When I bought my Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 prime lens, I realized that I would probably need a gimbal tripod head to use instead of the ball head style I’ve been using for the past few years.

And, after hefting my Nikon D300 DSLR and lens combo around for a bit (8+ lbs), I knew for sure I’d need a gimbal head, which works well for large lenses because of the way it balances the weight of the equipment.

With a gimbal mount, the entire weight of your gear hangs rather than sitting atop a ball head; therefore, it remains stable during operation. You can pan and tilt a 10-15lb camera/lens combination with a single finger. And, because the horizontal and vertical axis are separate, they can be locked independently. This gives a gimbal head a huge advantage when it comes to safety. The lens is not going to tip over the tripod even if you take your hands away without having tightened down the head to secure your gear.

So my research began. As many would, I looked first at the heads made by the popular tripod maker, Manfrotto. Then I researched the acknowledged leader in the field, Wimberley, and the relatively new Canadian-made Black Widow by Jobu Design. And to make sure I’d covered the bases, I looked at Kirk Enterprises and Ries Industries, makers of the King Cobra Action Head and the DPNP Action Head 2000 respectively.

I also took a quick look at a new gimbal head being developed by Chicago-based photographer, Darek Katana.

By all indications, any of these products would have done the trick. However, my objections to most of them were the high prices, and in some cases, a design that lacked a horizontal arm and required the lens to be side mounted. A horizontal arm allows you to top-mount the camera/lens combo making installation easier—one hand remains free to balance the lens, while the other tightens the clamp.

Eventually, I chose the Jobu Design Black Widow Heavy Duty Mark 2 that is pictured above. This is a beautiful piece of gear. It allows smooth, near effortless operation at almost any angle. Set atop a sturdy tripod, it provide the perfect combination of price and performance for photographers using lenses that are 300mm f/2.8 or heavier.

I’ll have more to say after I have had some time in the field with the Black Widow.