Which is best for panning and tracking moving objects, a gimbal or ball head? There’s only one way to find out…

Which is best for panning and tracking moving objects, a gimbal or ball head?

Benro GH2 gimbal head

Web www.benroeu.com Type Gimbal head Main construction material Aluminium Quick release plate Arca-Swiss Height 240mm Friction control Yes Lateral tilt None Independent panning lock Yes Weight 1.44kg Max load rating 23kg Price £259/$350 The joint winner of our mini-test of gimbal heads in issue 85, the GH2 enables you to balance an SLR with a heavy telephoto lens attached. Independent sets of roller bearings and locking clamps for pan and tilt functions enable smooth movement. Well-engineered with an adjustable height setting and long Arca-Swiss-compatible mounting plate, enabling optimum balance of any camera and lens combination. At £379/$475, the GH2C carbon fibre has a 25kg load rating and a reduced 1.3kg weight. For tracking moving objects like aircraft, birds in flight and general wildlife, which can move vertically as well as horizontally, the GH2 is much more suitable than any ball head. It’s also less precarious, as the camera won’t flop forward or to one side if you let go of it. Considering that many popular gimbal heads on the market cost between £600/$600 and £750/$750, the GH2 is competitively priced. Its build quality makes it great value for money, although it still costs almost three times as much as the XPRO ball head. Despite undercutting the price of opposing gimbal heads from the likes of Wimberley and Custom Brackets, the GH2 is an excellent performer. The design and quality of engineering enable a fluid feel to vertical and horizontal movement, making for easy tracking.

Manfrotto XPRO ball head

Web www.manfrotto.co.uk Type Ball head Main construction material Magnesium alloy Quick release plate 200PL or Arca-Swiss Height 115mm Friction control Yes Lateral tilt 90 degrees Independent panning lock Yes Weight 0.5kg Max load rating 10kg Price £95/$120 The XPRO has a hefty maximum load rating of 10kg, which is much less than the GH2’s 23kg rating but should prove sufficient for almost any Nikon SLR and lens combo. The ball head also enables free movement and there’s a pan-only release mechanism. Dependable yet lightweight at 0.5kg, the XPRO head is wonderfully crafted from magnesium alloy. The standard edition comes with Manfrotto’s 200PL quick-release plate, but an Arca-Swiss alternative that’s suited to big lenses is available at £134/$165. Like many ball heads, the XPRO has a pan-only release that enables easy tracking of objects that move horizontally. But you need to release the main clamp if objects are moving along a slight slope, at which point balance is much inferior to that of a gimbal. With its main locking clamp, independently adjustable friction damper, pan-only release clamp and bubble levels, the XPRO has everything you could wish for in a ball head. It’s similar in price to the Benro’s competing B1 ball head, but both still offer great value. For regular use, when you want to lock off any movement, the performance of the XPRO ball head is flawless. It’s newly designed grease-free polymer rings also enable smooth freedom of movement but it’s less ideal for tracking than a gimbal head.