We are trying to develop a community where photographers can come and discuss nature, wildlife and pet photography related matters. We encourage you to enter the forums to discuss this article as well as to share your photographs and experiences in our forums here at NWP.

The Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum Presents:

Black Widow Gimbal Head - Heavy Duty Model by Jobu Design:
A Review by Ken Phillips

Edited by James Morrissey

This article is Copyright © Ken Phillips, and may not, in part or in whole, be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author. The images in this article are the property of Ken Phillips and is licensed to James Morrissey and the Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum for the purpose of this article.

Equipment and Price Paid:

• Jobu Design HD Black Widow Gimbal Tripod Head $469.95
• Jobu Design Surefoot Grande Arca-Swiss Compatible QR Plate $ 64.95

Purchased from:

• B & H Photo-Video, NYC

Features:

• Balanced one-finger positioning, even with 15 lbs. of camera/lens
• Smooth panning in both altitude and azimuth
• Very sturdy, but still light in weight (3 lb. 5 oz./1.5 kg.)
• Less expensive than competition (< $500 street price)
• Arca-Swiss compatible quick release

Nits:

• Nasty pinch-point possible (tested by reviewer – ouch!)
• Altitude lock requires fidgeting to unlock
• ANY Arca-Swiss or compatible plate is pricy

When it comes to heavy duty gimbal-type camera/lens mounts, the name Wimberley first comes to mind … but they aren’t the only game in town. Canada’s Jobu Design [ www.jobu-design.com ] has a functionally identical design called the Black Widow. Both Wimberley and Jobu have lighter duty designs, not reviewed here. Both Wimberley and Jobu have recently put their heavy mounts on a diet; the newest Jobu unit weighs within ounces of the redesigned Wimberley mount, both well under 3.5 lbs. The Jobu is largely constructed of machined and welded aluminum bits, with the axis pins madeof stainless steel. This is a well-made unit, with little to go wrong.

Advantages of a Gimbal Mount

A gimbal mount is an alt-az (for you non-astronomers, altitude-azimuth, or up-down/left-right) mount that allows concentric centers of gravity and points of rotation.

Although I have used a Wimberley mount (“old” style), in practice I’ve tended to use a single axis (tilt-only) head on a heavy duty tripod for my big lenses. The largest and heaviest setup that I currently use is a Canon EOS-1D Mk. II behind a Canon 600mm f/4 lens … and typically with a Canon 1.4x teleconverter between them. As this is also the system that I use the most, it’s what I’ve photographed for this review.

The big problem with that setup is the fact that the center of gravity of your system is WAY above the pivot point! If you want the altitude axis to be loose enough for quick movements you had better be ready to support some weight – and to never let go! And almost without exception the fore/aft balance will be troublesome; if possible, I’d always adjust things to keep the camera body a little bit heavy, an easier situation to deal with than a front-heavy system.

A gimbal mount solves those problems by allowing you to adjust the position of the camera/lens system in relation to that pivot point in two axes. You can raise/lower the quick-release support arm on a slide by simply loosening a knob. You can then slide the camera/lens forward and backward to balance the unit. And once balanced, the amount of tension required on the axes is minimal, and largely dependent on the wind. You can “one-finger” the unit, and shoot all day without supporting any weight. My decision to buy the Jobu over the Wimberley is largely due to my contrarian nature.

Setup

The lens needs to be mounted on an Arca-Swiss compatible 7” mounting plate. I purchased Jobu’s largest plate, which comes with several different screws. The Canon 600/4 lens “foot” has two different sizes of holes, ¼” and 3/8”, both of which sized screws come with the mounting plate. This particular plate also has stop screws to prevent the camera from sliding off of the quick release should the clamp come loose. To position the plate on the lens foot I first mounted the camera and 2.0x TC to the lens, and then found the balance point by holding the lens foot on one finger. This is my heaviest setup, with the most aft center of gravity. I then positioned the center of the plate to allow some room to slide the lens backward a bit, in case I was using a lighter setup, such as my Canon EOS-20D without a teleconverter (my lightest setup.) In the end I found plenty of adjustment was available for any combo of camera/lens/teleconverter/etc., so I repositioned the plate to eliminate any contact with the azimuth axis.

After mounting the Black Widow on a tripod (3/8” thread) it’s best to lower the quick-release support arm to its lowest position. This will ensure that the center of gravity of the system will be below the pivot point when you attach the camera/lens … preventing an unwanted “upset” while you finish the setup. It’s also a great idea to tighten down the clamps on both axes!

Note that in the photos of the altitude axis there is a locking pin shown … you simply turn it to release it, and then level the altitude axis, and the pin drops into a hole on the altitude shaft. It does work that easily … but not so in reverse. I’ve found that the pin hangs up when you try to pull it out, and requires much fidgetting. It’s possible that it gets slightly bent, or develops ridges from banging about when walking. Not much fun when those ivory-billed woodpeckers are flying about and you can’t point your camera toward them! In any case, I’ve decided that simply tightening the axis clamp is the way to go.

The quick-release clamp on the Jobu will open far enough to accept the plate without removing the stop screws, and the camera/lens unit drops right in. You should put the center of gravity in alignment with the center of the QR clamp. All that remains is to move the entire QR clamp arm upwards until balance is reached. In all practicality it’s fine to have a CG slightly lower than the altitude axis.

In the Field

Any gimbal mount makes camera motion easier, and the Jobu lived up to my expectations the first day out. I had forgotten how much easier it is to capture tiny birds in flight or deer on the run with a gimbaled mount over any other kind! Positioning the camera is effortless.

One thing that I worried about was shooting overhead; you can see by the picture, however, that you can point pretty high in the sky before running out of room. The only way to get higher would be to hand hold the camera! A somewhat daunting proposition if you aren’t very strong.

max up

On my particular unit, the altitude axis has a small amount of drag even when the tension knob is completely loosened; perhaps it will “break in”, but in any case it’s just the right amount for my usage! The azimuth axis moves without any effort at all, and I keep the knob slightly tightened to prevent inadvertent motion. One thing to watch out for is a nasty pinch point; since I sometimes shoot from elevated positions I want to be able to point the camera downward, so I’ve positioned the lens plate to allow that. And once, just once, I had one hand resting on the azimuth pivot when I pointed downward. See the photo, and use your imagination.

I carry the rig resting on my shoulder, with both axes clamped. As I’ve done this for years with other setups, I’m used to it, and even have a pad for my right shoulder for times when I’m not wearing a heavy coat.

The Tripod is Important!

It’s a shame to spend $500 for great camera support that is itself insufficiently supported! What you put under it can undermine the advantages, so use an adequate tripod. It’s a fact that the weak link in your system will NOT be this gimbal mount!

If I am going to be stationary, I will typically set the mount on an ancient wooden Ceco motion-picture-camera tripod. At something over 22 lbs., added to the 18 or so for the mount and camera/lens system, this isn’t something that I want to schlep about for miles! But it is very sturdy and steady; a large lens with hood makes a great sail, and in any real wind a lighter tripod will be shaking.

For remote locations or hiking, I use what I consider to be the minimum amount of support – a Giotto’s Mt-8170 carbon fiber tripod. At less than 6 lbs. this takes a good load off of my shoulders, but is marginal when winds exceed 15 mph. Note that the lens that I use with this mount is image-stabilized, which does add a bit more wind resistance!

But wait, there’s more!

At a recent outing to shoot 15,000 or so sandhill cranes at Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Area in Indiana, I decided to shoot a little bit of video. I mounted an aluminum bar to the lens plate, and put a tiny ballhead and a sub-one-pound digital video camera on the other end. Once at the venue, I pointed the camera at a distant tree, and adjusted the video camera to point at the same tree. It just so happens that the field of view of the Mk. II/600/1.4x TC is very similar to my video camera! I adjusted the balance by sliding the mount plate back about ½”, and turned on the video camera. I now have an hour of some interesting sights and sounds (and the sounds of huge numbers of these birds rattling away is fabulous), but the best part is that while panning on birds in flight I’ve gotten some very smooth video, not possible hand-held nor with a cheap video tripod, and damped by the mass of the huge camera/lens combo! Yes, the video contains the very loud clicks of my shutter releasing … nearly 1,000 times.

Conclusion

If you are at all serious about shooting anything that moves (be it racing automobiles, airshow acts, or wildlife in motion) a gimbal mount will definitely add to the number of “keepers” you collect. Added benefits are the reduction in strain allowed by not having to support any weight at all, and the ability to add accessories such as a video camera and retain all of the advantages of the mount.

If you choose the Jobu Design version you will not be disappointed, and you’ll save a few bucks (about the price of a big lens plate, or a little more) over the competition.

To see more of Ken Phillips' work, you can go to: www.ahomls.com/photo.htm.

If would like to share a review on your experiences about a product or you have a story about your photographic journeys that you would like to tell, please contact us.