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| Equipment Review |
| Jobu Design Black Widow Gimbal Head |
Photographing birds in flight and other moving wildlife with a ball head quickly proves to be an exercise in frustration. Tracking and maintaining a level setup is difficult and you constantly have to lock/unlock the head in between the action. Being tired of the hassles, a gimbal head was in order. Willing and eager to try new products, the newly developed Black Widow gimbal head (BWG) from Jobu Design looked promising. The Black Widow is a side mounting gimbal head similar to the Kirk Photo King Cobra. Weighing less than 3 pounds, it's lighter than the Kirk, Wimberley, or Sidekick with Arca Swiss B1 or Kirk BH-1. I was initially impressed with the Black Widow upon opening the box. It's a rather solid piece of equipment that looks and feels like it can take quite a beating. Installation is simple and requires you to only screw the gimbal head on your tripod and tighten the set-screw which helps keep the head from coming loose. The contoured, thermoplastic knobs are easy to grip and lock down even while wearing gloves. As little as 1/8 turn is all that is needed to lock or release the head. The newly designed quick release clamp is CNC-machined and is self-opening after turning the knob. After being bounced around in a truck for days, it didn't vibrate loose once. Also incorporated in the new design is a spring loaded lockout knob that keeps the tilt from moving while carrying your rig in the field. In practice, I found the lockout knob wasn't needed, as the clamps were strong enough to keep things from shifting while hauling in the field. It's a nice added touch that will provide extra security and peace of mind for some. The maintenance free design should provide many years of use. 
I had no problems mounting a 500mm lens and balancing the rig. My 500mm lens aligns perfectly centered over the top of the tripod, so there is no risk in toppling over when the tripod legs aren't extended. Slight adjustments when adding a converter, flash, or extension tube are easily performed by loosening the quick-release clamp and nudging the lens forward or backward with your thumb and fore fingers. After the first few times, I was comfortable enough with the strength of the BWG. I didn't worry about the clamp coming loose and the lens crashing down. There is enough friction in the tilt of the head that I didn't have to worry about the head flopping down rapidly after adding smaller accessories such as an extension tube or a 1.4X converter. Even though the side-mounting heads are most commonly designed for 500mm and smaller lenses, I would feel confident enough with using a 600mm f/4 on the BWG. Jobu Design also manufacturers a horizontal bracket to allow the larger lenses to be mounted from the bottom instead of the often perceived, weaker side mount. An L-bracket also provides a way to use non-collared wide-angle lenses without having to worry about carrying an extra tripod or ball head with you. 
During field use it is smooth and reliable. Tracking moving subjects was never a problem, and I experienced no sticking or roughness in the movements. The panning is smoother than a ball head or the King Cobra too. When the action stopped, there was no need to lock the assembly down for fear of movement. During four days in FL, I only tightened the clamps when adding/removing gear and during transportation. Support and correspondence with the company has been an absolute pleasure. Responses have been received the same day and in detail. All repairs as well as any custom modifications required are provided cost free. Overall, I'm very pleased with the Black Widow. Simple, strong and smooth operation make it a joy to use. If I needed to, I wouldn't hesitate in acquiring another one.
For more information or to order, visit Jobu Design at http://www.jobu-design.com or email sales@jobu-design.com. |
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Editor's Comment:Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. |
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