For the price, the product is excellent and serves the purpose for which I bought it.
Thanks B&H

Although the quality is below average, there's nothing to complain about at the price. It's a budget option for occasional bird watching.

I didn't want to spend a lot on a tripod head so I thought of getting this after reading the good reviews. It is a fantastic gimbal head. It is not leaking grease and it is relatively light and small in size compared to other budget options. I'm using this with my Nikon 600 f4 G ED VR (heavy!) lens and it is very balanced. Happy with the purchase :)

I haven't owned any expensive gimbals, so maybe they're better in some way, but this one works perfectly for occasional birding. I have no complaints.

I've found the Magnus GH-M1 Gimbal Head to exceed my expectations. It's slightly smaller than a Wimberley or Benro and has a lower load rating, but its 30 lb capacity is more than adequate for most users. It's a perfect match for a (9 lb.) EOS R5 with battery grip and a Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens w/Canon adapter. The gimbal balances perfectly with the Tamron Arca-Swiss type collar-base so no extended QR plate is needed.


The R5+grip and 150-600 w/adapter becomes fully balanced so will stay set to any angle without using the vertical lock at a vertical offset scale setting of 1.9 cm. The GH-M1 vertical lock knob works well taking only a 90deg. rotation to go from fully unlocked to fully locked.


I found both the lateral (rotation) pivot and the vertical pivot to work smoothly and without any wobble or play when unlocked and to be solid and firm when locked. However, the unit I received does have very heavy damping which creates more drag during fast movements than is ideal. Possibly, this will be reduced as the gimbal is used, but if not, it may require cleaning and replacement of the thick damping grease.


The excessive damping does make it a little harder to initially achieve vertical balance quickly, but it is possible with a little patience. My other minor nit-pick is that Magnus does not include a 1/4-20 to 3/8-16 tripod adapter. Like most larger tripod heads it uses a 3/8-16 socket, but there are still plenty of good tripods sold in North America which have 1/4-20 screws. Magnus really should include a proper thread reducer.


All in all, for photo rigs weighing less then about 25 lbs, this is a highly effective gimbal. In my opinion, it provides 95% of the performance of a Winberley at 10% of the cost.


Highly recommended!

I've been wanting to buy a gimbal to complement my bodies and lenses previously purchased from B&H, but didn't want to pay the exorbitant prices demanded by the major manufacturers. This was a great deal on sale and significantly less than other options, so I thought what the heck? and gave it a try. I'm glad I did. As others have noted, it appears a little sticky right of the box, but I'm sure that will resolve itself over time. I'm able to balance a body with a grip and 150-600mm lens with no problems at all. Seems like a quality build that will serve it's purpose for many years. I intend to mainly use this for capturing images of birds in flight and this should fit the bill nicely.

Great value. Needs longer quick release bar. Not wide enough for Nikon DSLR.

This head is excellent value for the money and it works well. That being said, if you want a premium feeling and operating head, this might not be for you. The build quality is functional but not amazing. The top bearing on mine isn't smooth all the way around - there are a couple of spots where it sticks just a little bit. If these are issues for you, you will probably end up paying 5-10 times more for a high-end head. I didn't want to spend a lot of money right now, so I went with this product because it has great reviews. I feel like I got a lot for my $60 and it works well, which is what matters most. Thus, 5 stars with a caveat.

Rotational and tilt actions are smooth and everything locks in place when necessary. Could have come with a 3/8 to 1/4 inch adapter, though.

I took delivery of this gimbal just a few days ago. Already it has changed the game for this amateur photographer. I mainly use it in combination with a Canon 90d and the Sigma 150-600. The standard arca-swiss mount means I can move between by ball head mount straight to thus one. The mobility/stability it offers compared to a ball head or standard tripod mount cannot be overstated. Movements along both axis are smooth and easy to control. Once locked onto a stationary subject the adjustment knobs are easy to manipulate and hold the gimbal very securely in whatever orientation you set. Loosen the knobs and the gimbal is very fast and smooth for tracking moving subjects as well. As an aspiring amateur sports/wildlife/astrophotographer I would recommend this gimbal to anyone who is looking to take their photography another notch up the ladder.