ML Z + long lens + gimbal

[Clovishound]

It's the Neweer "Professional" model.

Amazon

Yes, it's not one of the high end gimbals. I mounted it on my old Bogen 3021, and put the 200-500 F5.6 Nikkor lens on it with my Z5 and adapter. I had to play around just a little with the placement of the arca swiss style mounting plate. Got everything balanced up nicely and took it out in the chilly backyard to try and capture some bird pics.

First impression is that it is very sturdy, and surprisingly smooth for a budget gimbal. I found out I had it mounted backwards. Duh, need the "handle" on the left so you can hold the camera with your right hand, and the left hand on the upright to control pan movement. The other way around I was unscrewing the mount screw on the mount plate by trying to move the camera itself when panning left. Can't wait to get it out in the field to try it out on flying birds. I told the Pup we will have to go back to the Birds of Prey center SOON. I may have to spring for one of their photographer's days. It's $100 a piece, but you get half a day of access to all the demonstration birds, obviously catering to the limited sized group to get all the pics they want. They also do some great rescue and public education with the money they charge you. Owls, hawks and eagles. Oh My!

Anybody get any neat photo equipment for Christmas?

 

[blackstar]

I have been checking on this one for a while, but couldn't plunge for it. The reason is according to quite a few user reviews, this one uses heavy thick sticky grease applied to the pivots causing the head very stiff to make all movements. Neewer now offers a new model GM101 which uses different lubrication material and users say motion is smooth. But of course, the price is higher and not on sale.

Please post your experience and your verdict regarding this issue after your field tests. Thank you.

 

[BF Hammer]

I got a case of flu for Christmas. But I did buy myself a used Wimberly Sidekick gimbal-adapter last summer. It is about that time of year to drive to the dam on the Wisconsin River and say hello to the eagles again. They might admire the new Sidekick, and the Z5 I bought since last visiting.

 

[BF Hammer]

I have been checking on this one for a while, but couldn't plunge for it. The reason is according to quite a few user reviews, this one uses heavy thick sticky grease applied to the pivots causing the head very stiff to make all movements. Neewer now offers a new model GM101 which uses different lubrication material and users say motion is smooth. But of course, the price is higher and not on sale.

Please post your experience and your verdict regarding this issue after your field tests. Thank you.

Even if you are not willing to try, for future readers. Those types of gimbals are stupid-easy to disassemble the pivot joints, clean off the grease, and apply new grease (lighter if for use in winter). You literally just keep unscrewing until it can be pulled apart. There may be a loose washer or bushing to keep track of, but that is basically it.

 

[Clovishound]

Yes, I had read a couple of reviews complaining of them being stiff. I also read a few that disassembled and regreased them. I'm fairly handy, so I figured I could fix that if it were a problem.

Right now I find the tilt to be very smooth and easy. The pan is very smooth, but seems a tad stiff, although it really isn't noticeable in operation with the camera mounted.

 

[Clovishound]

Well, I went ahead and pulled the pan assembly apart. That was some nasty grease they put in there. Thick and sticky. I had trouble getting it off my hands. I used some axle grease, the only thing I had on hand. It moves more freely now. The Pup and I are planning on a trip to the Birds of Prey Center later this week, I'm anxious to try it out on some moving birds. It feels really good just playing with it in the living room.

 

[BF Hammer]

I put my Wimberly Sidekick to the test today. I was taking action photos of eagles 1-handed with my coffee mug in the left hand. Didn't do it that way all morning, but until the coffee ran dry anyhow.

 

[Clovishound]

On most forums, the saying is, "no pictures, didn't happen".

Somehow that seems inappropriate here.

I suppose I'm saying, hey we'd like to see some pictures from this. I know I would be interested in seeing them.

 

[BF Hammer]

On most forums, the saying is, "no pictures, didn't happen".

Somehow that seems inappropriate here.

I suppose I'm saying, hey we'd like to see some pictures from this. I know I would be interested in seeing them.

The first of the photos is submitted to the Animal Magic weekly challenge. Others will come soon. Also a cellphone shot at location.

 

[Clovishound]

Nice. Being able to catch eagles in the wild going about their normal activity, and be close enough to photograph them is no easy task. To actually get good photos of it is even harder.

 

[blackstar]

I have acquired a gimbal head and heavy-duty tripod set ready for use with my z6ii and sigma 150-600mm for BIF (and moon) shot. Now just wait until the (rare) long raining season is over and the wildlife refuge becomes busy again this year. Reckon before that, better rank up all techniques with the new gears for what is ahead. I already tried my system to make sure everything is balanced and moves smoothly in every way. Practically, I am rather new to operating this system with the BIF scene. The first part: I have planned camera settings:
Mode: M
Focus mode: AF-C
Focus area: Large wide area
S speed: around 1/1250
f: 8-10
ISO: auto
Metering: center point or ??

The second part: How do I operate the system to shoot? Do I fix the camera and lens still on the tripod? or pan/swivel to follow birds move? I guess the latter is why you use a gimbal head for? Now the key question is: during the panning or swivel motion, do you at the same time keep pressing SB to continue taking pictures? Appreciate your detailed description of the practical operating process (for layman's purposes from your experience.

FYR, attached are images from last year's shooting (D3500 + 70-300mm non-VR, handheld) Can I expect better results this year with the new system?

 

[BF Hammer]

I just did this New Years day. Nearly the same hardware too. Heavy-duty tripod with a Sirui K40 ballhead and Wimberly Sidekick gimbal adapter. I have a Z5, FTZ-II, Sigma 150-600mm C lens. I was shooting eagles at a dam spillway.

Personally, I am not too proud to use auto-exposure. I had ISO to Auto with 100 as the base. Shutter-priority mode, AF-C, matrix-metering. I think I normally use wide AF area. Is that where the focus point is auto selected from anywhere on the visible screen? That was my mode. It was cloudy with a light fog, so the f-stop hardly ever moved off of the minimum. I had the shutter speed at 1/800 the entire time based on past trips where I tried 1/640 and still had some motion blur in the wings. I also have high-speed continuous shutter release turned on, and on a Z5 that could still be slower than the slow continuous shutter release of your Z6.

This is a cellphone pic of my setup that day.

I have the axis joints set with very light tension so I can track-pan easily but it holds still when I let go. I just moved the camera wherever an eagle was and tracked it just like I would handheld. Keep moving with the bird as you shoot a burst. Focus will move around a bit so only expect a few of a burst to be focused. I tried with stabilization turned off at first, but with the tracking motion I decided to try the "Active" mode on the stabilization selector of the Sigma lens. That is the mode preferred mode for tracking BIF handheld and moving your body. That seemed to give better results.

But I also captured this shot of 2 geese using basically the same camera setup, but handheld. I had already broken-down the tripod and was about to leave so no choice on the handheld issue. But the sun had started to break through the clouds so that helped drop the ISO and reduce the noise in the shadows a lot. So that kind of shows that the gimbal is not required for BIF, but it certainly makes your arms more happy if you want to work an area for 3 hours or more. For about 40 minutes I was shooting 1-handed with the gimbal as I held my mug of coffee in the left hand.

 

[blackstar]

Thanks, Chris, for sharing your great experience. Look like you got an Artcise AS90C. Mine CS80C. I feel it's strong enough for my system. Your first image (eagle catch fish) is stunning and the handheld image of geese fantastic.

The focus area mode I used to set "Large wide-area AF" which I get to choose my focus point. Focus point automatically selected by camera is (in z6ii) "Auto-area AF" (not sure of the term in z5). I see you set f=6.3, is that ok for DOF? Maybe I shouldn't close out too much. Do you think 1/1000" is overkill? Your description of handling the system and operating the shooting is pretty close to what is in my mindset. Just not sure about the optimum joint tension for the best execution. Thanks to your setup, I think it makes good sense that OS to be set ON because operating gimbal setting (motion) is very different from ballhead setting (still). So I'll try this out.

Totally agree with you about gimbal tripod vs handheld. I am at the age of easy arm break-off, not like Woody who hangs two D500 with 600mm and 300mm on his neck and shoots around with either one handheld with great images. $$$ investment is for saving my body and hobby, lol.

Another Q: When you move around with your camera and lens on the gimbal tripod (and other gears in bag), how do you carry the thing? Put on your shoulder (too scary for me)? hold the upper part of tripod? hold the gimbal head? hold part of the long lens?

 

[BF Hammer]

Re f-stop: Using shutter-priority auto exposure so that is where it landed because of cloudy conditions. At the distance to subject, DOF was no issue. A good deal of cropping going on with my photos. But going to 1/1000 would have pushed the ISO up another stop and the early shots had more noise in shadows than I liked as it was.

This location was simply drive-up and set up in front of my car. I set the tripod and walked back to the car to get camera. At the 2nd location with the geese I had camera in a backpack case to walk short distance to an observation deck. Carried tripod collapsed in left hand. If I would have been walking between other locations I would have locked the gimbal axis knobs and slung over shoulder. The Wimberly Sidekick and Sirui K40 ball head are very solid. Or put camera in backpack and sling tripod on shoulder. Yes the 90c is a load but I also have a lightweight travel tripod to use otherwise.

 

[Clovishound]

I look forward to seeing the info from this thread. I just got a gimbal mount for Christmas. Haven't done much more than shoot a few birds in the backyard with it. I really liked the feel of it from this limited experience. The Pup and I were going to go to the Birds of Prey Center yesterday to give the new toy, I mean tool, a workout. They are closed until later in the month. I'm going out this morning to a local privately owned park that has a swamp. Bad time of year for wading birds around here, but I hope to get some shots.

My plan is to lock the gimal and carry the tripod with camera attached over my shoulder. I will report back on how well this works.

One of the big advantages I see, already, is the easing of having to support a large, heavy lens/camera with my aging arms. Last time I was at the Birds of Prey Center, I had to shoot for a little while, and rest the camera in my lap for a little while. I'm also hoping that it will allow me to more accurately track a moving bird than shaky arms will allow.

 

[hark]

Do you have the head balanced properly? Steve Perry shows how to do that so the head has a fluid motion.

 

[Clovishound]

Well, got back a bit ago from my first outing with the gimbal.

In two words, I love it!

As to carrying, I did as planned and carried it with the gimbal locked, tripod legs extended, over my shoulder. Tried it without locking and didn't have any issues, but felt more confident with it locked, and locking and unlocking is a very quick operation. I may get a small pad for my shoulder, as the weight of the gear across my shoulder became a little irritating. It was easily bearable, but I'm sure I can get something that will pad my shoulder.

I didn't get any birds in flight. I almost did, but trees were in the way when the heron flew off. Here he was just flying off the branch. Yes, it's not quite sharp on the head. I may play with it later, or just can it. Posted to illustrate the experience.

Working with it was very satisfying.

 

[Clovishound]

For those that didn't see the post I made in Blackstar's thread, I made my first outing with the gimbal head this morning. I was very happy with it's performance, and managed to get a few OK pictures. I will likely try going back to this park and work on my technique and learn the patterns of some of the subjects. It's fairly close, and I have an annual pass, so I would only be out gas and time. Wife is doing well enough now that I can leave her alone for a few hours without concern. They open at 9:00, too bad I can't get over there earlier in the morning.

These wood ducks are very skiddish. I also discovered that they swim too fast to use shutter speeds down around 1/125. These are not quite as sharp as I might like. I like to keep my ASA as low as possible, but I'd rather have a very sharp image at the expense of a little noise. Plus, the Z-5 will handle higher ASA settings without introducing too much noise compared to the crop sensor cameras. This one was shot at ASA 400 F8 and 1/125 sec. The stationary weeds where tack sharp. I should have bumped up to 1600 or higher. The steadiness of the gimbal gave me a sense of complacency about shutter speeds.

 

[blackstar]

Do you have the head balanced properly? Steve Perry shows how to do that so the head has a fluid motion.

I use this one:

 

[blackstar]

Look like your new gimbal head works well for you. I like your duck picture. Mind asking which lens you use (I see focal length = 500mm) and which AF mode and focus area mode? Just wonder.