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Who needs a gimbal??? (1 Viewer)

Keith Reeder

Watch the birdie...
I think this is an interesting development...

http://acratech.net/miva/merchant.m...=AOS&Product_Code=LLH&Category_Code=Ballheads

Less than a pound in weight and - because it's Acratech - presumably bombproof, it might well be a legitimate, versatile alternative to the traditional gimbal head.

See it in action here - this head is demonstrated at 1:00 into the video.

Looks pretty good, and - at $329 - a good price too.

(Incidentally, the first head shown - the GV2 - is supposed to support 25lbs itself).
 
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Interesting (go on then-exciting).
I am in the market for a new tripod & head - I have been following the threads about the "Gimbal from India" but this could be the complete answer as it seems to suit "long lenses" and standard.
Do you (or does anyone else) know if they have dealers in the UK?

Has anyone actually used one or seen it in the flesh?
 
question, does the center of gravity fit so nicely under the lens foot / mount on all lenses? will this work when the plate is offset on my cheap "lada" of a gimbal head as the plate and fixing clamp are so long @ 4" it makes very little difference if the plate sticks out 1/2" when I use a convector to regain the center of gravity, this looks like the head is quite short, would it be a problem?
 
Hi Steve,

I'm assuming that for long lenses you'd still want to fit some sort of long sliding plate in order to ensure correct balance - and Acratech do 'em.
 
It does look very interesting but I wonder if there is a locking catch on the clamp? If not there should be, even my cheapo 393's got that .
 
There is a safety detent pin, Paul - is that what you mean? It's demoed on the YouTube video at 02:48 to 03:01.

Incidentally - what is that honking big lens in the demo?
 
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There is a safety detent pin, Paul - is that what you mean? It's demoed on the YouTube video at 02:48 to 03:01.

Incidentally - what is that honking big lens in the demo?

Thats what I'm on about, but it appears that after he's demonstrated it and then undoes the thumbwheel a bit more the plate comes away from the head. And am I right in thinking its an option?

Haven't got a clue on the lens, wrong colour for my liking ;)
 
David,

it's not "in the wild" yet - but Whorehouse Express are Acratech dealers.

That put a smile on my face.

Was that a Freudian slip Keith?

You don't happen to have their web-site address do you? Purely for research purposes you understand.

Regards,
 
narawood said:
That put a smile on my face.

Was that a Freudian slip Keith?
No, that was deliberate - I always call 'em that!

;)

Paul Goode said:
Thats what I'm on about, but it appears that after he's demonstrated it and then undoes the thumbwheel a bit more the plate comes away from the head. And am I right in thinking its an option?
Yep, the plate does come off completely - Acratech make a wide range of camera-specific plates that are compatible with Arca-Swiss type QR clamps, and it means you can choose the exact combination of Acratech head/clamp/plate to suit whatever camera(s) and lens(es) you're using..
 
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Perhaps I'm missing something but it looks like a standard video head but without a pan handle... Surely than Manfrotto 501 would be just as effective for long lens use?
 
You could well be right, Peter - but this begs the question that if the Acratech works as well as the video suggests it might, and if a 501 is as good, why do we need gimbal heads at all?

That said, looking at this picture of the 501, the Acratech looks much more fit for purpose - I'm thinking especially that panning will be smoother and more stable because of the wide base of the Acratech (I know - if the Manfrotto head works with heavy video cameras..!)

I've checked the weight of the 501, and it's up in gimbal head territory at 1.5kg - and (given that the camera here is a Nikon D200) it looks huge.
 
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£167 - bargain!

It won't be that cheap in the UK, that's for certain. The GV2 - which is $349 on Acratech's site - is £264 here...

Hi Keith,

I've ordered, and received via post, select items from the UK a number of times in the past. No extra charges after postage, or the like.

Is the reverse direction a bit more cumbersome for some reason?

Robert
 
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