Do the knobs regulate the stiffness? Do they truly lock a position? I mean: if I aimed my optics up towards zenith, could the knobs lock it in place?

Yes, but that is NOT what a gimbal is for. For example, you would use it to make it easier to track a moving animal or bird. NOT to lock onto a high angle position. Especially if the camera is not balanced on the gimbal. Having said that, here is how to do it. 1 - Adjust the position of the camera in the clamp, so that it balances front to back. You may need a longer Arca Swiss rail. 2 - Adjust the vertical height of the clamp platform so that the camera balances when you elevate the camera, and it holds position 3 - Use the adjustment knob to tighten down on the bearing. The grease in the bearings is soooo stiff and sticky that turning it is slow and to me much more difficult than it should be.

Can you adjust the camera position forwards/backwards on this to compensate for parralax for panoramas?

If you put a long rail under your camera/lens, then you can adjust the forwards/backwards positioning of the camera. However if you do that, you may also change the balance, of the camera+lens and cause the gimbal to tilt (if the elevation bearing is light, as it should be). Balance point and nodal point are not necessarily in the same place.

could this gimbal fit on 1/4" tripod instead of 3/8"? Do you need to buy an adaptor such as 3/8"-16 to 1/4"-20Convert Screw ?

A screw adapter comes with the unit so it can be used on either. The gimbal head is a surprisingly well built and sturdy unit and I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Does this head allow you to place the camera in portrait mode as well? None of the product pictures show the camera in portrait mode.

If you are using a telephoto with a collar mount then you can rotate the lens and camera into the portrait position. If your lens does not have a collar mount and you are simply mounting the camera then no, you can't. I am not aware of any "L" adapters that would work for you as all the ones I know are designed to be used on ball-head tripod mounts. If you shoot portrait a lot you might want to get a gimbal designed for portrait work.

ASIN	B01I57SS5S
Best Sellers Rank	#767 in Tripod Heads
Customer Reviews	4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (2,292)
Date First Available	July 8, 2016
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer	No
Item Weight	3.4 pounds
Item model number	10086839
Manufacturer	Neewer
Product Dimensions	11.4 x 10.1 x 3 inches

Professional Heavy Duty Metal 360 Degree Panoramic Gimbal Tripod Head

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