Tripod Gimbal.

wallyboy

wallyboy

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,805
Name
walter
Edit My Images
Yes
I am after a sub £100 Gimbal, really after people who have already bought one and has been tried and tested in the field with no problems, I will be using Nikon 7200 with a 200-500 lens for wildlife.
 
Have just purchased one of these for use with my Nikon D500 and 200-500mm lens on a monopod.
Quality is very good and it performs superbly on the monopod. In normal use I just lock off the panning base and only use the tilt functionality of the head. For horizontal movement I just rotate the monopod as necessary. Price is around £100.
The same unit can be used on a tripod, using both the panning and tilt functions, but I prefer to use a gimbal on a tripod.
I have just sold a Manfrotto 393 gimbal head which at around £140 performed reasonably well and I now have the Benro GSPAM Carbon Fibre gimbal which cost me around £350.
I did try a Lensmaster RH2 and quite liked the feel and quality of that unit (price around £180). Wimberley or RRS gimbals are a different class to everything else and that is reflected in the price for those units.

Sunwayfoto Monopod Head DT-02D50 by bigbudgie, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Or this one:

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/gimbel-advice.647396/#post-7751001

Good quality gimbals are a little more than your expected budget. You may find a manfrotto 393 but otherwise you are looking at the £150-£200 for something like the lens master or benro gh2 (second hand). There is the beike that around £50-60 but it's not the best build quality, some think it's ok others don't. I've got one, it's ok for places like the beach where I use it but it's worth spending a little more on something that's better quality, the benro gh2 and beike are night and day different.
 
Yeah... the spelling error didn't help :)
 
I have just bought a new type neewer one from amazon ,cost £54 delivered ,I decided to take a gamble on it despite reports of it being stiff .never been a fan of the cheap chinese copies but despite the first buyer reporting problems I decided to go ahead .on the premise I could return it if needed .
Well yes it's stiff in both directions and apparently they are filled with some type of silicone lubricant .but it's a solid bit of kit and lo and behold once fitted after a few swings it loosens up nicely and spins like a wimberly with no wobble either, once left overnight it stiffens up again but moves freely again after a few spins .personally I prefer this as it makes it rock steady rather than loose in use .would I buy another one yes most definetly
 
the black fox said:
I have just bought a new type neewer one from amazon ,cost £54 delivered ,I decided to take a gamble on it despite reports of it being stiff .never been a fan of the cheap chinese copies but despite the first buyer reporting problems I decided to go ahead .on the premise I could return it if needed .
Well yes it's stiff in both directions and apparently they are filled with some type of silicone lubricant .but it's a solid bit of kit and lo and behold once fitted after a few swings it loosens up nicely and spins like a wimberly with no wobble either, once left overnight it stiffens up again but moves freely again after a few spins .personally I prefer this as it makes it rock steady rather than loose in use .would I buy another one yes most definetly
Click to expand...
This is pretty much my thinking if it is to stiff or faulty in any way just send it back, hoping i'm gone be lucky. Arrives tomorrow so give it a go w/e.
 
I've been doing a bit of searching for a cheaper alternative for a gimbal myself recently, the main one which has caught my interest is the MOVO gh700, it looks pretty similar in design to a benro gh2. There's a reasonably good review of it on YouTube and the feedback on amazon seems fairly positive and a bit more consistent than the beike/neewer models. Don't suppose anyone on here is using one also? The more feedback the better.
 
wallyboy said:
Gimbal arrived today, and like a muppet didn't realise the gimbal end to the tripod is 3/8, any of you gimbal owners had same problem if so what was the fix.
Click to expand...

To connect the two sizes of threads I have a small tube with threads inside and out. I think it came with a piece of equipment didn't buy separately.
 
newbie1 said:
To connect the two sizes of threads I have a small tube with threads inside and out. I think it came with a piece of equipment didn't buy separately.
Click to expand...
I am in the process of sending it back, when i connected adaptor to gimbal and tripod, i put on my camera with 200-500 lens and there is movement between adaptor and gimbal, in time it would be too loose to use.
 
Which tripod or monopod are you using with a 1/4 thread? I think most heads will be a 3/8 thread so potentially you will always need an adapter. I use a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter with an Arca Swiss clamp when using a black rapid strap and don't find any movement. I'm guessing the movement is down to poor threading on the gimbal you have. Which gimbal did you go with so others reading this thread have an idea which to buy/not buy?
 
wallyboy said:
I am in the process of sending it back, when i connected adaptor to gimbal and tripod, i put on my camera with 200-500 lens and there is movement between adaptor and gimbal, in time it would be too loose to use.
Click to expand...

Maybe have a look at this you tube video before you send the Neweer gimbal back. It seems that the problems with these cheaper gimbals are all known and quite easily solvable with a little bit of DIY.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMNjpgb9kIc
 
Last edited:
rob-nikon said:
Which tripod or monopod are you using with a 1/4 thread? I think most heads will be a 3/8 thread so potentially you will always need an adapter. I use a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter with an Arca Swiss clamp when using a black rapid strap and don't find any movement. I'm guessing the movement is down to poor threading on the gimbal you have. Which gimbal did you go with so others reading this thread have an idea which to buy/not buy?
Click to expand...
The Gimbal was a sevenak, the actual movement horizontal and vertical was pretty good, it was just the connection, the adaptor join into the Gimbal was too sloppy, in time would have sheered the thread.
 
BigBudgie said:
Maybe have a look at this you tube video before you send the Neweer gimbal back. It seems that the problems with these cheaper gimbals are all known and quite easily solvable with a little bit of DIY.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMNjpgb9kIc
Click to expand...
Thanks appreciate link, i have it all packed ready to go back tomorrow, i wouldn't tinker with it, my thinking should be good to go straight out of box.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top