NEEWER GM39 Gimbal Tripod Head

By all accounts, the Neewer GM39 Ball Head is a beautifully machined and detailed tripod accessory. From the black anodized aluminum of its main body, to the intricate knurling of the matt silver adjustment knobs, it feels like a small jewel of functionality in the hand. In addition, no detail is left unconsidered.And functional it is. Each of its three adjustment knobs, one for the azimuth, another for the tension of the Arca type QR clamp, and the largest knob for releasing and locking the infinitely positional ball, rotate as smooth as if they were gliding on ice. The dampened ball knob provides especially tactile control when positioning a camera or when attached directly to the tripod mount of a longer lens.The large knob provides some fine control for the dampening of the heads ball, however it’s not the smoothest transitioning ball head I’ve used in that respect; it starts to get a little “stutter” to its movement in that very fine sweet spot between locked unlocked. That tendency, all though still there, is less evident with weight attached to the head. Rotation of the azimuth is dampened and silky smooth. All three knobs lock their respective movements solidly and definitively and do so without applying undue force.Both the Arca QR clamp and the azimuth mounting plate provide calibrated reference scales. The QR plate is rubber padded on the top both to protect the surface of whatever’s attached and to provide a non-slip grip. It also includes safety pins at each end to prevent it from sliding out of the clamp; backing off the clamp an eight of a turn from locked allows the plate to be shifted, with the pins on either end preventing it from being inadvertently shifted out of the clamp. The only minor inconvenience is that an accessory allen key is needed to firmly attach the 1/4" threaded screw of the plate. Neewer includes the appropriate allen key, but it’ll need to be kept handy to the Ball Head; it’s an essential item that is easy to forget and easy to lose. I did try replacing the provided screw with one that has a D-ring, but unfortunately, it’s blocked from threading into the channel by the scalloped edge needed for installing the safety pin. This would seem like an easy fix; just make the channel slightly shorter in length, then provide a D-ring that also has a slot for a screw driver or allen key in the center, should the extra firmness be desired when attaching. Or offset the threading enough to allow for a D-ringed screw.The base of the GM39 Ball Head itself includes Arca rails that allow the entire assembly to be held in any standard Arco clamp, a thoughtful feature and one that allows for that much more versatility. The Balls clamp includes a channel to allow for tilts, along with a quick and accurate switch from horizontal to vertical.Although Neewer is marketing this as a head for a monopod, likely due to its extra-long QR plate and low profile, there’s no reason it wouldn’t make an excellent head on any tripod whether it be full length or tabletop; it’s light-weight, compact, with conveniently accessible controls. It mounts to the users preferred support via 3/8” threads located on its base.Notwithstanding the minor inconvenience of the need to carry an allen key around with it, I’m rating the head 5-stars for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it’s a superbly fabricated and detailed piece of equipment, and second, because I know from experience that Neewer will stand behind it, as they do all of their products.