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Continuing my introduction to my own "proper" introduction to digiscoping.
At 4lbs in weight an 85mm APO spotting 'scope needs firm support. I already owned several old tripods but they were all far too heavy to carry very far. Two different models went down the road [on different days] to the nearest lake/large pond just to see how they coped. Not well! Not well at all!
The 10lb Bogen "studio" tripod was far too heavy to contemplate carrying outside the garden. The smaller one "Benro" wasn't actually too bad to carry on a shoulder strap. It just lacked enough stiffness to rapidly damp vibrations when touched. Besides I didn't much like either of the pan and tilt heads under the Vortex. Both tripods are decades old and both bought secondhand.
The 10lb Bogen "studio" tripod was far too heavy to contemplate carrying outside the garden. The smaller one "Benro" wasn't actually too bad to carry on a shoulder strap. It just lacked enough stiffness to rapidly damp vibrations when touched. Besides I didn't much like either of the pan and tilt heads under the Vortex. Both tripods are decades old and both bought secondhand.
What to do? It was obvious that a tripod was vitally necessary for stability. A shaking image was absolutely worthless even for visual use. Now add a camera for that minimum [and duly magnified] 27x [50x] and things quickly became just a bit silly.
So I went in the opposite direction to heavy duty and invested in a Sirui P-326-EU, carbon fiber monopod. This was fine as far as physical telescope support and stiffness went but rocked freely from side to side in use. I was rapidly developing headaches and nausea! Particularly after half an hour of continuously watching a foraging bird of prey. As it covered a huge field next to my handy, pull-in spot on the verge.
So the monopod was relegated to lighter camera duties. Or as an adjustable walking stick if I live long enough to need one. Not that the Lumix TZ7 really cared. It has an excellent, image stabilization system. I haven't seen any sign of camera shake since I bought it new, years and many hundreds of thousands of snaps and video ago.
It was obvious [at least to me] that I needed a "proper" tripod. One which provided the necessary stiffness but wouldn't anchor me to my immediate surroundings like a sack of bricks. I wanted to take it on my daily walks! So carbon fiber was the obvious way to go. Above all it needed to have sufficient cross section in the legs to resist bending and torsion loads.
Back to the Internet and countless YouTube and Amazon reviews later. The Vortex tripods had a good press but the legs were aluminium. That meant sacrificing either stiffness or weight. You can't have both. Or you must pay to have them together.
More hours of reviews and videos followed. It seemed I would have to pay a bit more for the necessary quality. No point in buying twice. I had tripods enough already for ordinary home & garden use.
I couldn't take the car on my rural walks just to carry a massive tripod. Many of the forest tracks I frequent are far too steep and inaccessible to cycling. I didn't want to add a mountain bike to my already long, shopping list!
More hours of reviews and videos followed. It seemed I would have to pay a bit more for the necessary quality. No point in buying twice. I had tripods enough already for ordinary home & garden use.I couldn't take the car on my rural walks just to carry a massive tripod. Many of the forest tracks I frequent are far too steep and inaccessible to cycling. I didn't want to add a mountain bike to my already long, shopping list!
Eventually I settled on the Manfrotto 055, with three leg extensions. Ideally, I wanted their 057 model, but only in theory. It was simply just too big and heavy for a septuagenarian to drag around the local woods and ponds on foot for an hour or more. Most of which is uphill or down dale and I really needed to keep it honest and practical. There was no point in fooling myself hat I could still manage a vast and heavy rucksack to be carried in the mountains of my youth.
By sheer luck Manfrotto offers a cut down "bird watching" version of the 055 in the sales area of northern Europe. The MT055BDWCF. Try saying that mouthful after a second pint at "The Lakeside Twitcher" pub!
This one looks roughly the same as the other models but lacks the fancy "Transformers" central column people [allegedly] use for Macro. A stubby, plain, central column model would save my back for those few extra yards/meters range. Probably while I am climbing or descending at 45° through the brambles of a rough, forest, fire break!
The tripod is everything I expected and of superb quality and finish. I have to shorten the lowest leg section to reach the telescope eyepiece comfortably. Making the tripod even stiffer than normal. A lot of money but worth every penny for making its remarkable qualities practical at a weight which is just about acceptable.
This one looks roughly the same as the other models but lacks the fancy "Transformers" central column people [allegedly] use for Macro. A stubby, plain, central column model would save my back for those few extra yards/meters range. Probably while I am climbing or descending at 45° through the brambles of a rough, forest, fire break!
The tripod is everything I expected and of superb quality and finish. I have to shorten the lowest leg section to reach the telescope eyepiece comfortably. Making the tripod even stiffer than normal. A lot of money but worth every penny for making its remarkable qualities practical at a weight which is just about acceptable.
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