I researched all of the possible Gimbal mounts before deciding on the Katana Gimbal. I made the Best investment!. It is perfect in every way and smooth as silk. Easy to use, fast and totally versatile whether it is a large telephoto or a smaller lens. The price bothered me initially but I know you get what you pay for! Going to put a $2000 + lens on it...I want it to be very good. The final feature that convinced me is the ability to put a small lens on the Katana and use it in literally any direction short of straight down. Others limit your motion to right or left in one plane, not the Katana. Quality machining that went into making it sure comes thru clearly when you feel it move. The friction locks are great The safety stops are a must, can't imagine not using them. Do I feel bad about the price now, NO WAY ! it is worth every penny. Has a built in level which is a must! Precision for sure! If there is any better one out there I would have to see it.

I've always had problems with large lenses, then I found the Katana. Oh my. CNC 6061 goodness. Built in level. Friction adjustments separate from the locking mechanism. Perfectly aligned rotation axis. Did I mention CNC 6061 goodness? Unbelievable workmanship. So much attention to detail. Everything is smooth and well made. I bought the black version, and it reminds me of something made in the 1940s and equipped on a WWII era bomb sight. It feels like I stole something that the government overpaid for, without them knowing. The pros - •Built like military grade hardware. •Great attention to detail. •Smooth as butter. •Heavy. •Separate locks for the bearings. •Great stainless steel thread on base, with rotatable mounting. •Anodized. •Great customer service. •Made in the U.S.A. •6061 Aluminum and Stainless Steel. The cons - •Heavy. •No instructions of any kind. •Undocumented tapped/threaded holes. •Mine is missing the bubble level.

The Katana 2 is a solid and precision built piece of equipment. The action is smooth and effortless and the build quality of the unit is superb. For just a little more than the run-of-the-mill gimbals that all look the same you can be using the Rolls Royce of gimbals. My heaviest lenses are nowhere near what this gimbal can handle as it seems to have been designed for the heaviest telephotos made. This is truly the last gimbal you will ever need to buy, and the design is out-of-this-world cool. The Katana evokes a long gone time of made-in-the-USA hardware that was built to last. With the Katana 2 you can lock it down and use it as a hammer to finish that decking project, then loosen it up and put your baby's cradle on it and gently rock her to sleep. Oh yeah, it can also be used to smoothly track birds in flight or as a rock solid platform for shooting videos of that grizzly bear and her cubs from a quarter mile away. What are you waiting for?

A number of years back, when my wife and I retired we reactivated our passion for photography; in our case nature photography. Our longest lens at the time was a 400mm f5.6 but it was sharp and we enjoyed the images it produced. We made the mistake of purchasing a low cost gimbal head but were dismayed and frustrated at the poor quality and rough operation. We then purchased a high quality side mount and were pleased with the results and made many great images over the next couple of years. Last year I purchased a 600mm f4 and knew the side mount was not up to the task of holding almost 20 pounds of lens, camera, grip and flash heads. Much research of what was on the market led me to Promediagear.com. After much debate, comparison and reading reviews and specs I settled on the Katana full gimbal. This gimbal reminds me of “Beauty and the Beast”. Beauty because of the awesome workmanship and impeccable finish. It is really a work of art. Four butter smooth bearings handle tilt and pan loads. Large soft knobs lock the gimbal in place or produce just the right amount of drag to steady the lens when shooting moving subjects. The action is amazingly smooth and there is absolutely no play in the bearings at all. Just looking at it reveals a lot of thought went into making this gimbal a good looking piece of equipment. The “Beast” results from the robustly engineered design. This thing looks like it will handle anything you can mount on it with absolute confidence. The Katana is engineered to hold a lot of equipment while at the same time saving weight without compromising its strength. The Katana is not light at five pounds but mounted on a good quality tripod of the correct load rating, there is no more stable and easy to use platform for your largest lens and camera. The Katana is at the high end of the price range but considering it is holding $15,000 in equipment, why would you trust something less? Add to that superb customer support and you have a winner.

The only thing I can say about the Katana Gimbal Head is that it is the best investment i ever made in regards to tripod heads, I think it's the best tripod head ever made, I couldn't believe how easy it moves and the locking mechanisms are really great, once in position you lock it and it will not budge every movement is is really smooth. I put it on a tripod and throw it across my shoulder and sometimes I have the camera attached when it's over my shoulder. I take a lots of pics in Manhattan in the time square area and people ask me all the time where did I get it from I give them the website I've actually taken my camera off and let people attach theirs and they say they like it alot, some people offered to buy it from me, I tell them if they give me what i paid for it then we got a sale(hahaha). The only bad thing is the price, I say you only live once so why not go for it and I'm glad I went for it. If it was stolen or lost I would buy another one.

This is the 2nd thing that I have order from Pro Media Gear. I haven't seen a better head or flash bracket made any place in the world. People see them and ask me all about them. Some people are not even people that take photos. Its just that they are made so well, People don't believe that someone would go through this much work for a camera. Thanks I enjoy having it to work with. My med format camera works well with both too. Bill tranum

Having owned and used this head for the last six months I felt it was now time to provide some feedback. Firstly, the build quality is excellent and dispite six months of rugged use, in everything the Irish winter weather can throw at it, the head shows absolutely no signs of wear. This head is build to last. Operation continues to be silky smooth and pretty much as good as it gets for this type of head. When puchased I also added a clamp to the lens plate to allow the camera to be fitted directly to the head. As well as allowing the use of "normal lens" set ups on the head, this also allows the head to double up as a panorama head for multi row panorama's with precise nodal point positioning. I would recommend everyone to extend their purchase to include a clamp, and possible also an L bracket for the ultimate pano head set up, as well as a superb long lens gimbal.

A friend recommended this gimble head. I tracked one eagle, it and was hooked. I love this head and would purchase it again in a heartbeat. Absolutely wonderful machining, fit and finish. The balance that you can achieve makes a Mk IV with a 500 f4 feels like nothing and panning fast subject is a piece of cake. Amazed at how smooth everything is. You won't go wrong getting the Katana.

Just last weekend (Feb 16) tried out my new Katana 2 gimbal on a wildlife shoot and I am totally impressed. I have several other Pro Media Gear items and the build quality is second to none. I mounted an Olympus E-5 with 300mm/2.8 plus Oly 2X extender (for an impressive 1200 mm f/5.6 effective range) and the Katana kept everything rock solid still. Even had some wind but it was not a factor. You want BMW/Mercedes-Benz quality in a gimbal, this is it!

As a hobbyist photographer I was hesitant to make the investment on the GK Katana Gimbal,however when using a 600mm f4 Nikon telephoto lense the purchase made sense. Upon receipt I immediately observed the quality of not only the workmanship but the design of the Katana Gimbal and upon putting it to work at a local air show my observations where confirmed.It operates flawlessly and draws favorable comments from fellow photographers. This Gimbal is an absolute work of art both in function and appearance and is worth every penny asked. I own a competitors top of the line gimbal,and while expensive it just does not stand up to the form and function of the GK KATANA product. Your search for a gimbal ends with a stop at the Promedia Gear website. BUY IT,you wont be disappointed.

As the size and weight of your camera gear inevitably increases over time, the need for proper support for it follows lockstep. With the Katana, all worries are over as there is simply nothing else in its class to compare. As good as it gets.

have the KATANA now several years , absolute superb , build like a tank , very reliable as a wildlife-photographer i use it in the sand (beaches) salt water , forest. this head see a lot of places in europe , extremly reliable its worth every penny

I took this out and played with it a few minutes. It is well made and works very well. Most of my outdoor shooting is at a standstill for a month or so. High School soccer startes up in February and I am looking forward to using it for that.

Amazing craftsmanship, super sturdy ,with a very smooth panning made possible by steel ball bearings, this gimbal head is the best solution for long lenses. With a standard lens it will look like overkill but it will perform flawless. Highly recommended for pan action.

Heavy duty. Extremely well made. Once equipment is centered on center of gravity, moved freely and smooth. The weight of the camera/lens combination disappeared like magic! Highly recommend this mount for anyone who has a large telephoto lens.

Rock solid piece of gear. I use this with my Canon 400mm f/2.8 usm II lens. very smooth and easy to use. It's a bit heavy but I like my products to be built like tanks.

Bought this gimbal some years ago, it accompanied me on trips to the Antarctic, Alaska, the Sahara, Africa, Asia etc. It looks pretty knocked up because I'm not cautious with my gear but it still functions like new. There's just own downside and that's it's a brick compared to its lighter advesary's but if you want stability and everlasting quality for a 600 or 800mm it's best in class.

The Katana Gimbal head is quality, through and through. Set up and balancing were simple. The drag tension on the swing arm and base make for easy and quick fine tuning in any situation. Build quality is excellent, though it may be just a little on the heavy side: this is only a minor item. Tracking is effortless (I image birds) and very stable. Locking the camera in position is secure and reassuring. The Arca Swiss mount on the swing arm is precise and secure. There are only a couple of suggestion I'd like to make: 1) add a reference mark on the swing arm know mount to align with the swing arm scale. This would allow for ease in balancing the camera rig when changing lenses; 2) the stop screws on the foot-plate could, over time, work themselves loose, and fall off. Some means of developing a limitation threading, or a stop of some kind would be a nice addition to an otherwise great design. The Katana exceeds my expectations. Highly recommended.

This is an extremely stable platform, and out performs the old standard of gimbal solutions, not to mention it looks great doing it.

I had my 1st Katana shoot yesterday. Wow - what a difference! I could frame targets much quicker, especially those I saw at the last second. Yes I could leave the lens lined up on a static target (like herons stood on the nest) waiting for action with the pan and tilt not locked. If a flying bird appeared I could then change targets very quickly. Yes because I could follow changes of course much more easily.

c'est que du bonheur d'utiliser ce fantastique matériel,. le Katana gimbal Head donne à mes mouvements d'objectif une fluidité sans pareil et me permet d'être très rapide et réactif and la prise de vue sportive et animalière. les serrages et blocages sont d'une précision micrométrique et le système de sécurité de fixation de l'objectif est tout à fait convaincant. Il reste par contre le poids qui est supérieur à une rotule et bien sur le prix surtout avec les taxes de douanes en plus. mais vraiment ça le vaut largement. TRANSLATED this is happiness using this fantastic material. katana gimbal head gives my lens movements unparalleled fluidity and allows me to be very fast and responsive and shooting sports and animal. tightenings and blockages are micrometric precision and security system for securing the objective is quite convincing. remains against by the weight that is greater than a ball and of course the price especially with the customs fees in addition. but really it's worth much.

This is one of the best photography items we have purchased in all of our years in business. It is well made, has considerable thought behind the design as it works perfectly with the tripods we have, not to mention, a perfect mate for the big ProMediaGear heavy duty tripod. There are several different Gimbal units on the market today. To me, this is the absolute best, the real professional unit of the litter.

Never owned a gimbal head. Saw the Katana online and watched the YouTube video. I was sold. Purchased the Katana last week, and used it the day after I received it. What an awesome tool. Best photography investment I have ever made. If you don’t own a gimbal head, purchase this one. You will not be sorry. Also, I had a chance to talk to customer service twice, and both of the people I talked to were very friendly and helpful

I upgraded from a Manfrotto heavy lens support to the full size Katana recently. Everything about the Katana projects peerless quality and design. I use it with a Nikon 500 f/4 and that is not much of a challenge for this gimbal. I paired it with the 424L tripod and use the SS2P3 strap retrofit as well. My main birding lenses are the 500mm, and the 200-500 zoom. Mine came with 1 PX6 plate and I purchased a second one for my zoom lens. Ultimately, I went with the full-size Katana over the Junior because I want to do more video and the full size version may have some advantages. Prior to my purchase, I asked 3 questions on the Promediagear website on separate occasions and each was answered with hours. What a great company! I'd like to see a padded case offered in the future to complement this gimbal - one that could be attached to a backpack or alternately attached to a shoulder strap like a mailbag. I mainly take pictures along rivers and always have 1 camera out at the ready, and my backpack with the tripod, second camera body, and lenses. I've found that getting to a good remote spot involves ducking under tree branches and it just wouldn't work well for me to have any gimbal head attached until I reach where I'm going. Likewise, a good padded case would muffle sounds and prevent damage. I currently use a camo "mailbag" and attach the gimbal to the straps on the flap. Anyway, this is a peerless product that is well worth the price. It is amazing and I love it.

This is one quality piece of equipment, easy to set up and plenty of accessories. I highly recommend this for those who are in need of a quality piece of equipment.

Design is also excellent, It is smooth and easy to use even by placing heavy equipment.

Im carrying this big bad ass gimbal around already for 5 years and still love this rugged design. For me its a no brainer to put my expensive, heavy kit on top and balance it perfectly, ready for some action. Just serviced yesterday (with some help from the support team..thanks guys) and ready for my next outdoor trip. Thanks, keep designing, Michael

GK Katana is the best gimbal head I have worked with. The engineering and precision fit of the components are solid. CNC machining makes this a thing of beauty. It takes some getting use to. I'm not use to having this much control of the vertical horizontal axis when setting up for a shoot. This is a game changer for me. Well Done!

I waited to write this review until I had used the Katana multiple times. Everything about it is precise and its operation is extremely smooth. It is very easy to track even fast moving things. The set up is extremely simple and my gear becomes truly weightless when attached to the Katana. The Katana itself of course is not weightless but I see that's as a positive. There is absolutely no vibration. Rocksolid! As I said in the title of this review I believe the Katana is perfect. A great purchase