Benro Mini Gimbal Head Carbon Fiber Pl100N Plate

An Invaluable Mini Gimbal

It proportionately matches my peak design carbon fiber travel tripod (with its universal head adapter). Good match for tripods this size! The locking mechanisms on the gimbal head's QR plate lock knob and the vertical balance adjustable knob allow for both outward pulling of the knobs and their repositioning before tightening. This clever design allows me to pre-determine the position where the fully tightened knobs would face. I also think that option eliminates the potential of the knobs coming on the way of whatever lens one chooses to mount on the head. The top part of the quick release plate also has two gentle "tooth-like" elements. One each at the opposite edges of one end of the plate. The rear of my lens' collar foot mates with these elements thereby providing an anti-twist feature when in use. I am also happy with the drag on the head's vertical and panning sections; they feel just right for my Nikon D500/sigma 150-600mm (at all focal lengths) combo. While the head's bubble level is useful for leveling the head, I prefer to mount the gimbal head on my tripod leveling base on very uneven ground; setting up my tripod and gimbal head is much faster with a leveling base in such situations. Included accessories: Mine came with two spare thumbscrews both with flip-up components that allow tool-free screwing plus one 3/8-16 to 1/4-20 reducer bushing. Very useful! Extras Its carrying capacity (given as 30 kgs) is way above the weight of any rig I'd ever need for my current shooting needs . But it does mean the head is versatile and suitable for many different rigs (in terms of weight) should need arise. Things I wish were considered 1. A better quality carry case. Preferably a neoprene case. The drawstring case included feels cheap and may not effectively cushion the gimbal head in all carrying situations. 2. I wish the plate was partly rubberized on the top to further enhance its anti-slip feature when in use