene wrap. As with outdoor taps, sometimes even an apparently minor thermal buffer/protection can make the difference between freezing and freezing. Of course, depending on my fortitude of spirit, in sub-freezing conditions I might just try out a completely different approach: fireplace + hot chocolate and/or a stiffer beverage of choice!
May 17, 2015 at 10:39 AM
Previous versions of jeetsukumaran's message #13018314 « Nest Gimbal Head -- First Impressions »
