A ball head on a monopod puts the pivot point below your camera's center of gravity, making heavy telephoto lenses flop and tiring your wrist. A gimbal places the pivot above, keeping the lens stable and letting you adjust faster. Good gimbals cost under $100.
You want to photograph birds and other wildlife, so you bought a big expensive lens. You took it out into the woods and you found out that it really is heavy and it makes your arms hurt, your mid-back hurt. And so you looked around, you saw other photographers had monopods or tripods, and you thought, that's the ticket, that's exactly what I need. Then you went out and bought one only to find that you We're getting even fewer shots. You're now carrying even more heavy stuff, and you just feel more frustrated. Let's solve that problem. Chances are really high that that frustration comes from the fact that when you bought your tripod or monopod, it came with a ball head. The second you loosen the tension knob on a ball head, Your camera can flop over. You might even drop the entire thing, and boom, thousands of dollars have just hit the forest floor. With a ball head, you're fighting in 3 different directions, and worst of all, the pivot point is underneath of your camera. The truth is, if you're using a monopod, you already can swivel— that is, pan— very easily. Just with the monopod itself. With a ball head, you're fighting 3 directions of movement, and really all you need from the head on your monopod is up and down movement. The second you loosen that tension knob on a ball head, if you've got a big heavy telephoto lens that's on top of it, chaos ensues. That lens can flop around. If you're holding a monopod near the top of it, And it's not weighted very heavy at the bottom, that flop can actually pull and twist the monopod in your hand, allowing you to drop everything, and nobody wants that. Let's talk about the physics of a monopod for a second, because that monopod is already giving you stability. You have 360 degrees of turn that you can do with the monopod, unlike a tripod You can spin that pole around very quickly, very easily. But when you introduce a ball head, you're introducing chaos. And this is why a gimbal is really the way to go. If you're tracking birds that are going from the ground to eye level to 25 feet up in the trees, Then you need some sort of head on your monopod that's going to allow for that movement. That movement is called tilt. Panning is side to side. Tilt is up and down. What you need is tilt, and a ball head does not really give that to you. One of the big reasons that you've probably found using a ball head very frustrating is because of that center of gravity. It's sitting below all the weight of your lens and your camera, just makes it incredibly hard to use, and it puts added pressure on your wrists. And this pressure over time makes it harder and harder to stay out as long as you would like to. If you're photographing birds and other wildlife, then having a gimbal is the way to go instead of using a ball head on top of your monopod. Pay attention to where the pivot is on a gimbal. It's above the camera, which means that that center of gravity is lifted and is more in line with the camera itself. Notice what happens when I let go of the camera here on the gimbal. See how it stays in place, moves just slightly? That's because getting the balance correct on a gimbal when you have a lens that has an external zoom is somewhat a little bit tricky, but even a nearly balanced gimbal is going to be easier on your wrists than a ball head ever will. The big advantage of that swivel when you have a gimbal balanced is that You don't have to lock or unlock the camera constantly. With a ball head, as soon as you unlock that ball, it can flop all around, as we've already talked about. But with a gimbal, when you unlock it, it's just going to go up or down. When you're out there in the field, in the woods, trying to photograph birds or other wildlife, Speed is of the essence. Fumbling around with knobs, dealing with the center of gravity being so far below the weight of your camera, it's, it's taking time that you don't have. If you want sharp photos with less frustration and better control over your lenses, then a gimbal is really the way to go. And look, I get it. The ball head either came with your monopod or it's what you've seen available, so it's what you bought. So why do so many photographers, especially wildlife and bird photographers, still use a ball head? Ball heads are typically much lighter in terms of their weight. That makes them a little easier to haul around for long periods of time. In addition to the added weight from a gimbal, the other consideration is just the size. Fitting it into your bag or your kit, especially if you travel a lot, might be a little difficult. But here's why investing a little bit of money into a gimbal is going to make a huge difference. And when I say a little bit of money, I really mean that because you can get a gimbal for well under $100. that will perform very well and do everything you need to help reduce that frustration. So if you want to shoot fast-moving subjects like birds in flight, then a gimbal is ideal. Just to recap, if you have never tried to use a monopod, or you got one with a ball head and you tossed it in the corner when you got frustrated with how the ball head was behaving, it might be time to reevaluate that and break it out, buy a gimbal, and try again. With a properly balanced gimbal, if you let go of the camera, it stays where you put it. If it's pointing up in the air, if it's pointing down to the ground, it is going to stay put when you let go. Once that gimbal is properly balanced, I promise you that you will have a much less frustrating time, that you'll get better photos of those birds and other wildlife. You'll be able to shoot at lower shutter speeds when they're sitting still, and you won't feel as tired from holding that lens up with your hands, although you will have the added weight of your monopod and that gimbal that you're carrying with you as well. So it can be a bit of a trade-off there. Let me know down in the comments what it is that you're using currently, if you're using anything. I really appreciate you being here and watching this. Again, let me know in the comments if you have any questions. I'd love to help you out. If you have any questions about what monopod to buy, I have this video up here which I think will really help you out in terms of understanding some of the finer points of modern monopods. Thanks again, and I'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
