Mongoose M-3.6 Questions

Right now I have the Wimberley Head (WH-101...the older version). The weight is 4.15 pounds.

I'm thinking about a new head to save some weight.

If I switch to the version II of the Wimberley, that would shave off a pound.

But, looking at the Mongoose M-3.6, that only weighs 1 pound and 8 oz.

The specs on the Mongoose says it can handle the 600 and 800. But on Artie's Blog,
he writes that this head is best for lens under 9 pounds.

Any thoughts on this?

It's hard to tell by the picture, but can this Mongoose handle birds in flight as easy
as the Wimberley?

Thanks
Doug

Doug- I had a Mongoose M-3.6 and it held my old 500 very well- absolutely no issues. I am sure it could handle the old 600 and the current 800. With the new 500 and 600 being so much lighter than the original versions, of course the Mongoose will be fine with them. The only think I didn't like about my Mongoose was the side mount. Up very early and tired, I was out shooting shorebirds and inadvertently flipped the clamp lever up and the 500+camera rig came loose. Luckily I was holding the lens at the time (not sure why!). Anyway I consulted with my friend and superb photographer Chris Dodds and he put me onto the Jobu Jr 3 which he uses for his 500, 600 and 800 mm lenses. I got one and am very happy. It's lighter than the Mongoose and has the arm coming down under the lens like the Wimberley so even if you loosen the clamp screw, the rig won't fall.

Thanks John. I think 4th Generation makes some type of an adapter now that allows for mounting in
the more traditional way. Of course, that'll add weight and more to the price.

I'll check out the Jobu also.

Decisions...decisions.

Doug

I have both the Jobu Jr. and the Mongoose with the arm so you can mount like a Wimberly. When I shoot around here or weight is not an issue, I bring the Wimberly. When I travel I bring one of the other two. I have mounted up to a 500 on each. I like the Jobu for its stiffness and weight. I like the Mongoose for the fact it has little pins you push in that locks it in both directions. Not possible to have it come loose when carrying over the shoulder.
Mike

I have a Wimberley II. I also have a RRS BH-55 Full size ballhead with the Wimberley Side Kick.
I'm about to sell the ball head with the side kick.
I was wondering to replace it with a Mongoose gimbal head, to have a light option.(Only 1.5 lb and 1.8 lb with the arm.
My wife has a Jobu JR and a Jobu Black Widow. The Jobu Jr cannot even carry the 300 f2.8 L IS, never mind the 500 that I have.
The Black Widow (2.5 Lb) carries both 300 and 500 very well. But it is only 0.6 lb lighter than the Wimberley II.
The Mongoose side mount would weigh only 1.5 lb but I'm not sure how stiff it is and how safe its clamp is given the fact that it has a lever action lock.
Any suggestion regarding the safety of the Mongoose?
Thanks.
Karl.

I had the Mongoose for several years and switched over to the Jobu which I love and is probably as light as the Mongoose. While I did like the Mongoose, I feel the Jobu is a bit sturdier.

Replying to Karl's post above. I brought the Jobu Jr. to the Falklands last winter and hiked all over with a 1dx and 500 on it with no problems.
I also agree with Marina that the Jobu is a bit "stiffer"
mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mikeojohnson

Replying to Karl's post above. I brought the Jobu Jr. to the Falklands last winter and hiked all over with a 1dx and 500 on it with no problems.
I also agree with Marina that the Jobu is a bit "stiffer"
mike

---

Thanks Mike.
Here is the one which is an excellent head, carries the 500 no problem and you can move the clamp up and down so as to balance the lens/camera.
Jobu Design BWG-HD3 Heavy-Duty MK III Black Widow Gimbal Head
Here is the Jobu Jr. that has fix arm, you cannot move the clamp up and down and it is suggested to be used up to 10lb load.
Jobu Design BWG-J3K Jobu Jr.3 Gimbal Kit with Swing-Arm HM-J2
We have them both.
She, due to my talk her into, uses the Jobu Black Widow, which is 2.6 lb and is very sturdy.
Which one is yours?

Here is what I own: http://www.jobu-design.com/Jobu-Jr-3...-Kit_p_16.html

Here is the blurb from their site: "

The Jr.3 Deluxe kit weighs in at 1.5 lbs, 680grams. This is the lightest, best functioning gimbal head on the market, capable of supporting and balancing a 500F4 and Pro body comfortably. Yes, we still recommend a bigger HD3 or Pro2 gimbal for daily use, but if weight is your primary concern and you are travelling by air extensively, then lighten your load: Get a Jr.3 Deluxe, your back will thank you."

Here is a link to me in the Falkalnds:

http://www.mojphoto.com/p458652610/h50c27bc0#h50c27bc0

While rated for less weight, it worked fine for me over two weeks in on four different islands.

Going back to the OP's question, I was responding to that.

Mike

I've used and loved my Mongoose M3.6 (and previous iterations) for close to ten years now. I used it with the 800 for years and now with the 600 II. My advise is that it is fine for heavier lenses for folks who can support their big lens with their left hand comfortably for 10-15 seconds while mounting it. For those who cannot, their is the Integrated Low Mount option. As for the stiffness/sturdiness issues, I have made sharp images with the 800 at shutter speeds as low as 1/6 sec and have zero problems making consistently sharp images down to 1/30 sec. with all of my big lenses. Every head, even a locked down Wimberley, has play in it. Making sharp images is much more about your sharpness techniques than the head that you are using.

As for the Jobu heads, every one that I have seen in the field features a tiny locking knob on the clamp, far too small for me. And I saw the Nikon 500 along with some pro body simply fall out of the Jobu clamp and hit the ground. Whose lens? The biggest supporter of the Jobu line.... Funny that he never mentions that event.

ps to Karl: in almost a decade, I have never had a Mongoose clamp fail.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arthur Morris

ps to Karl: in almost a decade, I have never had a Mongoose clamp fail.

---

Thanks Artie. I will continue to use the Wimberley Ii on a daily basis.
However, when I travel a lighter and smaller gimbal head such as a Mongoose M3.6 will be appreciated.

I guess that's my second question...would you consider the Mongoose more of a secondary type of head when
weight might be an issue, or is it sturdy enough to be a replacement of the Wimberley for every day use?

Doug

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doug West

I guess that's my second question...would you consider the Mongoose more of a secondary type of head when
weight might be an issue, or is it sturdy enough to be a replacement of the Wimberley for every day use?

Doug

---

I checked out some older threads and relatively new ones on the Internet regarding the heads; Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley II.
If I want summarize the findings it looks like this:
-Wimberley II head is rock solid but heavy.
-Mongoose M3.6 is not as solid but with the right shooting technics (see Arthur Morris) your keeping rate is just as good.
-With todays high ISO cameras and much more effective IS you don't need the rock solid platform as you used to in the past.
-Some people are not comfortable with the side mount.
Based on these points and some other considerations you might be able to come to a conclusion, Doug.

Karl, What am I, chopped liver? I wrote above about my experiences with a Mongoose in Pane #10. I have used the M3.6 everyday for probably 10 years. If anyone out there thinks that I would be using something inferior to promote sales they are way off base :).

Doug. I did not say that the Mongoose is not as solid as anything. I said that all heads have play in them and that no matter the head you are using good sharpness techniques are what helps you to create consistently sharp images.

Artie...I know they're both solid. Just trying to decide if I should sell my Wimberley I and go with the Mongoose (with the low mount) only.
I wouldn't even be thinking about this if I didn't see it in action with Denise at Nickerson :)

To bad I can't rent a mongoose like a lens. Unfortunately lensrentals only carries the Wimberley.

Doug

Next IPT I can loan you a Mongoose :). Though I used Wimberley heads for more than a decade and sell them I cannot fathom why anyone would use one these days....

I think that's what tough on making a decision. I use something for so long (have had my same Wimberley and Gitzo 1327 since
2006), buying something new scares me :)

Doug

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arthur Morris

Karl, What am I, chopped liver? I wrote above about my experiences with a Mongoose in Pane #10. I have used the M3.6 everyday for probably 10 years. If anyone out there thinks that I would be using something inferior to promote sales they are way off base :).

Doug. I did not say that the Mongoose is not as solid as anything. I said that all heads have play in them and that no matter the head you are using good sharpness techniques are what helps you to create consistently sharp images.

---

Hi Artie,

I don't see any offensive in any of my statements. I don't know the meaning of "chopped liver" when it comes to a person.
You tend to be harsh on me many the times for a reason I don't know.
I don't know you as a person but respect you for your knowledge and what you represent in the Avian Photographer's community.
I try to be polite with not only you but with everybody.
You have to understand: I was forty years old when I escaped from a communist country and settled in an English speaking country with no English knowledge at all.
I went to school to study English and worked at night to make ends meet.
My English will never be as sophisticated a yours per se and won't hear or recognize fine nuances that you people take for granted.
I try to be polite with you and with everybody, at least this is my intention. If I make mistakes or I don't understand certain expressions please forgive me.
However, If you think I'm rude or impolite or disrespectful even after reading this write up, please kick me out and put an end to it.

Best Regards,
Karl Egressy

PS: Please read # 14 again and try to explain to me what did you find offensive and why.
It would be a teachable lesson to me for sure and might be for others.
Please keep in mind that my English is not as good as yours or any native English speaker's in this regard, so please don't use expressions that I might not understand.
(chopped liver)

Karl, I was just asking if I was chopped liver. Here is where I was/am coming from. I state clearly that I have been using the M3.6 for nearly a decade every day that I go out. Then you ask Doug, "would you consider the Mongoose more of a secondary type of head when weight might be an issue, or is it sturdy enough to be a replacement of the Wimberley for every day use?

It seems clear to -and perhaps I am wrong--that either you do not believe what I said or were disregarding my opinion completely. Thus I asked, What am I, chopped liver? In other words, am I nothing, a person whose opinion does not count? I did not find anything offensive, I was just curious as to why you disregarded my opinion.

Just for the record books, when I see the name Karl Egressy, I have positive thoughts. That means that I have always thought that you were a nice guy and an asset to BPN. So I am sort of confused by your comments as to my being harsh to you :) I had no knowledge of your background and find your command of English is quite excellent. Perhaps you have taken my being more honest than most as my being harsh. No hard feelings at all on my end. Just curious as noted above.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arthur Morris

Karl, I was just asking if I was chopped liver. Here is where I was/am coming from. I state clearly that I have been using the M3.6 for nearly a decade every day that I go out. Then you ask Doug, "would you consider the Mongoose more of a secondary type of head when weight might be an issue, or is it sturdy enough to be a replacement of the Wimberley for every day use?

It seems clear to -and perhaps I am wrong--that either you do not believe what I said or were disregarding my opinion completely. Thus I asked, What am I, chopped liver? In other words, am I nothing, a person whose opinion does not count? I did not find anything offensive, I was just curious as to why you disregarded my opinion.

Just for the record books, when I see the name Karl Egressy, I have positive thoughts. That means that I have always thought that you were a nice guy and an asset to BPN. So I am sort of confused by your comments as to my being harsh to you :) I had no knowledge of your background and find your command of English is quite excellent. Perhaps you have taken my being more honest than most as my being harsh. No hard feelings at all on my end. Just curious as noted above.

---

Thanks for the explanation as to what you meant by the expression you used.
I'm happy that you have no hard feeling towards me.
I think I might be more sensitive than others as I was made fun of so many times because of my English.
I hope you are having a great time on your trip and looking forward to seeing your great images.

Karl.

I forgot to say, that I'm sorry and I was not trying to imply that you were wrong on any way.
I'm afraid to say anything more as I might inadvertently say something wrong again.
Case should be closed or I hope you will acccept my apology.

Karl.