Opticron tripod

[Brad Buck]

I'am looking for a inexpensive tripod for my 65 mm x35 scope. Does anyone have any expirience with Opticrons tripods?
Brad
:bounce:

[Johnny1]

I have also been looking at Opticron tripods with a view to purchasing one, I own an Opticron scope 80mm and digiscope with it, I'm wondering if the Opticron tripod is stable enough ?? At the moment I'm using an old Velbon 700 which is very stable but also very heavy.

[Keith Reeder]

I've got an Opticron.

It's a real disappointment.

The legs are OK (ish), but within a couple of weeks I'd given up on the head and replaced it with a Manfrotto 700RC2 - the Opticron head would not stay where it was put.

In anything over a slight breeze, if you put the scope on a bird then looked away, the head would work like a bloody weather vane and the scope would be pointing downwind - it was impossible to set the head so that you could let go with a reasonable expectation that the scope would be where it was the last time you looked...

OK, so now I've got a Manfotto head - that's it sorted then?

Nope. There's about a quarter of an inch of left-right play in the mechanism that locks the central column which is irritating enough when just using the scope, but it's a royal pain in the butt when trying to line up the scope for a hand-held digiscoping shot.

For the price of the Opticron tripod + Manfrotto head (£160), I could have had a Manfrotto 055 or 190 with the same head, a Slik D3 with money left over, or any number of other good combos.

This is not a good tripod, boys and girls... avoid.

[Johnny1]

Thanks for the reply Keith, I think I'll be giving the Opticron tripod a miss. I'll probably wait untill after Xmas and pay a bit more for a better model.

[Paul_Gower]

Have to say I agree with Keith. I initially used an Opticron with my Nikon ED78 - perhaps a bit of a tall order, given the weight of the scope. I thought given the value for money of Opticron optics perhaps the tripod would be of the same standard. But I hated the head, finding it difficult to lock in the same way as Keith and the legs are quite flimsy.

However the quick release mechanism developed a fault after only a couple of times out - the scope was flopping around on the head, so I sent it back to the wonderful people at Warehouse Express and upgraded to Manfrotto 055 with the 700RC2 head. Very impressive, although more expensive and heavy! Should last a lifetime though.

Paul

[Johnny1]

I've been searching through different websites trying to decide which tripod to buy, I won't be buying anything till after Xmas and was looking for something in the £130 price range. Does anyone have any recomendations for a tripod suitable for digiscoping.? I find all the extra weight on the back end doesn't do much for the overall balance, maybe an extended plate to shift the scope further forward to balance it better?

[E.T.]

oooh I need more replies to this thread....I'm gonna go hunting for tripods threads...there must be thousands!