BWG-HD2 Reviews

My finding/opinion on the Jobu BWG-HD2

As with my review of the Jobu Design BWG-Pro above you will see that I currently use the Wimberly WH200 version II and in my opinion the gimbal type heads are second to none for use with large telephoto lenses (300mm f2.8 and above).

In appearance and general design the Jobu Design BWG-HD2 is similar to the Wimberley but the two main differences are that the pan & tilt control knobs are on different sides of the head, on the BWG-HD2 this means that during operation you have to take your hand off of your camera to adjust the pan control.  For me this is not a problem as once I have preset the tension on this control I rarely use it!  The other difference is that the tilt control knob is vertically mounted whereas on my Wimberly it is horizontal.  I prefer the horizontally mounted contol of my Wimberly but I suspect my preference is due in part to what I have become used to!

The only other small difference I have noticed is that setting the balance on the BWG-HD2 needs a little more fine tuning (I used a 300mm f2.8 & a 500mm f4) but not a problem as this is a one off setting.  Once in position the BWG-HD2 operates smoothly and effortlessly and is a joy to use - especially for birds in flight!  I mounted my Jobu BWG-HD2 on a 3 series (G1325) Gitzo carbon fibre tripod which I felt was the perfect partner for lenses up to the 500mm f4!

The BWG-HD2 appears solid and very well engineered, is 7 ounces lighter than the Wimberley and at £354.99 compared to the £499 you will pay for the Wimberley is exceptionally good value.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Jobu BWG-HD2 to users of large telephoto lenses - I was sufficiently impressed that I purchased one!

David

www.davidkjaer.com