Monday 10 November 2014

Jobu Micro Gimbal/Ballhead Adapter

One thing I've realised about photography is that it is a “无底洞” (bottomless pit).  You buy something, then buy something else to complement that something, and so on.  A case in point: I recently bought the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD for Nikon to shoot birds and started itching for a gimbal head.  However, gimbal heads are expensive and I don't think I shoot often enough to justify that expenditure.  Hence I decided to buy the Jobu Micro Gimbal/Ballhead Adapter which seems to be a good compromise since I already have an existing tripod with Arca Swiss ball head.

The adapter is small enough to be put into the bag and deployed as and when necessary.  But the Tamron lens presents additional challenge as it is a zoom lens.  Normally you need to mount your lens on the gimbal such that it can balance.  However, as the Tamron lens extends from 150mm to 600mm, the center of gravity will shift towards the front and upset the balance.  Since I normally shoot at 600mm, I try to balance the whole setup at that focal length, which led to another problem.

I mounted my ball head's Arca Swiss quick release (QR) plate on the lens collar and then attached it to the gimbal and slid it back to balance the setup.  But at 600mm the QR plate is simply not long enough to provide sufficient space to slide backwards.  So now I needed to go and buy a longer QR plate: Sunwayfoto Universal Quick-Release Plate DPG-120D.  Finally I can balance at 600mm:

Nikon D610 + Tamron 150-600mm
So is this the end of the story?  I chanced upon the Micro-Head Offset Adapter while browsing one fine day.  At this point in time I don't think I will be buying that unless absolutely necessary.

5 comments:

  1. hi! did you purchased this from TK? i also have my eyes on this but i fit it a bit expensive at 180 sgd. How's the fluidity of this micro gimbal? Thank you.

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    1. Yup bought from TK. Well, it's still cheaper than a full gimbal head that's for sure. ;) Fluidity wise, it's ok but of course, can't compare to full gimbal again. My suggestion is to bring your setup to TK and try on the spot whether you like the feel or not.

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  2. I went to TK and tested the micro gimbal. I was good actually. I noticed that it is very stable on a bigger ballhead. I have a G20 and K10X ballheads and was thinking it would be smooth like those of bigger ballheads. Maybe I will take another look when I come back to funan. I ended up buying a lens plate.

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    1. Glad to hear that you have had a positive experience! :)

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