Tripod + Head for Nikon ED 50? (1 Viewer)

Hello,

for my Swaro scopes I use a Gitzo tripod and a Manfrotto fluid head. Works great.
But the combo is heavy, particularly when in the Alps or other mountains.

For that I have a Nikon Field Scope 13-40x50.

I am looking for a light tripod and head (ideally not more than 2kg together) than I can carry up a mountain or use for travelling.
There are some with integrated ball-heads but I am not sure a ball-head is that great for scopes.

Thanks!

Markus

Just over your weight limit - but when I want to "Go Light" I use my Gitzo GT 2531 (center column removed) and a Manfrotto 701 HDV head with the arm removed (it just gets in the way!) 2.12 kilos according to my scales. This is tall enough for my straight scope (TSN4) and stable enough for higher magnifications - if it's not too windy!

Unfortunately it is a bit long for travel. Have a look at the Feisol Tournament models as they are VERY light but decently rigid. Also a lighter head would help - the 701 HDV is a bit of a lump!

johnf3f said:

Also a lighter head would help - the 701 HDV is a bit of a lump!

Click to expand...

I find the Gitzo 2180 (with the arm removed!) works very well with scopes below ~2 kg. It's pretty small, and the weight is about 500 gr (without the arm). That's reasonable IMO.

Hermann

I think with the ED50 a ball head works quite well.I used a basic one and had no complaints ,in general was happy with the operation,and liked the size and weight,although it was a compromise in some ways.I like the sideways tilting capability of these ball heads,since the ED50 lacks a rotatory collar.compoI think a good ball head with good friction control can be operated smoothly and would handle the small nikon well.I personally think that 2 kg is too much for a tripod that will held a 400 g scope..my manfrotto 441 with 128 head weights 2300!!!!..and it is a large setup that works for full size scopes. A less expensive travel tripod in carbon fiber with integrated ball head,in the 1200/1400gr, would be my choice

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful.

small, light and not expensive: Manfrotto Befree Live (the one with a fluid video head)

I just purchased a Sirui T-025x for this purpose. I wanted something smaller and lighter, ideally something that would fit inside my camerabag, since the ED 50 fits in my camera bag as well.
I haven't field tested it yet, but it's very small and light. Indoor use seems nice, the legs extend similar to my gitzo tripod (twist-lock). Not sure if I'll stick with the complementary ballhead.
By the way, total weight under 1kg (around 870grams for me) without the stuff bag but with tripod and tripod head.
Lenght folded in with tripodhead attached: 34 cm (about 1 foot)