Recommend a decent tripod? (1 Viewer)

[coppo]

One that actually works.

This Vanguard I have just got which was thrown in free with the scope is a pile of trash, you locate a bird/mammal etc and lock it, then it just moves, its stable enough on the ground but the head(most important part) is garbage.

Not fit for purpose, no wonder it was thrown in free, I know where it needs throwing, the bleeding bin.

 

[johnf3f]

If you want a stable tripod then it costs! If you want a stable tripod that is reasonably light then it costs even more.

Sorry it's just the way it is.

What is your budget?

 

[PYRTLE]

Correct, you need to purchase a much better tripod and head system for your Meopta S2 scope. A very reliable combination was Manfrotto aluminium tripod with a Manfrotto 128rc2 fluid head (£80). The legs depend on how tall you are and whether your scope is a straight or angled body.

The leg codes were 190 for the shorter version and 055 for the taller tripod. (£140 plus )

Fluid head gives you a much smoother pan both horizontally and vertically which the option of varying the drag and locking if required.

After that, you just add a bit of upgrading.....carbon fibre legs will lighten and quieten the system (c.£250 plus). Modern Manfrotto fluid heads have a balance rail incorporated so the package isn't front or back heavy when the scope is fixed....eg MV500AH (£120).

Perhaps take the tripod back and ask for a slightly better deal? Your looking at a minimum of £220 For a basic system up to and beyond £420 for carbon fibre legs and an incorporated balance rail lighter fluid head.

Other makes are available, you'll enjoy your scope much more.

Good luck. P

 

[coppo]

Correct, you need to purchase a much better tripod and head system for your Meopta S2 scope. A very reliable combination was Manfrotto aluminium tripod with a Manfrotto 128rc2 fluid head (£80). The legs depend on how tall you are and whether your scope is a straight or angled body.

The leg codes were 190 for the shorter version and 055 for the taller tripod. (£140 plus )

Fluid head gives you a much smoother pan both horizontally and vertically which the option of varying the drag and locking if required.

After that, you just add a bit of upgrading.....carbon fibre legs will lighten and quieten the system (c.£250 plus). Modern Manfrotto fluid heads have a balance rail incorporated so the package isn't front or back heavy when the scope is fixed....eg MV500AH (£120).

Perhaps take the tripod back and ask for a slightly better deal? Your looking at a minimum of £220 For a basic system up to and beyond £420 for carbon fibre legs and an incorporated balance rail lighter fluid head.

Other makes are available, you'll enjoy your scope much more.

Good luck. P

Many thanks for that information, very useful. I will look into getting a decent one, the S2 is a lovely scope but its the tripod that lets everything down.

 

[coppo]

If you want a stable tripod then it costs! If you want a stable tripod that is reasonably light then it costs even more.

Sorry it's just the way it is.

What is your budget?

My budget is as much as it costs to get a decent, fit for purpose system.

 

[johnf3f]

My budget is as much as it costs to get a decent, fit for purpose system.

Don't say things like that! We love spending YOUR money 8-P

I am far from an expert on heads for scopes but I find my Manfrotto 701 HDV to be pretty good for my 77mm Kowa. It is no longer made but I have read good things about their 500 series replacements.

As to tripods? I am a great fan of Gitzo products. Don't get too scared about their list prices - they are stratospheric! Keep an eye on FleaBay and other sites for used gear. Gitzo tripods last a long time so if it is only 20/30 years old then it still has a lot of life left in it and spares are available for most older models if needed. Also have a look at the Benro/Feisol/Induro offerings - not cheap but good. If possible (check the height you need) then see if there is one without a center column that suits your needs as they are quite a bit more rigid.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[OhWeh]

For a two way head, I would recommend the Berlebach 553 or - if you want to spend less money the Berlebach 510.

Both are excellent! I'm using the Berlebach 552 (the predecessor of the 553) since years with my Zeiss DiaScope 85, with a Swarovski ATX 95 and since short time with a Zeiss Harpia.

If you walk around, a carbon tripod is the best. I like my FLM, which is - in my opinion - as good as Gitzo, but a little cheaper and made in Germany.

If you don't walk more than 300 meters, than take a Berlebach ash wood tripod. Especially in windy situations it is much better than any carbon tripod. But it is heavy.

 

[Sagittarius]

Next tripod I buy will be a "Really Right Stuff" model.
Very expensive but worth it.
Id rather save up for a Really Right Stuff tripod than buy anything less !

 

[PYRTLE]

Next tripod I buy will be a "Really Right Stuff" model.
Very expensive but worth it.

Wow, three times more expensive than a Gitzo and five times more than a carbon fibre Manfrotto.
How do you justify that in its day to day use?

At least in spotting scopes you can see the difference in price points.

 

[johnf3f]

Wow, three times more expensive than a Gitzo and five times more than a carbon fibre Manfrotto.
How do you justify that in its day to day use?

At least in spotting scopes you can see the difference in price points.

Not where they live.

RRS are silly money in the UK, one 3 series RRS costs more here than I paid for my 4 Gitzo tripods and one mono pod!

In the US the price difference is not much and RRS backup, apparently, is very good.

As to justifying a top quality tripod? No problem just try one - then find one cheap!

 

[Fedster]

I have a Sirui R-3213X and VH-10 head. It is excellent, and pretty sturdy. It is big enough I never used the center column. Having said that, now OhWeh mentioned the FLM I might be tempted by something lighter (I hike a lot with the tripod).

 

[westNE]

I don't have a ton of experience with tripods but what I do have is all with spotting scopes and nearly all of that experience was negative and frustrating due to my affliction for trying to save money...

A couple years ago I picked up a now discontinued Promaster C426W, it seems to be built a little heavier than some of the newer Promasters though I can't say that from first hand experience. That said it still weighs just over 3 lbs. I can't help much on the head but my experience with the Benro S2 was good if un-noteworthy...

 

[OhWeh]

One fact should be clear:

if the magnification is more than 50x
if there is only slight wind

the tripod can't be too sturdy, which means for optimum result: heavy ash wood (because it damps very good). 3kg is the least plus a good head which is about 1 kg more.

I'm still comparing/testing Harpia and ATX95. If you concentrate on optical quality not on a bird, each tremble is very disturbing.

 

[coppo]

Thank you all very much for that information, much appreciated, I am still digesting it butt you have given me loads of ideas and recommendations.

 

[fazalmajid]

I use a Gitzo GT2532 Mountaineer and Manfrotto 128RC pan-tilt head with my Meostar S2 HD. The head is the limiting factor, as adjusting the tension is not as smooth a process as with my ball heads. At some point I would like to test a Wimberley gimbal head instead.

One pro tripod brand I've heard good things about is ProMediaGear.

Carbon fibre absorbs vibrations better than aluminum, doesn't freeze your skin off in winter, and is light, but also very expensive. Wooden tripods like Ries or Berlebach made of tone woods (the kind used for musical instruments) are actually the best at absorbing vibration, but they are also significantly less convenient than metal or carbon fibre

 

[OakStuddedAcres]

I used one of the free vanguard tripods in the past and although it isn’t a very high end piece it did the job and I actually kept the head to run on a carbon fiber tripod. I wonder if your head was defective.