Giottos MT8180 Tripod and Manfrotto 3421 Gimbal

[richardpcrowe]

I have just completed my first photo shoot using my new Giottos MT8180 tripod and Manfrotto 3421 Gimbal Lens Mount mounting a 400mm f/5.6L lens on a 30D camera.

The combination worked superbly. The tripod was a dream to use, sturdy and easily adjusted. The adjustments stayed in place without a lot of force being applied. The tripod is high enough for me (I am 6'1") to use without stooping or elevating the center column. The tripod weighs about 5.5 pounds and comes with both carrying strap and case. I noticed that the tripod could not be effectively carried using the strap with the Manfrotto 3421, 400mm f/5.6 lens and 30D camera attached. It was top heavy. I just put the unit over my shoulder and carried it like I used to carry motion picture cameras on a tripod. I am used to lugging a tripod/camera/lens in this manner.

By the way, when using a relatively heavy camera/lens/head on a tripod; keeping one leg (the front leg) slightly longer than the other two is an easy way to set it up. You simply place the front leg on the floor or ground balancing the weight of the unit and then pull back the other two legs to spread the tripod.

The Manfrotto 3421 Gimbal is easy to set up and once balanced, the camera/lens can be moved with finger pressure, yet will stay steady unless that pressure is applied. On the downside, this mount is relatively heavy at 1.8 lbs. However, it is built like a tank and pairs very well with my new tripod. I found that, using this setup, I could easily pan with hydroplanes running at about 150 MPH. Of course 400mm f/5.6 lens is pretty short and light in weight to consider using on a gimbal mount. However, this combination worked so wonderfully that I am sold on the system. Who knows, maybe someday there is a 600mm in my plans.

I am sure that the Swiss Arca and other gimbal mounts are great but, the Manfrotto serves my purpose very well and at $200 (shipped) complete with camera plate is considerably less expensive.