Testing a Slik SGH300 Gimbal Tripod Head

I have heard about it, seen them from far, and during a huge 2013 international watersports event in San Francisco, even got a chance to use a camera mounted on a very pricy tripod gimbal system (fitted with a 300mm and later a 600mm lens), but personally, I have never known anyone who has owned one.

Now, just days after receiving a Slik SGH300 Gimbal Tripod Head, and fitting it on a Manfrotto Neotec Pro tripod I picked up used years ago and both from Fireside Camera in San Francisco, I now have the best of two worlds!

I have been into photography for over three decades, looking through viewfinders with different tripods, BUT this must be the most versatile tripod I've ever yet!

No more locking down or releasing to fold up a tripod leg. Now I just pull on each leg and extend. To get it closed is just as EASY: I fold all three legs together, press and hold the release button at the top of each leg at once, then just push down on the tripod head to close! Before with other tripods it'd take me a max of 2-3mins to open my many tripods, but this tripod has me using it as quickly as within a minute if that long at all. Closing it is even more quick and simple, and does not even take 30 seconds with the method I just described above!!

Now I have just picked up a Slik SGH300 gimbal, and this addition to the Neotec Pro is the best combo ever!!!

Now I have a VERY easy to extend/fold tripod topped with this very small, light and efficient tripod accessory head that enables me to do more and much easier than I've ever done with a tripod in my lifetime behind cameras!

No matter what I've had and used in the past, every basic tripod and standard head I've had would NOT allow pointing my camera almost straight, and definitely NOT point my camera straight up (for those occasional night sky pixs)! Even more bigger and heavier tripod heads I've had wouldn't allow me to point even halfway to straight up! In all cases, I'd end up shortening one tripod leg very low to point the camera straight up, but nowadays even with a camera swivel screen, I'd have to be very low also just to look through the screen or the viewfinder! Of course the live-view on the swivel screen would be useful if I didn't mind having to switch batteries often! Sure, using the standard swivel ball-head is almost efficient BUT I didn't like using those, and I have at least two!

Enter the gimbal, and NOW I can stand straight with my camera at eye-level, and able to easily tilt, pan or anything else with the camera to any position including STRAIGHT UP effortlessly! It's a joy to have and use, and am sure this gimbal will now stay on the tripod permanently! The only thing the gimbal doesn't allow me to do is use a corded shutter release remote, but I can live with that (or maybe not). There is a hole and a slot that looks like it's for a thin cord but with my current remote, it still won't pass through. The pictures are from a recent sunset while testing the gimbal fitted onto the Neotec Pro recently. 

Hey, the sandflies seem to have disappeared for the past week!!!