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501 head fro digiscoping (1 Viewer)

pete schofield

Well-known member
Hi
Do you suffer from back heavy creep when you have your camera on scope, do you have to line up on the feet if not lower the lock the head and hope you got the position right.

Well until saturday last so did I. Then after a visit to Cley Spy in Norfolk and becoming £120 lighter I think I have the answer.

Enter the Manfrotto 501 video head.

With this head I can set the friction for pan and tilt so that with all equipment mounted I can still pan & tilt to get on the bird, line up let go and the scope stays set.

Yes the head is heavier than say the 128 but with a optech tripod strap it is not too bad although I would not want to go on a 3 mile hike with it.

These are my initial thoughts and time will tell if it will stand the pace but I have found Manfrotto to be well made and durable in the past.

I have no links with either Manfrotto or Cley Spy other than as a customer.

See pic for set up.

Pete
 
Yes. The 501 works for me, but it's too damn heavy. I would pay a substantial sum to get a 501-equivalent that was half the weight or less.

Tony
 
I don't know, John. Tell us abut the 700RC2 - if it's just as good or better and lighter too, I want one!
 
Tannin,all I can tell you is that several dealers do a deal with Manfrotto 443 (carbon) and the 700rc2 (weight 1.1lbs) you can see the head on manfrotto.com,i personally dont know if this is a good setup with scope and camera,I use the 128rc with my Swaro and coolpix,and suffer the problems mentioned re balance.But I am not sure that the weight saved equates to paying about £250.00,just have to continue putting up with the pain.No pain no gain.

John
 
The 700rc2 is a lightweight version of the 128 head... the 128 is not ideal for digiscoping with an 80mm scope, so you can imagine the droop with the 700.
I think there's even an uprated 501 out there.... haven't checked the weight of that!
 
The 501 on the Manfrotto site 501 pro video head says USA only,so maybe that is the new head.Its weight is 3.4lbs good spec and photo on site.

John
 
I have been reading these comments with great interest.I mentioned on one of comments i had re the subject disappearing from sight off the lcd screen once one has let go of the handle.I now put a bean bag on the end of the scope to try to keep it weighted down and in position,but whether that could do any damage to scope and tripod head i don,t know.You all seem to be talking about separate heads.i am currently using a Sherpa Velbon 1000.Bought for it,s lightness due to my inability to carry heavy items,albeit i do not actually carry it far,only from my trike basket,or car boot to where it is being set up.Could i purchase a different head as such for it.the head on it is a PH_157Q(or could be G).it is compatible with a Swar80hd scope.
Thankyou,Christine.I use the hide clamp which came with the tripod,and it isn't too bad,but it is difficult to keep in focus,especially as one has to keep undoing and swivelling around everytime the birds swims or flies out of focus.
 
Hi Christineredgat
Correct me if I am wrong and no disrespect intended, but you mention trike. This sounds to me like a disabled battery powered vehicle.

Well I am in the same boat due to a blocked artery and cannot walk very far. I use a battery powered golf trolley to get about the reserves or for normal bird watching.

As to your velbon, yes it will take a different head. The head just screws off although it can be tight.

Wether it is up to taking a 501 head I wouldn't like to say, I would check with a dealer first.

The 501 head weighs 6kg or 13.2llbs so is quite a weight to lug about. But as I use my buggy more often than not the weight is carried by the buggy I also carry the wife's as well.

I did have a wander around our local reserve about half a mile walk with frequent stops carrying tripod (manfrotto 190/optech strap) with the 501 head scope (leica) bins and camera plus battery pack and ancillaries and the whole lot didn't feel too bad.

Although I must admit even if I was fit I don't think I would want to go on a 3-4 mile hike with it all.

regards Pete
 
I am blessed with good health, though I'm only a skinny bloke, and I regularly take my rig on walks around the 4 mile mark.

The first mile, it is no problem at all, I hardly notice it.

The second mile, it's a bit heavy, but it's well worth doing.

The third mile, it's a damn nusicance and my right shoulder is complaining so I switch it to the left shoulder.

The fourth mile, it seems to have grown to about 75 kilograms (funny how it gets heavier as the day goes on), both shoulders are complaining bitterly, and I'm furiously thinking about ways to reduce the load. ;(

I'd buy a carbon fibre tripod, but I'm afraid that that would reduce the weight of the rig a little but only at the cost of unbalancing the setup. Right now, the whole thing hangs over my shoulder by the panning handle and balances nicely if I leave the tripod legs extended (which is ideal, as that lets me set up faster whenever I see an interesting bird). That's great as with a little practice I can just let it sit on my shoulder and have both hands free. (At least on reasonably flat ground - not getting over fences and stuff, of course.) So I need a lighter head in order to be able to use a lighter tripod. Or at least that's what I think I need.

Maybe I should think about a 700RC2 and a balancing plate. Perhaps that would reduce the weight without any bad side effects.
 
Just a simple correction. The 501 weighs 3.4 lbs but can carry a payload of 13.3 lbs. It does not weigh 6 kg.

rka
 
Andy Bright said:
The 700rc2 is a lightweight version of the 128 head... the 128 is not ideal for digiscoping with an 80mm scope, so you can imagine the droop with the 700.
I think there's even an uprated 501 out there.... haven't checked the weight of that!

Andy, what tripod and head do you use?
 
Still reading all this info with great interest and may I add some confusion re the heads and weights etc.So does this mean that the 501,Manfrotto head is the best head to have fixed atop ones scope for digiscoping,and is it compatible with any tripod.Okay I can ring the dealer from where I purchased my equipment.But you guys all seem so much more knowledgeable.
Incidentally ,Golfnut,my trike is a full size adult tricyle,battery/pedal.I have a choice whether to pedal only ,or power assisted when bionic and creaky joints complain about mis use.it takes me over all the rough ground to the bird hides etc,but will not tolerate ver steep hills.I really wanted a quad bike/proper bike trike,but hubby thought it would not be a good idea after i beat him on a fast stretch of the M1.he was on a GPZ900R,and I was riding a GTR100s,he said I was the proverbial Bat out Of Hell,those were the days!!!.But for birdwatching it is splendid.You can stop on a sixpence whenever a bird appears,and sit on the seat with bins in hand,absolutely perfect.Just wish i could operate camera and scope on the tripod whilst sitting aloft the bike.
Anyway I digress,has anybody come up with the perfect scope and head combi.
Christine.
 
Hi Christine

Like the bat outa hell bit but hope that was on a GTR1000. Nearly bought one back in 199? wife threatened divorce she's a love.

Perfect scope and head combination.

One mans meat is anothers poison .

I don't think there is such a thing collectively it's all down to what suits you, and what your priorities are and prepared to carry.

Pete
 
I've been using the Manfrotto 3221WN setup (i.e. Tripod + 501 Fluid Head) for about three weeks. Yes ... it's a bit heavy ... but ...

1) Very stable (with AT80HD)
2) Very smooth in tracking birds in flight

The only problem is figuring out how to carry the setup comfortably on a hike.
 
I have the Manfrotto/Bogen 3443D (might be only available in the states) and the 501. The pod is very nice, love it. Only going to get rid of it when I trade up... literally. It’s a bit short and some times that matters. But the weight is great, and I really love the clamp legs. Can’t miss when one isn’t locked.

But I digress, on to the 501.

It is heavy, but then again... I know nothing else, so it doesn't seem that bad. I'm also in fairly good shape.

Things I like:

The knobs are good size and easy to use (never used it in the winter, though.) The aiming arm is adjustable up/down. This is very handy.

It has adjustable tension in both directions (left/right, up/down). And it does work. You can lock it down well. Also handy when you're carrying it on your shoulder so it doesn't shift and become unbalanced.

The bad:
I will be replacing mine fairly soon, thought, because I dislike how fast it turns. Its up/down has more resistance than I like. I've tried to get used to it, but over the past 5 months or so, I just keep coming back to how it bothers me.

It should be said that my pod/head does double duty with my 10D & 100-400L. It's not bad, but not good with the camera and it's fairly good, but not great with the scope.

And in a statement of full disclosure, I am rather picky and willing to pay for quality. I expected more for the price. Maybe I'm expecting too much?

I'm currently researching ball heads, but they are damn expensive and not always a good thing with scopes. I get mixed reports on that. I might have to wait for the upcoming expensive holiday season to go by before I replace it. Or just replace the head now and live with the "some times too short" legs for awhile. Tall legs are also really expensive.

Eric
 
I originally bought the Manfrotto 128RC head, but due to the tendency to droop eventually bought the Manfrotto 501 head. This has solved the problem although I admit it is heavier. I like it even though the extra weight can be a problem sometimes.
 
I originally bought the Manfrotto 128RC head, but due to the tendency to droop eventually bought the Manfrotto 501 head. This has solved the problem although I admit it is heavier. I like it even though the extra weight can be a problem sometimes. I usually carry the tripod over my shoulder with scope attached or on the back of a Lowepro Rucksack if the scope is not attached.
 
For those of you that are having a "drooping" you may want to consider the Manfrotto 357 sliding plate to make those balance adjustments when your camera is attached, I use the 128 with 80mm scope and it works very well, Raptor.
 
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