tripod help!!!!

W

wyorr

Guest
Hey everyone, I just returned from antelope hunting in south western wyo and just about went bananas trying to judge goats with my cheap tripod under my spotting scope. It made the trip miserable. Does anyone have any good sources for top quality tripods designed for spotting scopes (not cameras)? Thanks for the help.
 
Call Jim White-Uni Daptor. He machines custom tripods/heads etc. and sells regular factory stuff like Velbon/Bogen/Slik etc......He knows his stuff and puts out some great products.....928-635-5316....I bought a velbon EFL4 tripod from him and his machined head/adapter and am very pleased with it. Hope this helps.... Allen Taylor......
 
I can relate wyorr! A cheap tripod is enough to drive a guy nuts.

Last month I decided to replace my cheap tripod but it wasn't easy finding the right tripod and head for the right price. I looked all over the internet, camera stores and electronic stores but most tripods to be either cheap and flimsy (like the one I had) or way more than I wanted to spend. I even ordered a tripod on e-bay and it showed up about 5 lbs over advertised weight (wanted to keep total weight around 5 lbs) so I sent it back.

I seriously considered the outdoorsmans setup http://www.outdoorsmans.com/tripod.html but just couldn't justify the $499 cost for tripod and head.

So I went to the local Wolf's camera store (now Ritz) and bought a Bogen/Manfrotto 3001N tripod for $99 at 3.6 lbs http://www.bogenimaging.us/ and the Manfrotto 3265 ball head at 2 lbs for $94. The total package weighs 5.6 lbs and is about 1 lb heavier than I wanted but it's a solid unit and fits inside my day pack. Folded up the tripod is 21 inches long and the head is 8.5".

I used it antelope hunting and deer scouting last week and it's well built, sturdy and feels safe to mount my spotter on it. The head is awesome and when glassing I just cocked the spotter to the side and used the tripod as an elbow rest.

Good luck.
Oakbuck
 
Wyorr, welcome to MM. I use a Bogen but also am using a Walmart special for a big pair of binocs. Spent all my money on optics this year. Hopefully I can get a really nice tripod next year.
As mentioned above, I suggest checking into the Jim White and the Outdoorsmans tripods. They are SSSWWWEEEETTTTT!!!!!!!!
Fatrooster.
 
I have the Swarovski tripod. It's kind of heavy but is real solid and does not move much.
 
Jim White sells and makes all kinds of tripods at all kinds of costs. I have bought the cheap cheap ones and settled on the velbon as a good mix between cost and durability. Bottom line cost for a sturdy Velbon was 160.00 including head/tripod adapter etc.....you can spend 500-600.00 for the aluminum Outdoorsman tripod but you can also come down in price depending on what you want to spend. As to weight, the Bogens are the heaviest it seems. There is a new slik graphite tripod that just came out and it is really really light and extends up to about 60". Call Jim and ask him all your questions and he can help you select functionality along with your budget....... Allen Taylor......
 
I'll second what Allen says. I too have the Velbon Chaser EFL-4. It is a little heavy-about 4# with head. One feature that it has that you would like, is that the leg spread is independent-they can be adjusted outward to different angles to suit the angled terrain while sitting underneath them. Tripods with the leg braces that come out from the center column do not allow this. Be sure that the leg attach to a metal bracket by the head-I've broken a couple of plastic brackets and two-legged tripods don't work well. Neither do the light plastic heads of the cheap tripods that flex and vibrate in the wind. A lighter tripod with spreadable legs is the new Slik Sprint Pro. I have seen them advertised out of the NY camera stores for about $80, but Jim White carries them too, and coupled with his head, this would be a sweet outfit.

Doug/RedRabbit
 

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