Mary and I have been using the Wimberley Action Head for
at least five years. I must confess that before I got our first
one, I really didn't think that the head was that big a deal,
that it was worth the cost. I probably had some questions about
that head even after the first few times I used it -- I liked
it, but I wasn't completely convinced that it was a 'must-have.'
Nonetheless, I made it a practice to always use the Action Head
when I was using a large telephoto and, over time, the Head simply
became a part of my shooting.
Reading this, one might think that I'm lukewarm about the old head, and perhaps the new one as well. I prefaced this review in this way to illustrate that I can be pretty dumb at times, a bit slow to pick up a new trend or a great new tool. And the old Wimberley Action Head was exactly that, an absolutely terrific tool, as I proved to myself so often over the years when, for one reason or another, I was required to use my traditional Ballheads when working with my telephoto lenses. I can't tell you how often a loose locking knob of a traditional ballhead resulted in my big, heavy telephoto lens suddenly shifting off-balance and mouse-trapping my finger or the web of my palm, cutting skin and causing pain. Despite this discomfort I often felt that I got off lucky, for I'm fairly certain that my heavy 600mm F4 telephoto's weight is sufficient to remove a fingertip if my Ballhead locking mount slipped and the rig slammed down upon the digit. Over time, and many mistakes, I really, really grew to love my Wimberley Action Head, but that wasn't simply because it kept me from serious pain.
I had no problem with the old head but I must confess that the new Action Head is even better. It's a bit smaller and about a pound lighter, with some of that weight reduced by the better designed camera platform and the integrated dove-tail style clamp that's built in to the unit. My old version had a separate locking clamp that was an add-on. Another noteable feature is that both panning and tilting controls are located in the same side of the unit -- the tilt is the upper knob and the pan is a lower. I normally shoot with the locking knobs accessible to my right hand, which allows me to steady the lens with my left should I wish or to tweak focus. My right hand normally is on the camera -- working my CF 4-1 button for focus or firing the shutter button, and I only lock a knob if my subject is static.
The beauty of the Wimberley system truly is the speed, ease, and flexibility by which one can shift positions or pan with a subject without fear that a loose knob will flip your gear any old way, including onto or through your finger. With the gimbal-style head it's very easy to slide a lens mount back and forth until a center of gravity is achieved whereupon, thereafter, a lens stays level and balanced until it is purposefully moved. Recently, on our hummingbird shoots, we used our Wimberley heads for virtually all of our shooting. With a balanced telephoto and the locking knob just loose enough that a gentle movement shifted the lens up or down or left or right, it was extremely easy to fine-tune a hummingbird composition. Again, with a ballhead, one always risks that the loose locking knob will result in uncontrollable lens movement, especially with a big, heavy lens. That's just not the case with the Wimberley.
Because of the lighter weight Mary used the new version most of the time, which proved a great test because she's even more reluctant to change than am I, and she loved the unit from her first exposure. Whenever I could, I borrowed her tripod system and played with the new head and I, too, found it a nice improvement to a very wonderful system. So, is the new Wimberley Action Head worth the upgrade. You bet it is! The size, weight, and one-sided controls are all great features worth the trade-in, and I'm ordering one for me tomorrow! No kidding.
For more information, call Wimberley at 540-665-2744 or visit their website at www.tripodhead.com.
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