Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

I did a lot of gimbal research. For something this expense, holding something else that is even more expensive (Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VRII), you want to make the right decision. This gimbal is all you can ask for. Being able to break this down into component parts makes this easy to pack and store. I worried about rigidity with all the pieces, but I didn't need to. It is rock solid. Steel ball bearings are incredibly smooth with the lens mounted. Effortless movement. The captive drag knobs are all excellent. And the stabilizing lever is something all gimbals should adopt. It keeps things in place while you adjust, change bodies, etc. Best gimbal on the market and a real value at its price.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

I spend a few weeks going through all the review of the different gimbal and I eventually settled on this model. I'm really happy with it so far and I have no regrets.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

Nearly all the versatility of a Really Right Stuff Gimbal at a fraction of the cost. Exactly what I needed for pano and landscapes.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

I use this head to support a 400 f/2.8 nikon lens. It is a heavy lens and requires a solid tripod. This CB Gimbal is everything the other reviewers said it was. I took their word and it is the way to go. You must move slow and set it up properly taking care to tighten all the knobs. If not you can do a lot of damage due to the leverage and weight of the lens. The design and tooling is top grade pro equipment. There are others on the market but I don't see how they could be any better than this.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

For many years I have enjoyed the benefits of gimbal heads while using my 500mm f4 lens. You really need a gimbal for large flop prone lenses. The CB Gimbal Head exceeds my other gimbals in terms of smoothness but also has the incredibly usefull locking mechanism which makes carrying your equipment worry free. The gimbal can be broken down into 4 flat pieces which easily fit into the side pouch of a long lens bag even leaving room for a large flash! I couldn't be more pleased.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

I agonised between buying the Wimberley or the Custom Brackets gimbal head for use with my AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 ED VR lens on my D3 body. I was able to handle a Wimberley in a local pro photographer supplier (while awaiting delivery of the lens - from B&H, of course), but was not able to actually use it. It felt nice, but I was eventually swayed in favour of the CB by the fact that it can be easily reconfigured and dismantled for packing.

I could not be more happy with the CB! It is an exceptionally well designed device. Although I ordered both the GLM-1 and GLM-2 lens plates, I have found the Kirk KILP46 lens plate, that is specifically for the lens mentioned above, to provide a FAR better solution than either of the CB plates with the foot which is shipped with the lens. This is due to the height of Nikon's foot being some 1-1/2ins too great, which causes the C of G to be slightly above the tilt axis of the gimbal. This causes the lens+camera body to be slightly unstable. However, Kirk's replacement foot for the lens (KILP46) eliminates that problem altogether and mates directly with the clamp of the CB Gimbal. The one-piece KILP46 provides the necessary Arca-Swiss dovetail directly yet still provides a comfortable handgrip for the lens.

I cannot imagine any gimbal arrangement being better. It is smooooooth, very solidly constructed, easily dismantled and superbly stable. I am extremely pleased that I opted for the added functionality of the CB gimbal rather than the Wimberley.

If I were pressed to come up with something negative about this gimbal, it would be the fact that the center of the lens mounting plate is not directly above the rotational axis, but that really isn't much of a criticism at all...

I wholeheartedly recommend the CB gimbal.

Afterthought: B&H is by FAR my favourite supplier. I have NEVER had any problem whatsoever during my frequent dealings with them...

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

Super strong and amazingly smooth thanks to its use of precision roller bearings, this is about as good as it gets when it comes to a full Gimbal head.

Add in a modular design (makes it much easier to pack, plus you can use the upright section on its own to use with your ball head) makes it even better.

However probably the best feature is the Setup Lever: I recently had this gimbal setup and balanced with a Nikon 200-400mm lens, and wanted to add a flash. Flipped out the Setup Lever (limits the movement of the arm to about 10 degrees), added the flash bracket and flash gun, which moved the center of gravity up and forwards. On just about any other Gimbal this would have resulted in the lens/camera flopping forward quite fast when I released the arm if I wasn't ready to catch it, and then would have to rebalance the setup with one hand while the other supports the off-balance lens. However with the setup lever on the CB Gimbal there was virtually no movement and no risk at all of my lens flopping forward and getting damaged. Very easy to rebalance, then flip the Setup Lever back out of the way and you are ready to go.

Solid 5 stars, if you are looking for a full Gimbal head, this is about as good as it gets, and a joy to use.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

I've been considering a gimbal tripod head for about a year, since I got my Canon 300 2.8 lens. I found it wasn't that steady on the ball head that had served me well with all my other glass.

You probably have to experience a gimbal-telephoto combo to really appreciate it, so what I'll say here is that it's true what they say; i.e. you can really adjust the heaviest telephotos with precisely with a feather-light touch.

What makes the CB stand out for me is that it's modular -- making it easier to find a place for in my already crowded equipment bag, and lighter than comparable gimbals. And the innovations, like the drag adjustment knobs, are IMHO really useful and not just "bells & whistles."

To sum up -- I really like the CB gimbal and expect to be using it for a long time. If you use telephotos, it's worth a serious look.

But don't get rid of your ball head -- you'll need to keep it since the gimbal only gives you pan and tilt movement.

Comments about Custom Brackets CB Gimbal Tripod Head:

I've been looking at gimbal heads for about a year since getting my 300 2.8 lens and, even though I often hand-hold it, it was sometimes hard to control on the ball head I'd always used. I looked at all the gimbals and found the CB is the newest and most innovative. And the innovations are truly useful -- for example the drag adjustments make it easy to position a lens with precision and because it's modular it's fairly easy to pack, even in my already-full equipment bag. The CB is also lighter than any of the other, older-design gimbals.

Since the gimbal only works on a lens-moutned tripod collar, you'll want to keep your existing head, but that's fine because the gimbal only pivots and moves vertically; it doesn't let you rotate the camera.

My bottom line is, I looked at all the available gimbals and I prefer this one. If you have a long lens and haven't used a gimbal head -- you're in for a treat when you try this one.