STEP BY STEP

Shoot with a gimbal head

Screw on the base plate

Screw the base plate onto the Nikon or lens collar nice and tight. Use the wings on the screw, or slot a penny in the groove if your tripod doesn’t have this. You don’t want it to fall off the tripod or twist around, unthreading itself: this is very noticeable with big, heavy lenses.

Mount the camera and lens

The tilt knob is responsible for the up and down movements of the Nikon. Ensure the tilt knob is fully tightened before fastening the camera and lens to the head. Double-check the plate is comfortably sitting in the grooves, then tighten the knob.

Balance the kit

Next, balance the camera in the direction you’ll be shooting. Loosen the brake knobs on the gimbal head, and slowly take your hands off the camera to check its balance point. If it moves out of the intended direction, loosen the base plate knob and adjust the plate.

Direction and pan handle

If your gimbal head has a direction and pan handle, attach it. This will add accuracy to your framing and keep your other hand free to press the shutter button. No handle? Place your hand on top of the lens barrel to reduce vibrations when shooting.

Camera settings

In Manual mode, shoot with the aperture as wide open as possible. Our lens has a maximum wide aperture of f/2.8. Use a fast shutter speed to freeze any movement: We’re using 1/1600 sec. If you find that the image is still underexposed, set a higher ISO.

Single frame or continuous?

For wary animals, or environments where your shutter will be heard, single frame is the best method to use. But where animals are more confident, like here at Slimbridge, you can use continuous burst mode to take multiple photos with a single press of the shutter button.