What about leeeeetle tripods?

[Lewis]

Having bored everyone with my scope purchase tribulations and eventual purchase of Nikon Fieldscope II AN, may I now move on to matters tripod:

Along with the scope I purchased a Bogen Manfrotto 3405 'pod. It's all good. BUT, I am in a mere moment going to the Arboretum in Golden Gate Park to see what I can see, with the main intent of seeing how the CA quail are doing there. Perhaps erroneously, I believe that a little, backpackable tripod would serve just fine for this little jaunt. I can find areas well protected from the wind with sufficient surfaces to set the scope up higher than ground level. Would a little, table-top like tripod work? The scope fits nicely in my backpack; the tripod is a pain. A necessary pain for many environments, does anyone have experience with baby tripods?

Thanks!

[Andrew]

Avoid small camera tripods. There are two options for lightweightness and hide use. You could get a hide clamp convertor that takes the central column and clamps to a shelf in a hide. The other option is a Monopod which is a lightweight extending stick.

[eospete]

I often stick my monopod foot in my jacket pocket and this helps increas mobility.

Little tripods just haven't got the weight to support a scope or camera - I know I bought 2 before I learned my lesson. The only exception I have found is the Ergorest which is great for viewing from a vehicle or hide, can be used as a chest pod or from ground level

I now use a Manfrotto 55 for both scope and telephoto lens.
P

[Charles Harper]

Lewis, if you carry one of those shorties, surer'n'hell you won't find a place to set it high enough. I've tried several times, because their lightness is tempting, but I always end up lying in the muck or trying to wedge it into a tree crotch or something makeshift. Monopods are better, but can also wobble and are tiring to support, easily tilting out of the field you want. I always go to the camera store and buy the lightest standard tripod I can find-- and some are very light-- but even then, I make sure that the model cranks high enough so that I don't have to stoop.