ProMediaGear Katana

£750/$750

The Katana looks more like a piece of weapons hardware than a camera support, owing to its macho design and huge 33cm height. Being so tall means there’s plenty of vertical adjustment to balance even the largest lens.

The stellar build and material quality results in a load capacity of 23kg. The only drawback of such strength is that at 2.2kg, this is the heaviest gimbal here by some margin.

Maintenance-free steel ball bearings give perfectly smooth tilt and panning motion, and with no bearing slack when the locking knobs are undone. These are large enough for easy use in all weathers. You can also partly tighten the locking knobs to increase friction without introducing jerkiness, and when fully tightened, your camera is held steady.

Pros: Uncompromising build and material quality

Cons: Pricy; few set-ups require such an over-engineered head