WIMBERLEYWH-200 Wimberley Gimbal Head II - Made in USA

I haven’t had this long but I already know it will be handy for my 180-600. I tested some otherwise improbable shutter speeds while my setup was attached and got sharp pictures. I also think this will make me shoot a little bit more deliberately and with patience than when I was wandering in the wilderness handheld.

I didn’t know until I received, this has such smooth motion, adjustment capabilities and easy to use. Highly recommend.

At first I was unsure if I really needed this gear. I was walking around handholding my rf100-500 on canon r5 and getting some nice shots. I purchased this gimbal because so many websites said it was great for bird photography.I echo everything they say. This gimbal is well built, easy to use, and very usefull. Photographing birds in flight was instantly 10x better. Both in terms of ease of tracking and desire to continue shooting (cause the weight is on the tripod and not my arms). Setting it up is very easy and even if you do it wrong it'll still improve your shots.It is very durable. You may need to purchase a lens foot if you dont already have one for your lens. Their website makes it easy to find.The only thing I find annoying is the weight. I have a carbon fiber tripod, and wanting to use this gimbal means I have to carry both the tripod and gimbal out into the field. It starts feeling really heavy after a few miles.

I was really struggling to take pictures of wildlife with my heavy 200-500 mm lens mounted on a ball head. If you loosen it to follow something, it's all over the place ... very hard to control. If you tighten it a bit to minimize the movement, it still doesn't help. I always worried about it being tight enough if I wanted to walk away for a minute, because if it wasn't tight enough the camera lens would lurch forward and possibly damage the lens or camera.I like trying to get photos of Roseate Terns (and other birds) on the harbor where I live. These birds fly fast, turn fast, and when they see a fish, they're like a kamikazi ... they dive straight down into the water. I always had trouble getting them at the right point in time, and if I did catch one, the photo wouldn't be level.The Wimberly Gimbal is very sturdy, takes all the weight off the camera, and allows for smooth panning up and down and sideways while keeping the camera level. I love how fluid it is, and if you clamp it down just a little, the camera and lens will stay where it is aimed from a vertical standpoint, but you can still move it in a different direction any time you want. It's a bit expensive, but worth every penny in my book.

Had been using a cheap Gimbal head, it worked perfectly panning or slightly, tilting up or down, but if you had to tilt upwards or downwards more that a bit, the image was no longer centered or squared it would tilt the image left or right, was frustrating, and had to put the image in my editor and level the photo, lots of extra work, basically, I stopped using it... Took the new WH-200 out today for the first time, and, WOW, what a difference, installs easily, if you have a small thread on your tripod you will need to get that larger screw thread to fit over your existing one, as I had already gone through this with my cheap Gimbal, I had that correct thread to screw the WH-200 into, was sort of disappointed that this item was not included in the box. The Wimberley WH-200 II is worth every cent in my opinion, I noticed the seemingly rubberized knobs, which I'm sure to appreciate this winter, the metal knobs, like on my cheap gimbal were very cold last winter. Your hands grip the rubberized ones securely, so-to-speak, as compared to metal. This is an expensive Gimbal, and will bother me for a while, as I'm always looking for that lowest price, however, I will have to admit, "You get what you pay for..."

The Wimberley Head Version II is nothing short of sheer perfection. I owned a cheaper and non-American made gimbal head in the past with many frustrating annoyances such as: cheap knobs, stiff base for turn left and right, no space to place hand on grip bar, and poor weight distribution system. With the Wimberley Head II, all my annoyances has disappeared.1) The build is quality is strong, sturdy and professional in every way. Every piece, and bolt is built with the highest workmanship.2) The turning base is very fluid and allows an almost 'weight less' freedom of movement3) The handle bar allows one to place their hand for extra support. If you are right handed, it is best to use the handle bar on your left side. I presume the opposite for left handed individuals.4) The weight distribution system is so accurate. Regardless of the weight of your lens, camera combo setup, all you have to do is slightly release the clamp plate and simply move either forward or backwards dependent on whether your lens too much forward or too much backwards. Do not forget to tighten clamp plate knob.I understand the price is high, but you will not be disappointed. Once you go with the best, you will forgot the rest.Thank you for reading!

I prefer using my gimbal as opposed to my geared ball head. It is easy to use and is sturdy. Get yourself this gimbal.

I photograph birds on the Oregon coast, USA. I often work in high winds and rainy conditions. The Wimberley has flawlessly smooth action. My camera doesn't even notice the wind when it is mounted on the Wimberley. (I also use a side-mount version (Induro brand) on a monopod when I'm in the bush or dunes. It's a fine instrument, too, but the true Wimberley's controls are smoother.) The Wimberley really shows its value when you are chasing an erratically moving target. I shoot Nikon with a 400 mm F/3.5 and occasionally use a doubler.