Gitzo is celebrating one hundred years of outstanding innovation and technological leadership with the launch of the Fluid Gimbal Head, as part of a series of exclusive product launches marking the anniversary.

Founded in 1971 by Arséne Gitzhoven, in France, Gitzo produced cameras, cable releases, shutters (at a rate of 750 per day) and filmpack frames for the photographic industry. Only in the 1950’s tripods where introduced to Gitzo’s product range, but since then tripods and other forms of support became what Gitzo is known for. Part of the Vitec group since 1992, Gitzo still strives to produce the best possible camera accessories and supports using the simplest, most straight forward and elegant solutions, however long and complex the path to get there. The new gimbal follows that tradition.

The new Fluid Gimbal Head from Gitzo promises to make every movement precise and uninhibited, enabling photographers to capture flawless, breathtaking photos and videos. This new head is ideal for wildlife photography and bird-watching, especially for extensive observation, even with heavy equipment.

Fluid cartridge technology from the video world is being applied to the new Fluid Gimbal Head for the very first time in this model. It absorbs vibrations and ensures smooth movement throughout observation and shooting, even with very large lenses. The Fluid Gimbal Head cartridge also features an innovative fluidity control mechanism, the Whip-Pan system.

The whip-pan device applies automatic friction, excluding fluid rotation on the head’s panoramic axis and maintaining smoothness at low rotation speeds, as typically required in video heads. Users have full movement control as they shoot, so there is no risk of shocks or vibrations. At high rotation speeds, when it’s time to quickly reposition the camera, the whip-pan instantly excludes fluidity, allowing free movement without lifting the tripod off the ground. Fluid rotation is automatically and instantly restored when the rotation speed decreases.

The GHFG1 Fluid Gimbal Head is especially designed for Gitzo’s Systematic and Mountaineer tripods, celebrated for their incomparable stiffness as the most reliable supports for secure shooting in the harshest of conditions and the most solid base for the broad, gentle movements typical of birdwatching and wildlife photography. Having used the Systematic tripods, of which I still carry one around when I need extra stability, I can vouch for that statement.

This essential piece of kit balances the camera, lens or scope, at their natural centre of gravity. Horizontal and vertical balancing makes it possible to achieve perfect equilibrium, even with heavy equipment, up to 8 kg of payload. The perfect balance is ensured also by the built-in Arca-Swiss compatible quick release base and the new long Arca-Swiss type plate with rubber grips, for maximum stability.

The GHFG1 Fluid Gimbal Head, which will cost you $499,99, combines technical perfection, exquisite, iconic design and transcendent functional art, a mix which is usual for Gitzo products. Clean and harmonic lines, Gitzo’s distinctive Noir Décor finish and extreme attention to detail meet the latest technological innovation. Its stiff yet lightweight magnesium body is the result of a combination of high-pressure die casting, with robust and streamlined design, conferring the head its extremely strong structure.