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The CB GIMBAL Head reviewed by Jon Ashton - part 1 of 1 2 3

by Jon Ashton Published 01/04/2009

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.

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