Mounting a UVHD+ to a tripod (1 Viewer)

[Sheepwatcher]

Does anyone have experience mounting a 12x50 UVDH+ to a tripod or monopod? The Leica-branded strap thingy (Leica Binocular Tripod Adapter) looks very clunky, especially for terrestrial observation where one is using the binoculars alternately handheld and mounted -- is this in fact the case? Aziak makes a clamp (Bino Clamp | Aziak Equipment) that goes on one barrel that looks much less clunky, but seems that it would be unbalanced, especially on a monopod. Finally, Outdoorsman has a stud (Outdoorsmans Leica Ultravid Binocular Stud) that looks incredibly elegant but scares the hell out of me. Does anyone have firsthand experience with any of these solutions, or know of any others?

Thanks!

Milton

 

[fazalmajid]

Have a look at the Really Right Stuff Cinch LR (plastic) and Cinch LR Elite (aluminum):

Cinch-LR Elite Aluminum Bino Mount

Discover the Cinch-LR Elite from RRS. A binocular mount offering uncompromising stability and adjustability, enhancing your outdoor viewing experience.

rrssoar.com

 

[Sheepwatcher]

Thanks for this suggestion. I have other products from RRS, and they are invariably well-made. I just wonder this would suffer from the same imbalance problem that I anticipate with the Aziak clamp when using the bins on a monopod. Do you have any firsthand experience using the RRS clamp?

Milton

 

[Tringa45]

Hi Milton,

I don't possess a single Leica binocular but have used the Leica tripod adapter for about 15 years, both on tripods and on a monopod.
It provides a very secure base for roof prism binoculars from 32-50 mm (56 mm at a stretch) and mounting the binocular is very quick, so there is no reason to leave it on the binocular. I do however have a QR plate on mine so that it can be rapidly attached to different tripods. Its only disadvantage is that you can't adjust the IPD when the binocular is on the adapter,

Both RRS and Berlebach have some excellent products, but the RRS Bino Mount is an abomination and I don't know what Berlebach were thinking when they introduced their Binoculars Support Deluxe, which comes at €249! It's effectively a tripod head, so do they expect you to buy an additional tripod just for binocular use?

John

 

[Ignatius]

This Berlebach tripod mountable bino support is excellent, as undoubtedly folks like @Canip and others here can attest to. I have two of them, one with a qr-plate and one with an l-bracket, for different tripod (head)s. It will take up anything but the fattest porros, and x56s are no issue. Yes, like the Zeiss Binofix and the Swaro UTAs, and unlike the Berlebach Deluxe, changing IPD is at least fiddly, but once fitted on a good tripod they give your glass a rock-steady base.

Imvho €249 for the deluxe Berlebach and $219 for the Zeiss Binofix make $155 for the Swarovski UTAs seem perfectly reasonable.

NB. I have no affiliation with that NYC dealer, which currently is yet again closed for a religious holiday.

 

[limonabe]

I use the Outdoorsman stud with my 12x50 and a Sirui P-327 monopod with VA-5 head. I agree with you on both counts- it scared the hell out of me, and it is elegant. It has never given me a moment’s trouble after the install. I use this system with several of my binos, each with a stud permanently installed.

The Leica’s stock hinge cap will probably be ruined by removing it, as it has two plastic tabs holding it on. I used padded pliers; don’t try to pry it or you’ll ding the body. I’ve had the stud for about three years and would absolutely do it again.

Liquid courage helped with the initial installation.

 

[fazalmajid]

Thanks for this suggestion. I have other products from RRS, and they are invariably well-made. I just wonder this would suffer from the same imbalance problem that I anticipate with the Aziak clamp when using the bins on a monopod. Do you have any firsthand experience using the RRS clamp?

Yes, I have one, as well as the Manfrotto SuperClamp variant that is designed for binoculars. I haven't experienced any instability with either, they grip the barrel quite firmly, but the Manfrotto you always worry if you tighten too much you might crush the barrel.

 

[Sheepwatcher]

Yes, I have one, as well as the Manfrotto SuperClamp variant that is designed for binoculars. I haven't experienced any instability with either, they grip the barrel quite firmly, but the Manfrotto you always worry if you tighten too much you might crush the barrel.

Have you used either of them on a monopod?

 

[fazalmajid]

Have you used either of them on a monopod?

No,I can never get those stable enough, even with the locking between the legs trick.

 

[NDhunter]

I like the Berlebach wooden and the Bogpod bino supports, both hold the binocular very sturdy
and the price is much less than what was mentioned. I like those features. They can also hold
large 15 X binoculars with great result. I will add, the Berlebach is hard to find in the US, the
Bogpod is under $45.00 and readily available.
Jerry

 

[Tringa45]

No,I can never get those stable enough, even with the locking between the legs trick.

Are you referring to very high magnifications? Otherwise I don'tunderstand the comment.
A binocular has six degrees of freedom, three linear and three rotational.
A stable tripod would eliminate all six, but a monpod eliminates vertical movement and severely restricts pitch and roll, so it's a vast improvement on hand holding.
The RRS adapter looks as if it could only accommodate a very limited range of barrel diameters and would not provide a stable base.
The Leica adapter has a double"V" fore and aft locating the right barrel and the left barrel is supported on a neoprene pad.
I have not used the Swarovski UTA but suspect that it provides less positive location, although it does have the advantage of being Arca-Swiss compatible without needing an additional QR plate.
I once had the Berlebach wooden adapter and it's inexpensive and quite OK but only if the barrels have a straight taper. Otherwise the binocular rocks back and forth.
The Zeiss Binofix is an expensive disaster.

John

 

[Trinovid]

I like the Berlebach wooden and the Bogpod bino supports, both hold the binocular very sturdy
and the price is much less than what was mentioned. They can also hold
large 15 X binoculars with great result...the
Bogpod is under $45.00 and readily available.

Bought a Gitzo tripod months ago for my 12x50 and the Bogpod looks like a good match for my purposes based on your description.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

The Leica Binocular Tripod Adapter is great, I use it always since I bought it four years ago. It's fast, stable and safe.

Officially it goes to 42 mm but 50 mm will work. Personally, I stay away from these connectors with studs, the binos are 'hanging' while they are lying on a large plate with the Tripod Adapter. Feels more safe to me. And I don't like the idea of screws in my binoculars or straps around one of the tubes. The Leica Tripod adapter is a plastic plate with a rubber strap, a very thick and strong rubber strap.

Of course I managed to land on the adapter with my whole weight (luckily no binos attached), no damage at all.

 

[Tote]

I haven't used the platform types but might be a better solution for tripods.
For a monopod, if you look for less weight and mass a stud or cinch are not a bad idea. I use both, stud with Ultra and RRS cinch for Trino.
The stud and adapter are Leofoto, a copy of Outdoorsmans design, I guess.
The cinch works better on parallel shaped tubes. It gives an unbalanced weight but ok for me.
I use the monopod in a finnstick manner, only occasionaly supported on the ground.

 

[fazalmajid]

Are you referring to very high magnifications? Otherwise I don'tunderstand the comment.

I've never tried to use binoculars with a monopod, only cameras. The RRS adapter I used with a Manfrotto Magic Arm. But nowadays I just ditched that setup and use stabilized binoculars, a Sig-Sauer Zulu6 HDX 20x42 (absolutely amazing stabilization for static subjects in "target mode") and a Nikon 10x25 Stabilized (Japan-only model, but readily available on eBay).

And yes, on a monopod, an adapter that only grips one barrel would be unbalanced from the apex compared to one that is symmetrical like the Leica, Zeiss or Berlebach contraptions. I don't know why so few Alpha binoculars have the 1/4"-20 threaded hole on the hinge midrange binoculars usually offer.

 

[Tringa45]

I don't know why so few Alpha binoculars have the 1/4"-20 threaded hole on the hinge midrange binoculars usually offer.

Such adapters are slow to fit, cause wear on the thread with repeated use and are unstable if they are made thin enough not to restrict the minimum IPD of mid-size roof prism binoculars.
The alternative would be to affix a permanent stud as on the Swarovski 15x56 SLC adapter or Outdoorsman's but this is still a questionable mechanical solution.
The OP wants to mount a UVHD and I think Leica themselves have provided the optimum solution.

John

 

[fazalmajid]

The OP wants to mount a UVHD and I think Leica themselves have provided the optimum solution.

The OP was asking for a tripod, and the RRS (or Manfrotto) solutions are more stable due to a stronger grip, and far faster to deploy (put the lens barrel in, flip the lever to tense the band around it, you're done. I don't have the Leica belt-style adapter but I do have the Nikon one, I doubt it is appreciably worse than Leica's or Zeiss'.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Don't forget, you have to pack these adapters. Look at the Zeiss Binofix for instance and try to fit that into your camera backpack. Many of us carry a camera with tele, binos and/or a spotting scope so there is not much room left. The Leica and Swarovski adapters are flat and fit in a camera backpack easily.

Another thing, there is wind outside. You need a broad strap to hold the binos, with the small strap of the Berlebach there is more risk of shaking. The systems that hold one of the barrels look very wind sensitive to me.

 

[Sheepwatcher]

Thanks for all the feedback! I wanted to reiterate that I definitely use binoculars on a monopod -- even more than on a tripod, since if I'm carrying a tripod I'll generally also suck it up and carry a scope as well. My biggest hesitation with the Leica adapter and things like it is that I am often sharing my binoculars with someone else, so the need to remove the bins from the mount to adjust the IPD is a pretty big disincentive to use. I spoke to a tech representative at Leica Sport Optics and asked him about alternatives to the Leica tripod adapter. He immediately said that the Outdoorsman stud and adapter are extremely well made and leaders in the industry. That gave me the push to try that route, and I've been very happy with it so far. The stud fit perfectly and snugly on my UVHDs, and the adapter is small, light, and rigid. The stud doesn't interfere with how I hold these binoculars, so no problem there. While no system is perfect, this feels like an excellent compromise of rigid connection to the monopod/tripod, light weight, ease of deployment, and good ergonomics for how I use my binoculars. Thanks to @limonabe for the encouragement! I'll try to provide some updates as I use it more.

Milton

 

[Sheepwatcher]

I also wanted to share information one if the Leica reps gave me regarding warranty and third party accessories. Strictly read, the warranty would be void if you install something like the Outdoorsman stud (or even another clamp). However, the rep clarified that the warranty would only be void if the third party accessory caused the damage I wanted covered under warranty. He offered the example of a tripod tipping over with binoculars attached via a stud, causing the hinge to break. Unrelated warranty claims would be honored despite the presence of the Outdoorsman stud.