Tripod heads - Video VS Gimbal

So I've been looking around for a new tripod head as my current only head is the Junior Geared head - fantastic for macro and anything slow; useless at almost everything else.


I've had my eye on gimbals and ballheads; in my view a good ballhead is a nice generalist whilst a gimbal would be of great use with my heavier and longer 70-200mm f2.8 and 120-300mm f2.8. A gimbal also being there for that future "supertelephoto lens" that I will get one day but no time soon.


To that end I thought I'd made my mind up with the Acratech GP or GV ballheads; sturdy decent ballheads that should take the lenses I've got and doubles with its fake gimbal mode. Giving me a bit of both worlds without needing to buy two tripod heads.

However I then heard about the Beigie 48 which sounds like a very cheap, if half decent for lighter longer lenses, gimbal. However in researching that tripod head I came across this video
https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=vmvcui3m_a4

Which prompted me to think about the topic presented in the title of the thread - should or would it be better to consider not a gimbal nor a ball-gimbal hybrid and instead to consider a video head as a generalist for lighter through to heavy telephoto lenses.

It's a potentially interesting topic as I've never really used a proper video head before, but the comments raised in the video about resistance to motion providing a smoother panning does ring true when I've used other heads and found that sometimes the fully slack mode leaves it very easy to over-compensate and shoot past a moving subject.

So I'd be very interested to hear what people here are using and have found in the practical real world between these two head types; or indeed if other ideas or methods have presented themselves that would be worth considering.

I'd go with the Acratech, or another solid ballhead and add a sidekick for the gimbal option.

If video heads were better for still photography, they wouldn't be called video heads.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17894161
I'd go with the Acratech, or another solid ballhead and add a sidekick for the gimbal option.

If video heads were better for still photography, they wouldn't be called video heads.

True, although saying that video tripods are generally all round better than photography tripods, barring weight and some video ones won't go as low as a stills photography tripod.

I will concede that I've met and or know of from online a small number of people that do use a heavy duty PRICEY Video head for long lens work. But the lenses in question are the big 600mm - 800mm primes, and those that chose this option are few and far between. For certain types of work I am sure they will work wonders, but for flexibility, I'd stick with a ball-head and gimbal.

Yea good ballhead and gimbal if you need one. Leave the video heads for video.

I have an RRS ball head and Gimbal..... they are interchangeable. They clamp into place. It takes seconds to change from one to the other. No unscrewing this or that. Not inexpensive.... but a joy to use.

Love my Acratech GP, and have used it's semi-gimbal mode a couple of times with a Tamron 150-600.

In that mode, with that weight, I had to mount the head on my heavier "video" tripod, an older Gitzo 2 series. I was glad I had the 75mm half-ball leveler on that tripod, because once you hit gimbal mode on the GP you have zero leveling, other than the tripod leg length.

And, remember, the weight goes a couple inches to the side - need more tripod weight or spread than my lightweight pod.

All in all it works well, though I'd say the 150-600 is near the upper weight limit of the GP. (some might say beyond!)

I've been wanting to try it on one of my video heads, haven't gotten around to it. One thing that many video heads have is counterbalance springs - those are going to be real handy for a truely long lens, but if you're trading lenses around you'll wish you could easily change the counterbalance setting. That's a spendy proposition for a video head, but they're out there.

Note also that a conventional video head expects your right hand to be on the pan bar. That's part of the reason you get smooth tracking, is pulling on a long lever. The other part is the fluid effect, of course. That's a smooth resistance to panning and tilting, usually adjustable. I imagine such a setup is great for following sports or birds. Maybe you could tuck the pan bar into your right armpit?

An advantage to the video heads and true gimbals is that they center the weight on the tripod.

All in all I'm happy to occasionally use the semi-gimbal on the Acratech, but now it's almost always on my heavier legs, had to buy another head for the light legs On the other hand, if you're using the reasonably heavy/wide legs that many like for everyday use, one tripod would do it. Myself, I like to mostly use lighter legs.

Not used one myself - but a possible solution for both Gimbal and Ball head?

http://www.uniqball.eu​/

They seem to be a little bit like Marmite - people love them or hate them but well worth investigating.

Interesting viewpoints all - esp re the heavier tripod and leg positions.

I'm warming to the idea of using the Acratech as a generalist ballhead with the option of its fake gimbal mode for a short term fix but with a longer term goal of getting a proper gimbal head although I might get one of the cheap ones to have a play and see how it goes - weight distribution wise it will be better than the acratech.


The video head aspect its just going to have to wait; unless I can find some much more detailed feedback on it. I do like the idea of a smooth flowing head for tracking motion, but it seems that I might have to hit the video dedicated websites to get proper feedback on them.

Overread wrote in post #17901094
Interesting viewpoints all - esp re the heavier tripod and leg positions.

I'm warming to the idea of using the Acratech as a generalist ballhead with the option of its fake gimbal mode for a short term fix but with a longer term goal of getting a proper gimbal head although I might get one of the cheap ones to have a play and see how it goes - weight distribution wise it will be better than the acratech.


The video head aspect its just going to have to wait; unless I can find some much more detailed feedback on it. I do like the idea of a smooth flowing head for tracking motion, but it seems that I might have to hit the video dedicated websites to get proper feedback on them.

I hate to mix up your plan, but you REALLY sound like someone that would benefit from the "Sidekick" option.

http://www.tripodhead.​com/products/sidekick-main.cfm

It will be better than the Acratech solution fro Gimbal work, and still offer the same sort of flexibility you are looking for.

I use mine happily with a 500mm f/4L IS, it can handle that all day, but for the SIGMA 120-300mm, I would never bother to break out the "Flll Wimberly" gimbal, the Sidekick handles it so well there's no point.

I use it primarily on my Markins ballhad, that's my favorite combo, but it works with many other ballheads just as well.

ie: As someone that owns both a full size Wimberly and Series 4 tripod for it, and a heavy 500mm, I still use the Sidekick on a Ballhead more often. Sidekick for all "mid sized" lenses, 120-300m, 150-600mm, 200mm f/1.8 etc,. and for the 500mm about 1/2 the time, maybe more.

Full Wimberly for the 500mm sometimes

I'd forgotten about the Sidekick - although that's a hefty price jump ontop of a good ballhead. That said I can see its benefits in repositioning the weight more over the centre of the tripod rather than out on a limb.


I'd still need a ballhead to go with it; it opens up the possibility of a cheaper, but still heavy weight limit specified ballhead. Which do you use with yours?

My favorite to use with the Sidekick, also the one I've had the longest, got it sometime in 2005 or so, is a Markins M20.

A much more affordable option that is PLENTY strong enough for the job would be the SIRUI K40, (or even the K30)
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …RK40_K_40x_Ball​_Head.html

Rated as the best buy in a Ballhead shootout by DPReview, SIRUI finally began getting the recognition it deserves of offering solid equipment at affordable prices;
http://www.dpreview.co​m …s-top-ball-heads-tested/7

I've got a K30 and it is a top head for 1/2 or even 1/3 some of the heads it can compete with. For use with the Sidekick, I'd say get spend the extra $20.00 on the K40

For slightly less, this far less well known RRS knock off is a good alternative as well;
http://www.amazon.com …TF8&qid=1455676​886&sr=8-3