Using the Fotopro Eagle Series Gimbal Head for Landscape Photography

In this video I demonstrate how to use the Fotopro Eagle Series tripod and Gimbal Head for landscape photography.

[@shanemcdermott9346]

Great Review! Thanks!

[@drewarmstrong4325]

I bought this. The reason I do not love it is that the center of the lens does NOT sit directly over the apex of the camera. So, when you rotate the camera the gimbal head introduces paralaxing. The RRS compact unit allows for the nodal point to be found on both axis.

[@davidakoubian3025]

They do make an additional plate to do it, but it is just more to carry. I liked it for the multiple functionality, but now I think there are better options.

[@jharveyphoto]

Great review David. Thanks for explaining the operation as I was a little confused at first.

[@davidakoubian3025]

Thank you. I was very confused at first!

[@RoniChastainNY]

David, I just bought this at B&H Optic, I wanted to check youtube to watch a video on it...and there you are!!! Thanks for all the info! It was very helpful!!!!

[@davidakoubian3025]

I am and have been loving the tripod, I am glad Michael could help you at OPTIC! I have see photos of the event and wished I could have been up there. If you have any questions don't hesitate to give me a call.

[@RoniChastainNY]

@@davidakoubian3025 I was frustrated trying to get my camera onto the gimbal, Didn't realize I had to have an L-bracket to do that. No one at B&H was familiar with this gimbal. I had to explain it to them!!! Will try it soon. Watching your video again!

[@RoniChastainNY]

Do you use the L-shaped piece when you are using a long lens? I did use that and it was ok, I had it set up to take the photos of the squirrel house...aka bird house.

[@RoniChastainNY]

I just did a review on B&H and pasted a link to this video!!!

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@RoniChastainNY when I mount the camera to the gimbal, I use an L-bracket, which is on all of my cameras. I originally started using them because of the ease of switching from horizontal to vertical without changing the composition much.

[@cuneytgumushaneli9820]

thanks for great explanation very useful

[@daisydayish]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@GlenDomulevicz]

Thanks. That helps.

[@rubyww6331]

Thanks for the review. I learned from your video how to use this Gimbal head/tripod. I like the E-6 in a lot of ways but the key problem is the vertical motion has a lot of resistance even though the knob is loosened all the way. My other gimbal head is very smooth and I can spin it around effortlessly. The Fotopro is nothing like that. It takes a lot of force to move it in the vertical direction, resulting in very choppy movement. The E-6 has a lot of great features but my copy does not function well as a conventional gimbal. For reference, I am using Sony mirrorless and 200-600.

[@davidakoubian3025]

Thanks. It definitely shouldn't have that much resistance.

[@jeffreywrightphotography]

I know this response is to an old post but for anyone that comes along and sees this I'm pretty sure the poster either hadn't fully loosened the right nob, hadn't balanced the camera properly, or maybe had a defective unit. There is definitely a learning curve to using this head but once you get used to it the thing works great. One downside I've encountered is if you don't have an l-bracket on your camera it can be pretty difficult to fit your camera on it (unless I'm just doing something wrong). I still love it though. It's bulky compared to a ball head but when I can make room for it, it's my favorite to use.

[@tonyh4266]

Really good points made, thank you. I have a question please, what model tripod are you using. I been fotopro’s web site and can’t find it. Just purchased the E 9 gimbal.

[@davidakoubian3025]

I had bought it as a set, and I'll have to see which one it is on.

[@carlosmanuelalmagro]

Hello David. Thanks for your nice review. Wanted to ask you something, regarding the nodal point adjustment. I understand in your review, the gimbal is the one coming with the E6 tripod. Am I right if I say that there would be some problem with nodal point alignment because of not having the chance to move the rail that sits just over the tripod? From the photos I saw, it looks like the gimbal coming with the bigger E9 offer such function, allowing to move the rail and consequently allowing to perfectly adjust to the nodal point. Can you tell something about all this? Thanks :)

[@davidakoubian3025]

You are correct. The nodal point is not adjustable with the E6, but like you stated the E9 allows you to center the lens above the center point on the tripod. I didn't notice it to be too much of a deterrence when shooting with the E6, but I could see in some situations where it is super critical, it would be a problem.

[@kipcotter5374]

@@davidakoubian3025 you can rock the lens back with the bottom gimbal adjustment (for example, set the arm to 45 degrees. Then level your camera. Your lens will be much closer to the center of the tripod now. Definitely not a nodal arm, but works really well. This setup is a jack of all trades, master of none - but that's pretty darned nice in such a small, well manufactured package. I just got their newer version, the E7 and matching gimbal. Love it!

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@kipcotter5374 I've heard the new E7 is really nice.

[@kipcotter5374]

@@davidakoubian3025 I'll be trying to put together a quick review video this weekend. Hopefully posted up next week.

[@MrSammie81]

Interested in getting this setup I will check it out

[@davidakoubian3025]

It is the smallest, sturdiest gimbal setup I have seen. The leveling base is a really nice feature. The whole setup is really well made.

[@djpodesta]

This is a great video... but how do you adjust everything to make sure your lens has parallax while shooting multi-shot landscapes?

[@davidakoubian3025]

Thanks. When shooting panoramics, I tend to shoot with a medium to longer lens in portrait mode, and preferably leave a little extra room. The software, Lightroom or Photoshop, do a great job of matching up the elements and making the adjustments. Also, one key for me is to do the lens calibration or profile prior to the stitching. Any distortion that would normally be on the edges is mostly eliminated enough for the software to stitch. I start with LR, but there are times I have to take it into Photoshop to get it perfect.

[@djpodesta]

David Akoubian Thanks David. I appreciate your reply. However, I think that you may have missed my question. I should have asked you if there are any adjustments on the E-6H to make sure that the camera and lens are perfectly centred over the tripod to make sure that your multi-shot panoramas are seamless before taking into Lightroom or Photoshop.

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@djpodesta ahhh, a nodal point adjustment, I had not heard of it as a parallax point before. The E6H does not have an adjustable point. The E9 does have more of the capability to do so. Last I heard Fotopro was working on one that is in between the E6 and E9 in size and that was one thing they were considering as well. I would imagine, since it will accommodate a plate similar to that of a long lens, you could use that as a nodal slide to make that adjustment.

[@abhijit10425]

Is the leveling feature a feature of the tripod legs or the gimbal head ? I'm trying to understand whether I'd get the leveling feature if I use the gimbal head on a different tripod. Thanks for the review.

[@davidakoubian3025]

It is part of the tripod legs. The gimbal just has a bubble level to show when it is level.

[@gz-n3gzmail142]

what about using a cable release in landscape orientation or is it taken as red that you cant?

[@davidakoubian3025]

It is a very tight fit depending on which camera you are using, plus because of the orientation of the plate, you actually have to mount it perpendicular to the body (parallel to the lens). It is possible but a hassle.

[@lynneftw]

Easy enough to use the timer function over a remote shutter release, unless you're manually controlling how long the shutter is open.

[@fototripper]

This looks great Dave. What kind of height does the tripod give you?

[@davidakoubian3025]

Thanks. I have the smaller of the 2 versions and with the gimbal head mounted and a camera on the head, it is about 5'6". The taller one goes about 6 inches taller. A little shorter than I am used to, but I wanted a really versatile travel tripod.

[@fototripper]

I'll take the 6 footer. I like em tall ;) @@davidakoubian3025

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@fototripper after I get one of those Spazmo Rockets, I will save up for the larger tripod.

[@fototripper]

Prices will have trebled due to demand @@davidakoubian3025

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@fototripper I knew I should have jumped on it yesterday!

[@vladepast4936]

Nice video. Do you know if the Gimbal has bearings? Because if it does not...

[@davidakoubian3025]

I don't know, but would think it would with the fluid movement

[@vladepast4936]

@@davidakoubian3025 Some of the Gimbals do not have bearings, just a special plastic. If it is not properly designed, it will lose its smoothness quickly...

[@davidakoubian3025]

The plastic would be a bushing, this head has what is clarified as a bearing, but not ball bearing, instead a machined bearing which they believe is a more durable build and easier to service. One correction, they don't classify it as a fluid head because they wanted easier movement, but it can be close with the tension adjust.

[@vladepast4936]

@@davidakoubian3025 Sorry for asking you this but if you have a bigger lens, would you mount it and show how smooth the movement is? I'm sure a lot of people will really apresiate it...

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@vladepast4936 I don't own the Gimbal anymore

[@MrNicholaslarghi]

I am considering this gimbal head mostly for landscapes. I am slightly concerned if I was to use this for a large lens for wildlife, is the screw in system there secure enough to handle the load of a big DSLR and long lens? Is there a safety in place in case the top bracket there slips? Also which L bracket did you use for this gimbal head?

[@davidakoubian3025]

I use RRS and Kirk Enterprise L Brackets. The heaviest lens i use is the Tamron 150-600mm and the head is fine for that. I haven't tried heavier.

[@MrNicholaslarghi]

David Akoubian ty for your reply. I looked at RRS but they’re pretty expensive. I know it’s a quality product but... yikes. Would you not recommend the product in this video then? Any input is appreciated. I don’t want to make an incorrect purchase

[@davidakoubian3025]

@@MrNicholaslarghi It is a very well made head, but I think it works better for landscape when you are using smaller mirrorless cameras. I think you would struggle with it and be frustrated with a larger DSLR.

[@shonong4620]

I still don't get how can it compare to a ballhead? Or its not meant to be able to work like a ballhead but rather able to use it for landscape?

[@davidakoubian3025]

It definitely won't replace or compare to a ballhead but more like a pano head.

[@lynneftw]

There's so much more to this head than a ball head can do. It just depends on what kind of photography you do most.

[@amdenis]

Great tripod. Isn’t that tripod a bit too low for you though? Looks like you always have to bend over and crane your neck for any situation. Am I missing something?

[@davidakoubian3025]

Not with mirrorless, I use the screen.

[@amdenis]

David Akoubian - yeah, I figured you’d have to, but just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something. I am only 5’7”, but I have found that with a higher tripod I no longer have to hand-hold my A9II for fast moving subjects, which provides me with better shot and saves my arms- especially with the longer and heavier lenses.

[@jamesgerboc]

I see this as an over-complicated, bulky head for landscape. If you also do wildlife, it may be great. But landscape only, it’s bulky, complicated and dangles the camera weight from the side, rather than supporting the weight underneath. I’m not a physics major, but I don’t see the benefit and the cost is off-the-charts.

[@davidakoubian3025]

I would agree its really good for wildlife and just sufficient for landscapes.

[@jamesgerboc]

@@davidakoubian3025 The tripod looks like a work of art though.

[@lynneftw]

I do wildlife and landscapes and action sports and macro. This gimbal head will be the only one I need for all four.

[@jasonxie5250]

Set up quickly for shooting....

[@davidakoubian3025]

It is very quick. The leg locks require only about a 1/4 twist to unlock/lock. The gimbal is really easy to set up.