The Wimberley Sidekick

Text and Photos Copyright Matthew K. Whitley

Super-telephotos such as the popular 500/4 and 600/4 lenses put very specific demands on a photographer, not the least of which is a solid support system. The large tripods, ballheads, and other accessories these beasts require can sometimes make the experience of using them frustrating. Shooting at long focal lengths requires that great attention be paid to minimizing lens shake, which can ruin otherwise spectacular photographs. The traditional support system consisted of a large, sturdy tripod such as the Gitzo 410 or 1548 and a large ballhead like the Arca Swiss B-1. When used properly, these systems are rock solid and can effectively reduce or even eliminate lens shake. The problem is that most natural history subjects, such as birds and mammals, are constantly on the move, making locking the ballhead for maximal stability not feasible in most cases. The semi-loose ballhead can be dangerous to both photographer and equipment. Supporting a long lens on a loose ballhad for extended periods of time can put strain on the shoulders and arms. The major problem with a loose ballhead, however, is the potential for the lens to "flop" over when not locked down, potentially squashing fingers or damaging expensive equipment. To solve these problems, many long telephoto users are turning to gimbal type heads such as the Wimberley head and the Kirk King Cobra. In this vein, Wimberley has designed an innovative and extremely useful device known as the Sidekick. The device, which converts a ballhead into a gimbal style head, is ideal for users of long telephotos that want the convenience and usability of a gimbal head while retaining the full use of their ballheads.

HOW IT WORKS The Wimberley sidekick is a novel device that functions to convert a ballhead, such as the Arca Swiss B1, into a gimbal type support system. In order to use it, a few things are required. First, you must have a ballhead that features both a panning base and an Arca Swiss quick release mechanism. In addition, a lens with a rotating tripod collar is necessary. The lens should obviously have an Arca Swiss style plate attached… any Kirk, Really Right Stuff, or Wimberley plate should work as long as it is long enough to "balance" the whole rig… more on that later. I use the Sidekick with a Kirk BH-1 Ballhead, a Gitzo 1325 CF tripod, and a Canon 500mm F4 IS with a Wimberley P-40 plate. Wimberley recommends the larger full Wimberley head for the 600/4 and 400/2.8 but I know of several prominent nature photographers that use the sidekick with these lenses. The device consists of a metal arm with an arca swiss clamp on a swivel at one end where the lens mounts and an arca swiss "lens-plate like part" on the other end which slides into the clamp on the ballhead. In order for the Sidekick to be inserted, the ballhead must be oriented in the vertical position with the main ball knob locked very tightly. The lens plate itself then slides into the arca swiss mount on the Sidekick. At this point it is absolutely critical to balance the lens in the mount. To do this, loosen the clamp tension knob on the Sidekick's clamp slightly allowing the lens plate to slide forward and backward. With the lens supported in your hands, slightly loosen the large knob that controls the up/down movement of the lens and slide the lens forward or backward until it will stay level with the large knob loose. When the lens is balanced, lock down the clamp tightly. This procedure must be repeated every time a new item is removed from the rig (e.g. extension tubes, teleconverters, etc.). The whole procedure becomes second nature after a short while, but it is very important to support the lens with your hands while getting used to doing this, or you may end up dropping it out of the clamp! Once the lens is balanced in this manner it almost floats, even with the large knob and the panning base loosened (assuming the tripod is level). When using the Sidekick, the main knob and tension knob on the ballhead are no longer used and should be locked tightly. The knob controlling the panning action on the ballhead now controls panning of the lens, and the large knob on the sidekick controls the up/down motions. The rotation of the lens in the tripod collar allows the photographer to level the camera to the world. Some people (myself included) shoot with the tripod collar fairly loosened while using the Sidekick, while others take the time to level the tripod and lock the tripod collar. I have thought of investing in a Gitzo levelling base to avoid this problem. Wimberley also offers a fantastic flash bracket for use with the Sidekick and Canon's off camera hot shoe cord. This allows the flash to be positioned above the lens regardless of the vertical/horizontal orientation of the camera and also moves the flash a bit higher to decrease the chances of encountering red eye (or silver eye in many birds). Even with the flash bracket, I have had a few cases of silver eye shooting small songbirds in shade. I plan to get an extension arm to move the flash even higher. IN THE FIELD The Sidekick makes using a long lens much easier! When properly balanced, the lens almost floats, allowing the photographer to even remove the hands from the rig without it flopping over. I find that this is very helpful in avoiding the tunnel vision that can result from staring throught the viewfinder for an extended period of time. Tracking moving subjects is a breeze with the sidekick (much like the machine-gunner tracking a target). Flight shots of birds with a ballhead are very difficult and can be straining on the hands and shoulders. With the Sidekick, it is soooo easy to track birds I almost feel guilty. Assuming the rig is balanced, lens flop is a thing of the past. The ballhead/sidekick is also fantastic on a groundpod. This past summer, I used this combo very frequently to track small shorebirds as they foraged for food in the surf. When on a groundpod, lens flop can mean your multiple thousand dollar lens or camera ends up in mud or water. The Sidekick makes this much less likely and makes tracking small shorebirds, which move incredibly fast, much easier. Crawling on my belly with a camera is stressful enough on my back and shoulders so not having to support a long lens is also a major benefit. As great as it is, the Sidekick does have a few drawbacks. The first is that locking the lens down requires tightening two knobs whereas a ballhead only requires one. This is an inconvenience, but to be honest I rarely lock the knobs in the field and when I do, time is not that big of an issue (otherwise I wouldn't be locking it). Another potential problem is that because the lens becomes so weightless and easy to use, there is (at least in my case) somewhat of a tendency to get lazy with proper long lens technique and locking the lens down. I try to make a conscious effort to practice long lens technique even when the head is not fully locked (and you should too). Lastly, because the lens plate mounts into the sidekick perpendicular to way it would in a normal ballhead, there is a very real risk of the entire thing falling if the lens is not supported and the clamp is loosened too much. This is why it is critical for you to support the lens when balancing the rig, at least until you get very familiar with the procedure.

THE FINAL WORD Well, is it worth the extra weight and cost? In my opinion the answer to this question is a resounding "yes". After using the Sidekick for two months, I now couldn't imagine using a large telephoto lens without it. If you are using a 500/4 or 500/4.5, you really should give it a try. If I was using a 600/4 or 400/2.8, I would be using the full Wimberley for the extra support. The main advantages of the Sidekick over the full head are that 1) it weighs less 2) it still allows the ballhead to be used normally if removed 3) it packs down small for packing and travel. All said, the Sidekick is a fantastic tool for those using long lenses. It makes flight shooting a breeze, takes some of the strain out shooting, and effectively eliminates lens flop if used properly. With Wimberley's 2 month trial program you have nothing to lose by trying one out. Give Clay or Travis at Wimberley a call and tell them I sent you (I have no affiliation with the company). You can find them at http://www.tripodhead.com. In addition, my good friends over at http://www.naturescapes.net also sell the full Wimberley line. Every dollar spent there goes to maintaining THE best site for nature photographers on the net.

NOTE - UPDATE 2/12/03 While I stand by my comments above regarding the use of the Sidekick, I think I should note that I have recently sold mine in favor of the full Wimberley head. Why, you ask? Well the first is that I just couldn't get used to locking the Sidekick/Ballhead down with the little panning knob on the Kirk BH-1. Now that it is winter and I find myself shooting with gloves on, locking this knob down became a serious pain in the you know what. In addition, I never really could get the thing to lock solidly and this I was always wary of it coming loose while I had it slung over my shoulder. I was having other problems as well, all of which were related to the ballhead, and not the design of the Sidekick itself. I decided that I wanted the piece of mind and ease of use that the full head provides, so I made the move. Thus far, I am very happy with the full head. Lastly, I am most likely about to make the move from the Canon 500mm F4 IS to the Canon 600mm F4 IS so the full wimberley would be more appropriate for me anyway.