OK, I got tired of having my hand bashed by 11 pounds of lens and camera while shooting birds. I've been using a large ball head for the last three years when using a tripod and shooting from a blind. Today I used my new Benro GH2 for the first time. It was like the difference between driving a 1950 Studebaker 3/4-ton pickup truck and my new Tundra mobile bird blind. I could actually operate the system and shoot with one hand. I'm thrilled. It operates slicker than snot on a door knob and balances perfectly with my D850 and my 8.6 pound 500mm F4 G lens. Life is good again. Thanks for the review video and helping me decide

I stumbled across this comparison video and really like your approach. Excellent content. Much appreciated and I will be looking at more of your videos.

Scott, Your gimbal reviews were some of the best reviews ever. Thanks you, so much. I’m a follower now.

Amazing review my friend. Thank you for such a thorough review and explanation of the products!!!

I wish that I discovered you channel sooner! So much good advice on gear.

Got the Leofoto and I cannot say enough good things about it. So glad I didn't go for the Wimberly. Being a filmmaker more than a photographer these days, I appreciate the tension control! I also got a smokin deal on it, especially since the seller sent me the camo version instead of the black, which I had ordered. Not about to complain about that! Thanks for your helpful video!!!

Thanks for the review! Ordered a leofoto PG-1 at around $310 here from Hong Kong which in my opinion made the leofoto the best value choice. Look forward to testing the gimbal head as soon as it arrives. Thanks again!

Have the Fotopro E6-H and yes, it is very versatile. I do love your recommendation in taking off the swing-arm and using it as just a side mount !!! Geez why didn't I think of that. haha I have used this gimbal for landscape and also for moon shots and I find it to be super sturdy. Great job on reviewing and explaining all of the gimbals and their pros/cons.

Love your reviews I got the Benro for my tripod and the Movo side mount for my monopod. Thank you.👍

Thanks for the details - ordered a Leofoto PG-1, should be delivered tomorrow. I like leaving the tension fairly tight sounds like that one allows you to dial it into my preference the easiest. Using a Movo Sidekick with a Surui ballhead setup now...there is a lot of play between the ballhead and sidekick gimbal in that setup. Shake was very noticeable in video and wasn't coming from the tripod legs... $450 isn't cheap but hoping it's more stable...might be worth the investment.

Hi Scott, very useful overview ! You mentioned a kind of tension control in case of the leofoto pg1 and the katana junior. Is this true for the vertical and horizontal movement ? Thanks .

Awesome video review!! Regarding the Leofoto PG-1, does it change the frame when you tighten the control knobs like in the Promediagear Katana? Thanks.

I use the pg1 and I love it. I have to admit I have never used or handled any of the others. The only time I lock it down is when I move location or I am taking a landscape shot. For this I use a long plate that tightens to my l bracket (think it's called a nodel rail). Not the best for landscape but gets the job done.

I’ve been using a Pro Media Gear GKJr Katana with the side-mount for close to three years now and love it. Definitely at the higher end of that price range but for people looking into the Wimberley I think the Katana and Katana Jr. are both great alternatives. They weigh so much less than the Wimberley (the side-mount one I have is almost half the weight of the WH-200) since they’re CNC-milled aircraft-grade aluminum and it gives me every level of tension I could possibly want with my 600 IS II.

Great informative video clip. Thanks for the useful content and great upload. Btw IMHO, Wimberly has been and will remain THE gold standard of the market in the gimbal world, no matter what!

Just ran across this excellent video and went ahead and ordered the Leofoto model. They have a 25% off sale going, so I got the carbon fiber tripod legs that are full camouflage print with the camouflage version of the gimbal. They charge a small premium for the camouflage treatment but it beats having ill-fitting lenscoat covers. I'll report back once it arrives. I also ordered their corrosion-proof Poseidon tripod for use near water. I'll definitely be checking out more of your content!

Great review, I picked up a Benro GH5C on sale today so nice it featured well.

I ignored the negative reviews on B&H for the Benro prepared to send it back if I saw the shallow connection. Very glad I did. Love the GHC5. Works perfectly for me.

That was a great review. I have the Fotopro E-6H on which I mount my Canon R5 with battery grip and the 100-500 zoom lens. I have had no trouble balancing my lens/camera and it holds position very well. Your camera/lens is much more front heavy and I can see why it would not balance. The arca swiss clamp is designed to allow you to loosen it and slide the camera back and forth for balance without the risk of it falling out, then to remove the camera you press the little button to open it fully. I have never used it as a side mount but will try it now. Thanks.

Thanks for sharing. It helps.

Looking seriously at the LeoFoto PG-1 for my first gimbal and have a question, is the cradle arm wide enough so that a camera body be mounted directly on the gimbal cradle in the landscape orientation? Or is there a way to mount a camera directly to the gimbal?

Nice gimbals. Love it. I use Xiletu XGH-1 and they are really sturdy and built like a tank. Never had to look elsewhere and just paid around AUD$200.

Thanks so much for the great review! I appreciate the work you put into this. Just a comment about the Jobu gimbals you might find interesting. I have the bigger one and have generally liked it, or at least gotten along with it. My main concern with it has been that the panning knob is on the right side. So to adjust the knob, I have to take my hand off the shutter button. It takes two hands to lock out the head. I'm looking at the Leofoto PG1 as my next gimbal, thanks for reviewing it.

You can overcome the Fotopro E6-H's restricted up and down movement by using the 45 degree angle feature. Angle it back at 45 degrees and you can shoot straight up and vice versa.

Hey Scott ! I just bough my first gimbal and wanted to let you know your videos helped me a lot !!! I went for Leofoto PG-1. Do you think that the fine tension control from PG-1 or Katana make it possible to use thoses gimbals for video purpose ? Cya :)

I just bought the Leofoto pg-1. I find the extra control to be less of a preference and more of a big help for me. You put prime lenses on and balance them. For someone who is starting out and only owns a zoom it's great to be able to add resistance as you can never get balance through the entire zoom range and the lens will tend to flop at one end or the other. I us a sigma 150-600 and I absolutely love the leofoto.

Not sure if you still watch comments for the video I am interested in the "Fotopro E-6H Eagle Series Gimbal Head" I use Mu-43 gear so may be OK, and I am a mixed subject shooter, not much BIF but do use a skimmer pod for low angle shots. Unless I missed it did you check how many turns to attach it to the tripod. For me as a general rule the screw should go in the diameter of the thread. Since it is aimed at landscape can the camera be mounted to the swing arm OK via the cameras base tripod mount hole? From the photos at B&H there does not seem a lot of room for half a big DSLR body to mount directly to the swing arm.

Thanks for the review. Bought the Benro 3 years (no blue trim) ago given my budget after buying my camera and a used Gitzo carbon fiber tripod (new $1,200) for $490. No issues with it since. I agree that sometimes the esthetics of other gimbles are tempting. Appreciate your review and continued efforts. BTW: Just about done on mirrorless cameras and inability to refocus on near objects after jumping to the background. Spoke to a professional portrait photographer today who uses the Sony A7IV, and he replied that he has the same issue at times. Back to you on this soon.

great review! thanks

How about RRS gimbals? they have fluid head as well? its US made exclusively;)

Would love to have your review of Leofoto PG2 and PG2S. Can we use PG2S as a side mount for the heavier lenses like AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR?

I have a ~$200 Promaster gimbal head (not recommended) that I’m looking to replace. Currently, I am heavily focused on bird photography with a Sony 200-600 zoom. I live in Wisconsin and also bird Minnesota in winter. I’ve had three issues with my cheap gimbal: 1) significant lens creep on lockout (to the point where I sometimes can’t get the position I want); 2) the rubberized grip on the clamp screw has come off so it is difficult to tighten the clamp onto the lens foot; and most importantly, 3) a very noticeable decrease in smoothness of movement in cold winter temperatures, such that I can no longer keep up with birds in flight. From your extensive review videos (Thanks!! I haven’t found anyone else doing such systematic evaluations of so many gimbals!), I think I have narrowed it down to the Katana Jr or the Leofoto PG-1. My questions are: Do you see any shift in framing with either the Katana Jr or the Leofoto? Have you used either outdoors in cold winter temperatures and have any insight on performance under such conditions? Thanks for your thorough series on gimbal heads. These videos have been a valuable resource.

Thanks for the review! As a landscaper who is dabbling in wildlife, I went for the Fotopro E-6HS, which I really like. Even use it on top of my tracker for astro panos. Kind of crazy looking with everything setup. Anyway, back to wildlife - I also like to shoot a little video, and I've found that the Fotopro has a little too much stickiness when I attempt a slow pan. Too little effort on my part, and it stops the pan. A little more, and it jumps ahead. So I don't get smooth video when attempting to follow flying geese, for example. So, I'm curious - do any of these gimbals handle that scenario more gracefully than the Fotopro? It's my only complaint about the Fotopro, but it can be a significant problem. Or maybe I just need to work on my technique? TIA.

Do you find the the bearing grip on the Promeadia Katana better than the Leofoto PG-1 and does the Leofoto PG-1 use a bearing in the base swivel or just the top cradle arm.

Hello, what's up? They answered me from Benro and told me that the GH2N head was similar to the GH2F in terms of smoothness, so I also discarded it. In this video you compare the GH5C with other opponents, and I'm very interested, but I have an offer for less than €400 for the Sirui PH-30... do you think it will be better than the GH5C? Which of the two do you recommend? Thank you very much for your help!

Appreciated!

I love the versatility of the Fotopro. Though, cheaper to buy the rebadged Rollei version in Europe. Have my spotting scope in the cradle…and detach the cradle to side mount the camera. Will mount the camera on the cradle and tilt forward for plant and insect macro work. It was concerning to see some reviews where the reviewer had panning smoothness issues and went to a second or a third copy to find a good example.

So, I'm going to apologize right off the bat for this, probably being, a bit long-winded. I'll do my best to keep it as short as possible. I watched this review, about 5 times, kept coming back to it in my search for a gimbal that suited my needs. There were only two in this review that provided the flexibility that I was looking for, the Wimberly and the Fotopro E6-H. Specifically, I was looking for a gimbal that would also allow for mounting my camera when using a wide-angle lens. I ruled out the Wimberly simply due to cost, I didn't want to spend that much when I also needed to purchase a quality tripod, and there are other gimbal heads out there that are good quality and are also less expensive. I then ruled out the Fotopro, because as you indicated, you can't achieve axis center balance, and that sort of defeats the entire purpose of a gimbal head rig. So that left me in a quandary, how to mount a camera body to a gimbal head? Well, I figured that there must be an accessory bracket of some type that addressed that issue, so I went ahead and ordered the Leofoto PG-1, it looked like a quality build, and I like the fine-tuning resistance aspect. As a matter of fact, it just arrived last night and is sitting in its box on the floor behind me right now. So, now that I had the gimbal (Tripod arrived at the same time) I was on a search for an accessory that would mount my camera body when not using my Telephoto lens to shoot Sports and Wildlife, so I could use the gimbal for shooting Landscapes, architecture, some portraits, with a short, wide-angle lens (obviously I'm not dedicated to shooting a single modality of subject matter, I enjoy shooting a variety of different subjects). I was looking for either of two different methods: 1. A arca-swiss mount that essentially amounted to two arca mounts melded together, one on front and one on the back, sort of like a two-headed coin. That would allow me to attach it to the vertical aspect of the gimbal swing-arm on one side, and to an L-bracket affixed to my camera on the other side. That solution would provide for a side-mount application (not my preference, but doable none the less). The other application I was looking for, and more preferable to me, was similar to the application mentioned above, but utilizing a long bracket that was arca compatible on both sides, essentially two arca grooves cut into the same bracket. That set-up would provide for mounting the underside of the plate to the horizontal aspect of the swing-arm, and my short lens affixed camera body on top, and avoid the 45-degree angle in the bend of the swing-arm that interferes with the camera body (I failed to point that out as the reason for needing an alternative method for mounting the camera body to the bottom of the swing-arm. The 45-degree angle design at the bottom of the arm doesn't allow for enough room for typical camera body mounting). The long bracket would also allow for forward and backward adjustment of the camera, as well as being able to utilize the proprietary vertical adjustment feature of the swing-arm. Cutting to the chase now. After searching what seemed to be the entire internet, I finally found the perfect solution; in fact, it provides both of the solutions I was looking for in one device. How often does that happen, eh? I stumbled across the "ANDOER L200 TELEPHOTO LENS SUPPORT". It is a device that has all of the components I mentioned above, in one package. As the name of the device indicates, it is actually designed as a support for telephoto lenses that don't have an integrated telephoto lens long-foot. Essentially designed for smaller telephoto/zoom lenses that don't fall into the category of "Super-Telephoto". The genius of this gadget is that all the components can be disassembled and used independently, or in different configurations, which opens up a very diverse variety of applications. I sat down to order this piece of equipment shortly after taking a long look at it and discovered that it's "out-of-stock" in many places. B&H doesn't even carry it, which was something of a surprise, actually. It's OOS at Amazon and Walmart, and a variety of other places. I finally had to go to Ebay to find them and it will be about 2 weeks for delivery (Made in China, of course, so supply-line shortages and political issues apply) However, it's worth the wait. This device completely answers the issue, and best of all, it's not the least bit expensive; you can get it for well under $100. I've seen them from $24, all the way up to $79, but at either end, its versatility really makes it a worthy investment. Now, I can cut down on my kit size. I've got one tripod head that I can use for all the applications I could even think off. I don't need a different head for this, or that. I can do it all with one set-up and one extra bracket. I have to laugh a little. My father, rest his soul, was big on consolidation and simplification. I guess I learned at least that much from you, dad. Hope you're smiling at me. Ok, I'm done writing this novel. Thanks for being patient and taking the time to read it. I hope this manages to be helpful to someone. Thanks for the great video Scott. You really helped me out deciding on my purchase. Peace

A fail point I found quickly on a cheap gimbal was the plastic head cover of the screw that tightens up the arca-swiss plate. That plastic screw cover would come loose from the actual screw head and you could be turning it and it wouldn't tighten the plate all the way. You could think your arca swiss plate was fairly tight but it wouldn't tighten beyond a certain amount until the plastic screw cover began to spin. Not something you want your expensive camera and lens sitting on for sure. I always add a short length of paracord and and a tiny caribiner or clip that I can hook from the tripod top to my camera in case it ever comes loose from the gimbal or ball head. I have a medium priced gimbal but I'm really enjoying the Flexshooter Pro on my smaller carbon fiber tripod for lightweight and portability.

To bad they didn't put a few allen screws under the pad that the head screws onto, that way you can screw it off. A lot of tripods have them. Thanks for a great video my friend

Are you sure about the tension on the Leophoto? I have it, and when I point at something and want to lock it - it moves the gimbal. This is why I found you review. Since I'm in need for another that don't do it. To me it feels like the know is pushing the axle and therefore a small movement. And at the moment I'm mostly looking for the RRS with sidemount, this so I won't have to move my arms to much since I often shoot hidden in a ghilie suit :)

Late to the show. Great comparison:)). I was just wondering if you could use the PG-1 as a side mount (to shave more weight from it :)). Thanks

I see the Gitzo Fluid Gimbal head didn't make the list? Do you have any thoughts on the Gitzo?

Have you reviewed the Benro GH2F vs the photo pro head?

I use the Jobu Design Pro2 gimbal head and have done so for many many years. One of the features I like about it is I can lock the swing arm for transport and was the 1st that I know of to use ball bearings at that time. I am researching the ProMedia Katana Jr. gimbal head but that Leofoto gimbal looks real interesting.

excellent but im not sure if i need know whit my canon L100mm 500mm lens its so light !

Just curious. What does the Benro offer to make it a better value than the Leofoto that you choae as your fave? The leo is only $25 difference in price which for all intents and purposes is moot relative to the total price. Although aluminum, the Leo is lighter than the carbon of the Benro. The Leo is also raterd higher on both Amazon and B&H. So it leaves me wondering where is the value advantage?

Thanks so much for the comparison and explanations. Mostly based on your info I went for the Benro GH5C. I actually like the the blue accents, sorry 🙂

Can someone just tell me the best tripod setup available for panning I do sports video photography

What about Gitzo fluid gimbal? How would that compare to these ones reviewed here?

What's your experience/opinion of the ProMediaGear GKJr Katana Pro?

So, I checked my Wimberley and yes, there is that gap if you turn the top knob all the way out. In addition, the knob is held on with a screw that was very tight. So, Wimberley put that gap in for a reason. What that reason is...I don't know. But I don't think it's sloppiness on their part. Now, in usage, I don't undo that knob and push on it to open the gap. In reality, I'm also not shooting in a sandy environment where anything would slip into the gap anyway. Bottom line, it doesn't affect me, so I'm not concerned, but I am curious as to why Wimberley does this. I also have the Leofoto PG1. It's light and I put it on a lighter tripod which is easier to carry. I use it with my Olympus m4/3 camera gear. I use the Wimberley with my full frame Sony gear. But, unlike you, I don't love the 2 full turns to lock it down. Fine threads on that knob and coarse threads on the plate locking knob drive me a bit crazy.

Anyone using Sirui PH-10? I am considering to try that out, currently using Jobu Jr.3, this is absolutely a disaster, it lose where ever it can, and it is not smooth when half lock so lens tilting and panning is bumpy, it couldn't stay exactly where it was after full lock so i am always missing my target, the price is relatively high but it doesn't doing its job, i really don't want wimberley as it is heavy

@6:35 that's me too. I like to be different and not follow the herd.

I have a “real” gimbal, but find that I’m using the wimberly monopod gimbal on my tripod more and more. Smaller, lighter, and does the same job for any lens mount, and great if you need to hike with it. Unless you need to mount a camera on that gimbal that is …

Please review Benro GH5C mini

What’s the difference between $195.00 and $595.00? Four hundred bucks. Across a lifetime of photography that’s nothing. You will NEVER have buyers remorse with a Wimberley! We easily spend more than $400 on a lens. I use it for everything. Primes, long glass, binoculars (one of its most fantastic applications), point and shoots, camcorders. It is absolutely the best bang for your photography buck ever. Get one.