The CB GIMBAL Head reviewed by Jon Ashton

First impressions of the CG Gimbal are that it is a well engineered, quality product with a high-quality finish. All adjustment knobs are easily manipulated and the rubber covering makes them easy to grip. The head is effectively weather sealed and lubricated for life. Considerable thought has gone into the design and the head is adjustable in every conceivable direction; it is indeed an impressive piece of kit – I will explain in due course.

Once a super telephoto lens is mounted on a CG Gimbal head it becomes relatively weightless. The head, of course, must be mounted on a sturdy tripod, it is absolutely pointless to mount the head on anything less than a substantial, quality tripod, so when buying a Gimbal it must be borne in mind that there will be an equally expensive tripod to be considered. A suitable tripod would be one of the Gitzo systematic range. In this particular case the head was mounted on a Gitzo 3530LS which is a carbon fibre model, the lens and camera tested was the Canon 500mm f4 L IS with 1.4TC and a Canon 50D body with twin battery pack. There are several types of head available on the market including the Wimberly Head II, Manfrotto and Mongoose. The CG head is perhaps most comparable to the Wimberly Head II being a relatively large piece of engineering and suited to all the largest of lenses (500mm up to 800mm).

The head arrives in a stout box along with brief assembly instructions; it is easily assembled following the instruction sheet and takes a matter of perhaps five minutes. The head is deliberately constructed in modules so that it may be packed flat and carried in a camera accessory bag if required – this may be a consideration if flying abroad. It is adjustable for height over several inches; this is again a thoughtful aspect as certain tripods are just a little low for people around six feet in height. A special Arca Swiss type lens plate is supplied and this should be attached to the lens' foot. Attaching the lens to the head is simple – just ensure the foot aligns to the guide rails and tighten the lock nut. As the lens is resting on the clamp plate it is a very simple matter to adjust fore and aft movement to determine the centre of gravity, the idea being that when there is no friction applied to any of the lateral and vertical locking nuts (for pan and tilt action) the lens will sit with no movement.

It is also a bonus to see that whilst the adjustment is being made there is little chance of the lens falling off the assembly. In general gimbal tripod heads such as the Wimberley Tripod Head II place the weight of the lens/camera set-up below their pivot point. Gravity therefore pulls the assembly into a level position. At this point you can adjust the friction on the pan and tilt by turning the rubber-covered adjustment knobs; these are very easy to adjust and they are fairly large and readily gripped. In addition to the friction adjusters there are larger locking knobs which may be used to completely lock the head in order that the camera, head and tripod may be carried over your shoulder.

So what is the device like in practice? Well it is absolutely silky smooth and entirely adjustable to your own preference, there is no play in the movements and large lenses are effectively weightless. Small or large adjustments to a change in direction are extremely simple to make and of course switching the camera to portrait mode from landscape mode is very easy as the whole of the rig is solid as you loosen the locking collar on the lens.

It is worthwhile surfing the web to read the various techniques employed to ensure there is minimal chance of lens shake. Traditionally one might imagine a cable release and mirror lock-up would provide the best opportunity of capturing sharp images of static objects but this is not so. The best way is the one that suits you individually – I don’t think there is one definitive correct way, but I ensure my face is pressed against the rear of the camera body and my left arm is rested on top of the lens or resting on the base of the head, with my fingers bracing the lens, either way may suit you. The idea is to eliminate unnecessary movement and your body serves to brace the lens along with the head and tripod and effectively lock up all potential movement. At first this doesn’t sound like common sense but when using a fairly large and steady tripod along with an equally rigid head you will soon understand the set-up will readily accept part of your weight leaning in to it.

ABOVE: The CB Gimbal is beautifully engineered with well thought out locking devices. Adjusting the base plate enables the lens/camera combination to be perfectly balanced for weightless operation.

The combination of a super telephoto, a sturdy tripod and the Gimbal makes bird photography very straightforward despite the weight of the camera system.

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