PHOTONewsTV: Shooting with a Gimbal Head

[@MrBrockley3]

Aswell as moving the lens up and down you need to move it back and forth to achieve perfect balance.

[@johnbond6283]

Thanks for the review... I bought one today at a photo retail store in Kitchener.

[@donovanw.2943]

Thanks for the great info! This is the 1st video I've seen that addresses the height adjustment for better balance.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Happy to help 🙂

[@mat5943]

I have a Gimbal and love it for my wildlife photography. Great vid explains everything well. What is the spirit level for though? It doesn’t seem to have any purpose?

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Thanks. As far as I can tell, it's pointless on this head. I believe it was sourced from one of their ballheads, where it was useful, and has remained as a cost-savings piece.

[@johnwalmark5609]

I just bought one and thanks for the tips . The rotation seems tight. Help.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

It shouldn't be too stiff, but if you've loosened the bottom knob and it's not rotating free and smooth, I suggest returning it to your point of purchase.

[@robertgotschall1246]

Mine is arriving tomorrow. Timing couldn't be better. I’ll be using a 55-200mm lens and Pentax Q. My old ball head just couldn’t cut the 1250mm equivalent field of view.

[@WildAlberta]

picked up the exact gimbal with a different name for $65 Cdn on sale.. only thing I had to do was clean the thick grease they used and replace it with some lithium grease. It operated very smooth..

[@Plof005]

I bought this exact Gimbal head on Amazon last week for € 50,39, which is about 79 Canadian dollars (or about 59 USD). So now it's actually even cheaper than you indicated in your video. And, as you mentioned, very high quality! Although Amazon advertises it as 'VBestlife' it's actually branded 'Yelangu'.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

The joys of the Chinese factories. They'll output the same product with 10 different names and 10 different prices. Enjoy your gimbal head :-)

[@PHOTONewsTV]

The one risk you have with buying from Amazon and many of their resellers is the lack of warranty and service. You can't go to the Yelangu distributor in Canada for help - you have to deal with the Chinese company. Also note that Yelangu made a slight change internally - the very first version developed an oil leak under pressure changes. Not all of the different versions of this gimbal got the upgrade. Be careful if you travel to the mountains.

[@Plof005]

@@PHOTONewsTV I live in the Netherlands. No mountains here whatsoever...:)

[@jkennan]

Thanks for a very helpful video. Just got a gimbal and am about to try it. Also using the 150-600.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Enjoy! I'm glad you enjoyed this.

[@lockyangphua3176]

Hi, thanks for you useful tips! Can you share with me what tripod mount plate you are using in this video that comes with the feature that can swing your camera from landscape to portrait instantaneously! Thanks.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

The Gimbal head we show here can be purchased in Canada at this link: store.amplis.com/collections/cambee/products/cambee-ylga17-gimbal-head

[@loufaraone5792]

Great video. Please send me the make of the quick release plate that you used on the 150-600 mm tamron and the size. Thank you in advance and keep up the good work. A new fan.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Thanks, Lou. I appreciate your comment :-) You can find the plate here: store.amplis.com/collections/cambee/products/cambee-yelangu-quick-release-plate-long-7-inch-long-arca-plate

[@loufaraone5792]

Thank you for the quick response. Merry Christmas.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

@@loufaraone5792 You're very welcome. Merry Christmas :-)

[@markelliot2994]

great review...btw what length quick release plate for the 150-600 lens? ty

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Thanks, Mark. I prefer the 7" plate as it gives me more freedom to find the balance point. The general rule of thumb is to use a longer plate for longer lenses. The standard 3" plate that comes with the gimbal is fine for a 70-200 or shorter lens.

[@markelliot2994]

@@PHOTONewsTV Thanks for getting back to me so soon! and the recommendation!

[@PHOTONewsTV]

@@markelliot2994 You're welcome. Sometimes, I can be quick :-)

[@pysurette]

Hello... Just about to pull the trigger on this gimbal head at Vistek for $149.00. Then I discover that I need a foot plate. My head is ready to explode. Whenever I locate a foot plate, it is too short or it only works on the Sport model ( I have the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, not the Sport). Been on several forums and with every seemingly rock solid solutions offered, someone comes back with why that solution will absolutely not work. Help me out here please.... what make and model is yours and where might I find it? Thanks for indulging me....

[@PHOTONewsTV]

The 7" inch long plate that Will mentions is the one you need.

[@pysurette]

Thank you gentleman. I have just ordered the 7” plate and will order the gimbal tomorrow. Your help is much appreciated.

[@AZTEC_ARTS]

Hi .. size of threads on the bottom ?

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Hi @Aztec Arts. There's a 3/8 -20 hole in the bottom, which most tripods use. The QR plate also has a 3/8-20 to 1/4-20 adapter (which you'll rarely need for the QR plate) that you can insert into the bottom for use on certain tripods.

[@CascadianBraeden]

Question: What kind of parallax distortion do you get when shooting panoramas?

[@PHOTONewsTV]

That all depends on your camera and lens combination. While this isn't a true "Pano Head", if you spend the time to set it up properly, you should be able to minimize any parallax distortion in your images. Check out this article (not ours) that explains it in detail: www.outdoorphoto.co.za/blog/understanding-panorama-photography/

[@crestonburks2141]

Very informative. BUt, the real issue you were having when trying to get the lens to balance was NOT the height. it was the lens foot position. The camera and lens ( while extended) needs to be center balanced front to back. AND, the lens height should always be centered in relation to the adjustment knob. You want the camera to be centered with pivot point, not swinging like a pendulum.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Thanks Creston. You're right about the fore/aft position for balance. As for the height, that depends on the balance of your camera. A colleague in another video shows adding counterweights to the bottom of a camera without a grip to get everything in balance. I was also referring to a competitive product that doesn't offer the height adjustment, which as you note, leaves you "swinging like a pendulum". You'll also find that a zoom lens such as the Tamron 150-600 is a little trickier to setup compared to a prime.

[@crestonburks2141]

@@PHOTONewsTV Sure. You are correct about adding weight, but if the lens foot or plate is of proper length, it should be able to be balanced, under most cases. I used to use a Sigma 150-600. I never really liked the added imbalanced weight when zooming out and the tiny focus ring was rubbish. But I did like being able to directly put the lens into manual override for focusing, versus having to put my Sony into DMF mode with my Sony 200-600 lens.

[@SR-sg7qk]

Why is there a level bubble on the side? What is the use of that?

[@PHOTONewsTV]

I asked the manufacturer. It came down to cost - they had already sourced this bolt for use in similar products and it made more financial sense to buy more of this than to use a different knurled bolt just for this purpose. I agree that it doesn't really have a use but if it helps keep costs down, why not? Plus, if you're like me, you'll have somewhere else you can use that bubble level and swap some parts around :-)

[@peterlemke3468]

Well demonstrated and good tips thanks. I'm interested in buying a gimbal for monopod use (aviation + wildlife) and this has been most helpful.

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Glad to help. I've used this one on a Vanguard monopod and it's very stable and more portable

[@AZTEC_ARTS2023]

Is this the Promaster GH11 ?

[@PHOTONewsTV]

No. The Promaster GH11 includes a video arm and is slightly different. It's also significantly more expensive at $180 USD

[@fondrecollections6008]

Thanks for the review! I was looking at this gimbal, but wondered if the lower price meant lower quality. Looks great!

[@PHOTONewsTV]

You're welcome. It's surprisingly well-built for the price. I've just got my hands on the carbon version - it's a little lighter, stiffer and, of course, carbon fibre :-)

[@deepaksudevan]

nice video. is this gimbal available anywhere .

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Thank you. Where are you located?

[@David-Brown]

Any cheap solution I can use for a cell?

[@PHOTONewsTV]

I haven't reviewed any cellphone gimbals. Those are usually electric and the cheap ones aren't worth reviewing yet. If there's a decent inexpensive cellphone gimbal, I'll get my hands on one and review it.

[@whiteoconnell]

Hi, enjoyed your demonstration. Could you tell me the exact model of this gimbal? Thanks

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Thanks. It's the Yelangu A17 Gimbal. If you're in Canada, it will be available to purchase soon at most Canadian retailers. I'll also add a link for direct purchase in a couple of days.

[@whiteoconnell]

@@PHOTONewsTV Thank you so much. B and H in the US has it right now for $70 so I wanted to make sure it was the same one. since you mentioned it was around $200

[@PHOTONewsTV]

@@whiteoconnell Canadian retail price is $166. Dealers may sell for less. B&H doesn't currently have inventory but I believe the Canadian distributor will have stock again soon.

[@AZTEC_ARTS2023]

Made in China ... Promaster / Neewer / and this "new brand" are probably all the same. Chinese just change model names ............... EX:. This is just like the Promaster GH 10

[@PHOTONewsTV]

Hi Aztec Airbrush. You are correct - like all photography products in this price point, it is made in China. This one is not built in the same factory. When compared to Promaster/Neewer, the handles are different (larger) and the action is smoother.

[@AZTEC_ARTS2023]

Thanks !

[@LhundupTP]

PHOTONews TV Thanks for the correction and my question is do you mean that this Gimble is better than other two Promaster/Neewer? Thanks

[@PHOTONewsTV]

@@LhundupTP You're welcome. The knobs on the Yelangu are slightluy larger so they're easier to tighten without over-tightening. While I haven't used the Neewer, the Promaster isn't quite as smooth or fluid.

[@LhundupTP]

PHOTONews TV thank you 🙏🏻 I ordered one from Adorama but it’s on back order so I have to wait until it come, Thanks again