My Vanguard pro 2 tripod came with a quality ball head which works great with lighter gear. Putting a heavy lens/camera on such ball head is something I do not recommend, therefore shopping for a gimbal head kept me busy. I watched youtube videos, did read a lot of reviews, compared and price tags shocked me. A wildlife and nature photographer’s website helped me to make the right decision because he utilized a Manfrotto gimbal head 393. His review sounded promising and 2 weeks later the Manfrotto arrived. Made in Italy by Manfrotto, a company well known for quality tripods as well.

The 393 did not disappoint me, I can do with the Manfrotto what others do with their very expensive gimbals, and I saved about $700. I highly recommend this product.