SIRUI PH-Series Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head (PH-20)

Great Value – I recommend the PH-20 over the PH-10
Bottom line, I recommend the PH-20 over the PH-10. Here is quick comparison between the PH-10 and PH-20. It’s worth the read.I have tried both in the last month (Dec 2024) with a Nikon D780 and AF-S 200-500 f/5.6.Both the PH-10 and PH-20 are well made, sturdy, and with excellent fit and finish.For quick review, to balance a gimbal head, you want to start with your lens/camera bottomed-out (0cm position) on the gimbal arm with the gimbal rotational axis equal to or preferably above the lens center line. Find your initial longitudinal center of gravity (CG), and then move your rig up in adjustment to find and fine-tune the HORZ/VERT positions that allow for balance at any given tilt angle.On the PH-10, I could achieve horizontal balance. However, I could not balance the PH-10 throughout the full tilt range of the gimbal because the length of the PH-10 gimbal arm is not long enough, at least for my setup.On the PH-10, there are only 5cm of movement below the horizontal axis (the scale reads 0-5cm). Because my lens/camera combo is fairly high due to the 200-500 lens foot design, I could not lower the setup enough to create the moment arm needed to take full mechanical advantage of the gimbal design physics. I needed more than 5cm of vertical adjustment.However, the PH-20 works flawlessly. Because there is 8cm of gimbal arm length, I had no problem getting perfect balance throughout the full range of tilt travel. The PH-20 comes with a 120mm Arca mounting plate which allows for plenty of room to find the fore-aft CG.NOTE: I think the Amazon picture shows an older PH-20 design with only 6cm of gimbal arm adjustment. The one I received, as well as what is shown on the Sirui site, has 8cm (0-8cm scale) of adjustment. It is better to have a bit too much than not enough room for adjustment. My setup balances at about 6cm below the pivot point (2cm on the scale) on the PH-20. This is why I was unsuccessful with the PH-10. That said, you may very well have success with the PH-10 and your setup.Another general consideration for gimbal heads: With zoom vs. prime lenses, as the focal length changes, so does the CG. I simply noted where to line up the Arca plate on the mounting base depending on a couple focal distances. I find I don’t need to change the height on gimbal arm. You can also just pick a happy medium if you don’t want to adjust the plate whenever you change focal length. It will still work fine but with a bit lesser balance precision.As stated, the quality and value are there with both units. My only knock on the PH-20 is the tooth locking mechanism for panning. On the PH-20, I can’t perceive much panning friction – it’s essentially locked or unlocked. However, it pans very smoothly without being too loose/tight (for me) and doesn’t hamper my tracking ability at all. I read about this design on other reviews and feel it’s not a showstopper, especially for wildlife tracking. The PH-10 panning and tilt knobs both allow for friction adjustment while still providing plenty of tightness. I appreciate the safer PH-20 design but wish there was an option to adjust friction.If you are new to gimbal heads, search for “How to Balance a Gimbal Head” by Steve Perry or many other excellent tutorials. Once you get a gimbal head dialed in, you will really love it for certain types of photography.I hope this helps.

Very smooth…
…in its operation. Takes less than a 1/4turn to tighten it into position. The carbon fiber is very well done and looks great. The cradle clamp and plate are large and make a solid connection leaving you confident that it will stay where you put it. The more I use this the better I feel about my purchase. The one minor ding is the cradle arm alignment zero-position mark, it is off by 1mm when it is true vertical. Still, all and all, a good purchase.

Fabulous device!
What a fabulous device! Perched atop my new Indura AT-413 tripod, I am able to set up the rig with my camera in the yoke and smoothly follow the flight of the eagles, pelicans, and dozens of other birds on my birding trips. The whole thing is so very light, making transporting it a cinch. Attaching the camera (lens, actually) to the Gimbal Head is a simple tuck-in and tighten maneuver, making the switching of lenses fast and easy. I would recommend having a separate attachment device that clamps onto the head so you don’t have to remove it and change it for each time you change lenses.

This is a great product, easy to install on tripod, build quality top notch, carry pouch, tools, precise, and rugged. Look it up on You Tube to get conviced. Used with a Nikon DSLR with a 150-600mm lens/ Excellent produit, facile à installer sur trépied, qualité hors pair, sac de transport, utilisation précise, fabrication robuste. Voir You Tube pour vous convaincre. Utilisé avec un Nikon réflexe et lentille 150-600mm.

This gimbal comes in a set with useful accessories enlarging the possibilities of use. This is already the second copy of it after the first one got stolen.

ergänzt das Stativ, bei Tierfotografie sehr hilfreich, bei Detailentstellung sehr wertvoll, leider sehr teuer!