This test compares the performance of a D200 + 300 F/2.8 AFSII + TC17 with Wimberly P30 plate (working at 500mm F/4.8) on a Gitzo G1410 aluminum 4 series tripod in three configurations:

1) On a Markins M20 ballhead (No gimbal)
2) On a Wimberly Sidekick
3) On a Wimberly WH-200 (full Wimberly head Version II)

The M20 was shot with the pan base loose because I am convinced that my Markins heads perform as well or better with the pan base loose. My M10 responds better to a loose pan base on my smaller G1228 tripod. I've seen little difference with the M20 and/or the G1410 but I always shoot it loose anyway.

I shot the Sidekick with the M20 pan base loose, as always, and with the Sidekick gimbal loose and locked to compare performance. It is important to know how your gimbal mount performs loose and locked, for obvious reasons.

I shot the full Wimberly head in three different configurations:

1) With its built in pan base loose and the gimbal loose, typical in "high speed pan mode"
2) With its pan base locked and the gimbal loose
3) With its pan base and gimbal both locked, as might be done for such a slow shutter speed


Exposure was 1/10s F/9. Shot outdoors in the shade on a hot and humid day with just the slightest touch of a breeze. Shooting distance from target to the tripod center stud was approximately 113 inches.

The first column was shot with an MC-20 remote with no mirror delay (S Mode). The 2nd column was shot with the same setup but with the (0.4s) Exposure Delay menu setting turned on. The third column was shot with Mirror Up mode and the MC-20 with a 10s delay between mirror up and shutter fire (Mup).

Conclusions
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Mirror Up Mode: Note the consistency. At this shutter speed and focal length, mirror up is my friend. I use it whenever possible.

Exposure Delay Mode: This worked very well with the M20, which actually surprised me. The G1410 is a good set of legs. Exposure delay also performed very well with the Sidekick, which almost shocked me. With the full Wimberly, exposure delay performance depended on what was locked although in all three tests the image was significantly degraded. It performed best with the head either totally locked or totally loose. I have always maintained that the 0.4s Exposure Delay is insufficient for certain payloads and these images demonstrate that it should be tested carefully in the precise way it will be used before relying on it.

Remote without Delay: Performance was very good with the M20, almost as good as mirror up. Surprised me too. It performed poorly with the Sidekick gimbal loose, but a bit better with the gimbal locked. The full Wimberly performed more poorly than the locked Sidekick in all 3 of its tests, and only slightly better locked down.

In net discussions of the relative merits of the Sidekick vs full Wimberly, I have often seen it said that the full Wimberly is "more stable" than a Sidekick. I don't know where this idea comes from, I assume it is a pre-Galilean act of faith and this line of thinking flies in the face of Wimberly's own opinion, as stated in their web site's FAQ. Or maybe they are talking about its handling. There are many good reasons to use a full Wimberly head, but better stability in terms of vibration is not one of them.

I want to stress here that the full Wimberly head is a very fine and well engineered product. It has an excellent feel to it and is shipped from the factory well tuned with just the right amount of damping to give you a warm and fuzzy feeling while using it. It is a tool designed to help you track moving subjects in a virtually frictionless mode. It is not designed specifically for slow speed work. To put this all in context, I included a real world test shot of a squirrel at 1/25s, using the Sidekick with a Wimberly flash bracket and SB800 attached, extended to a 10" height above the normal hot shoe level. An unwieldy configuration to say the least. Shot using standard long lens technique. That shot was not an aberration; I can do that all day long providing the squirrel cooperates and stays still.

Shooting a long fast lens is not easy. It takes some skill and technique. I'm pleased with the performance of the full Wimberly and I think it will work well for me when I get it out on the road for some more serious shooting.

Edit May 4, 2013: I am including below a direct quote from Wimberly's excellent FAQ comparing the Sidekick vs WH-200. I believe that my test results are in full agreement with their short and sweet summation quoted below. You can find that FAQ here:

http://www.tripodheadinfo.com/sidekick/wimberley-head-vs-the-sidekick/

"There is no loss of stiffness or stability with the Sidekick as compared to the Wimberley Head. The Sidekick coupled with a good ball head is actually stiffer than the Wimberley Head, although this makes no practical difference since both heads are generally much stiffer than the tripods that support them."