Wimberly tripod head

[mitch_mcconnell]

I am considering buying a Wimberly tripod head for my long lens support for bird photography. Does anyone know where I might be able to see one in the Boston area?

 

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Thanks in advance,

 

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Mitch

[bobatkins]

Sorry, can't help with Boston. I've never seen one in a store and as far as

I know, Wimberly only sells them direct. You might see one at a

large photo show. At the recent Photo '97 (or whatever they called

it) at the Javits Center in New York, Nikon had a couple of their

large lenses displayed on Wimberly heads.

 

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The heads are very solid and very well built. If you need a head

for a <b>large</b> lens there isn't a better way to go in my opinion.

Only downsides are that they are physically quite large and heavy

and they're <em>not</em> the head of choice for smaller lenses! They're

probably wasted on anything smaller than a 400/2.8 or a 600/4.

[bill_oneill]

They actually work pretty well with a 300/2.8 as well. I had a chance to use one the spring before last down in Florida. My next tripod head will be a Wimberley. But your right about the weight Bob. With a camera body, a 600/4, a decent tripod and this head you will be toting about 30lbs over your shoulder (I think photgraphic equipment is being designed by chiropractors!).

[bobatkins]

It's not so much the weight (though that's a factor too) as the

size of the Wimberly that makes it a specialized head. While you

can easily put a B1 in your pocket, maybe even a B2 or a 3038 if you

have strong pockets, there no way you can cram a Wimberly in there.

I'd guess it takes up a lot of space in any bag, simply because

it has to be big to do what it does. There is no substitute though!

 

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I made myself a gimble mount based on a slightly different principle

(something like a fork mount for those who aer familar with telescopes). It's smaller than a Wimberly, weighs about 3.5 lbs, but

it's probably not as sturdy. It did cost $400 less though! DPNP made something sililar, but I haven't seen their ads in a while.

[david_stuckel1]

I have been using a Wimberly for about one year, but after the first month found that side to side pans were a problem if the tripod itself was not absolutely level. A gret answer is to add a Bogen leveler between the tripod head and the Wimberly so you can level at the top very quickly and accurately. If your tripod does not have a built in bubble level this is hard to do so Bogen builds in its own. I use this primarily with a 500mm f4 and it is heavy to carry but fast in use. I have to recommend this a lot--it beats a ball head that can allow your mounted camera and lens to slip to the side.

[paul_wilson2]

At a recent photo show in Boston, I saw a Bogen head that was similar in concept to the Wimberly. It used a fork similar to Bob's head. I didn't catch the price or take a good look at it, but it may be worth investigating. It's probably cheaper than the Wimberly.

 

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I think something like this would not be hard to make, but that's just me(and Bob it seems).

[gerry_kruschenske]

I heard recently that a new design is about to come out that fits on your ball head that has a quick release. This may be lighter, smaller and very convienient as you can now have both heads with you.

[gerry_kruschenske]

I heard recently that a new design is about to come out that fits on your ball head that has a quick release. This may be lighter, smaller and very convienient as you can now have both heads with you. I have not confirmed this report!

[mitch_mcconnell]

Thanks to all for replying. I am definitely going to try and look

at both the Wimberly and the B1G. Despite the weight, with a 600 it appears to be necessary to have something substantial. I don't see how any ball-head design could avoid the dreaded "flop", though. Even if nothing is harmed, the thought of a big lens falling over does leave one feeling a little queasy.

 

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Mitch

[bobatkins]

I believe that Bogen now have a "fork mount" head with QR. I saw

a picture of it once and it wasn't very impressive to look at.

Basically a stip of metal bent into a "U". Bogen don't exactly

have a reputation for the ultimate in engineering when it comes

to their tripod heads, but I'll bet it's cheap and it will

probably work reasonably well for its price.

 

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Couldn't find a listing for it on the B&H pages.

[mike_liu]

For those of us intrigued by the Wimberley (but without a clue as to what one looks like), there is a schematic available at

<a href="http://www.pant.u-net.com/wimbly.htm">a UK site</a>

and a better picture at the

<a href="http://www.rue.com/supports.html#wimberley">L. L. Rue site</a>.

[john_merriman]

I believe the Bogen unit Bob mentioned is the 3421 Heavy Duty Telephoto Lens Support. It is a swivel/gimbal design with a U-shaped bracket within a U-bracket. It apparently allows some fore-aft adjustment of the camera/lens for balancing. Haven't used it so I don't know how well it works. I would be surprised if B&H Photo doesn't have it or can't get it.

[charles_bush]

I saw one of the new Bogen heads in use over the weekend and got to play with it some. The photographer said it cost $100 and it did have QR on top. The feel is not as good as a Wimberly, or my B2, but at the difference in price, it was very good. He had a 600 f5.6 on it and it seemed adequate for that lens. Definetly worth considering, especially if price is a consideration.

[stanley_mcmanus]

What is so special about a Wimberly head?

 

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Why would I get one instead of an ARCA B1 or B2?

[bobatkins]

Stan: Visit the links in Mike Liu's response above. That should

answer your question.

[brad_johnson]

I have a Wimberly that is about 3 years old. I understand they have made improvements (other than it's black instead of grey). I am wondering if there is enough of a difference to upgrade.

[bobatkins]

What are the problems with your current Wimberly? What would you

wish for in an upgrade? If you decide to upgrade, let me know -

I might just go for the old one!

[_____]

Old news but good news: www.tripodhead.com.