Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsYou may prefer a tilt head
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2020
I purchased this monogimbal head after watching a stellar review by Steve Perry on YouTube. But I ended up returning it, for the following reasons:
- MONOPOD HEIGHT: The way this head sits on a monopod makes a considerable difference for the monopod's maximum height. Ball heads and tilt heads sit atop the monopod, with the lens sitting on top of them, which may add two to four inches to the effective height of your equipment. Because the monogimbal head is mounted sideways, you lose that extra height. With my 62.4" monopod this meant that whenever I tilted the camera upwards I had to bend my knees to be able to look through the viewfinder, which was very tiring.
- EASE OF USE: Most reviewers seem to have found this setup easier to carry around, as the telephoto lens can be carried behind both shoulders. But I found it harder to put down and pick it up again, and I found myself having to be more aware of my surroundings as I turned around. Overall, it took me longer to get ready for a sudden shot with this setup than with conventional heads.
- SHAKINESS. A gimbal on a tripod allows you to keep the lens steady even when you are not holding it; but on a monopod you are always holding things anyway, which gives the gimbal less of an edge over other heads. Its remaining advantage is that you can comfortably reposition the lens without having to keep tightening and untightening a knob. However, because your camera is no longer atop the monopod but off-center from it, the monogimbal amplifies any shaking.
Let me add that Wimberley gave me excellent customer service. My package got lost and they managed to relocate it. The refund was quickly processed with no hassle.
