Big Bertha (F* 600 F4) still needs a gimbal head. I have been balking at
the price of a bottom-mount Wimberly. The side-mount Kirk is about $100
less, but in the end I could not reconcile myself to mounting this heavy
lens sideways. With my back problems and occasional awkwardness, this
struck me as something I would have trouble with each and every time I
used it. On top of that, I was put off by Kirk. I e-mailed some
questions, and the reply I got back was to call their 800 number--which
of course would mean a sales pitch.
What to do? On eBay, used bottom-mount Wimberleys, scratched but claimed
to be otherwise okay, have recently been going for $493-$494. That's
idiotic. A new one goes for $565. I have seen one actually go for more
than the new price. The Wimberley Sidekick (another side-mount type) has
been going for just a few dollars less than new. At those prices, why
bother with a used one?
The upshot: A Jobu Black Widow Heavy Duty gimbal head is on its way from
Toronto via Canada ExpressPost. Here's hoping it gets hear by Christmas.
It is the bottom-mount kind. (They also make a side mount that is less
expensive than the Kirk.) It is $56 less than the price of a new
Wimberley. That's not enormous, but money is tight after buying Big
Bertha. Better yet, at $509 it is only $15-$16 more than the price of
scratched-but-serviceable Wimberleys on eBay. What's more, the owner
responded to my e-mails very quickly.
A Wimberley P-50 plate is coming from B&H.
Jobu's owner was fascinated by my lens. Said he'd never seen one. Never
had a Pentax customer, for that matter. He says that 90% of his sales
are to Canon owners, 9% to Nikon, and the rest to other brands.
Bertha will soon be fully accessorized. Next year I'll ask Santa for the
Sherpa. And more time for photography.
Joe
