The SpeediGimbal is a monopod/tripod head that is designed to offer instant support to take the weight of a camera with large lens attached. Unlike other tripod heads it is not designed to provide a secure attachment – but offers unrivalled manoeuvrability for capturing moving subjects.
It’s the brainchild of wildlife photographer Colin Brister, who developed it after having spent many years handholding heavy lenses, but found standard gimbal heads didn’t offer the manoeuvrability he needed.
It consists of a two-part ball-and-cup design, with one part mounted to the lens bracket and the other fitted atop a monopod or tripod. Both parts have 3/8in UNC threads, and come with standard 1/4in UNC adapters, too.
Manufactured from Black Nylon 66, it’s a high-performance product designed to withstand long-term wear and tear effects. The device is perfect for sports, wildlife and macro, and also works with spotting scopes, making it ideal for birdwatchers too. The lightweight, compact head is less than three inches in size, enabling it to be easily stashed in a spare corner of a camera bag.
The SpeediGimbal is available directly from Colin Brixter's website and the £79 price (around US$100 or AU$150).