Think tripods and you’re probably thinking about rigid, inflexible supports that keep your camera solidly locked in place with no unwanted movement. That’s usually the idea but it’s not always the case. What if you’re tracking fast-moving subjects that might well be moving up and down as well as to the left and right, and in pretty much any other direction that takes their fancy. Likely scenarios include birds in flight, air shows, animals that like to run and jump and various types of sporty humans, including those on the likes of motocross and BMX bikes.
Naturally, you could track the action with handheld shooting but if you’re using a big and (more importantly) heavy telephoto lens, you could well find yourself worn out sooner rather than later. That’s where a gimbal head comes in. It supports the weight of your camera and lens combo, making it essentially weightless with a maintained center of gravity while tilting and panning, along with a full and free range of friction-free movement.
