SUGS
Well-known member
I wouldn't risk it .
Having good reviews in camera mags doesn't mean it's any good for birding .
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Jessops tripod bargain? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Steve Babbs
- Start date
I wouldn't risk it .
Having good reviews in camera mags doesn't mean it's any good for birding .
apbarr
Well-known member
Not a good start, arrived at Jessops after the time stipulated and they didn't have my order, out of stock until some that are "in transit" arrive. Sounds as though it will be fine as a travel tripod with my angled ED50 and lightweight Manfrotto head. I'm told I'll have mine early in the week so I'll report back then
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
Photographers are more worried about stability than birders so i'd say it was a pretty good indication. As far as not risking it goes it's light weight and so isn't going to be as solid as a 3kg Manfrotto but it's a stable tripod and will certainly be a lot more comfortable to carry around for hours. It's all about choosing the right weight/stability/cost balance.
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
I haven't had chance to use it yet, social events have prevented any birding so far, but weather allowing, I should get out this afternoon and, again hopefully - we're rather snowy here - over the next few days. I'll give my review after that.
apbarr
Well-known member
Look forward to hearing what you think
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
I've had some chance to use this now, so I'll give a few thoughts. Please bear in mind I am no expert on tripods, I've always considered them a necessary evil. To be honest I'm a birding fan not a birding gear fan.
Firstly a few people seem to have prejudged it, I presume without seeing it? It is not a cheap and nasty piece of kit and I don't know why some people presume it is. It is cheap - but bear in mind the big discount - for a carbon fibre tripod and to be honest the head it comes with, as well as not being suitable for birding, would not be my choice for photography either, but to me it has a good quality feel. Of course how durable it is will only become evident with use/and or an accident. But if you think any tripods going to last forever you're naive. I'm on my second Manfrotto and I've got through several others, in my thirty odd years of birding, as well. The latches are plastic, and they couldbe a weak point.
What it is is very light - 1.24kg - and this is either its advantage or disadvantage depending on your viewpoint. It is, however, only 100g lighter than the Carbon Fibre version of my current (well now last) tripod the Manfrotto 190.
I've found this tripod very stable - and the spiked feet were useful in the ice - but I've only used it in light winds. I tried simulating wind, by wobbling with my hands, this tripod and my non-carbon fibre 190. The Jessops did wobble slightly more, as is to be expected in a tripod weighing nearly a kilo more. Incidentally, there is a hook hanging from the centre column. If you wanted to use this tripod in strong winds, when station - such as on a sea watch - you could hand a rucksack from this hook.
I'm using this with a 65mm Zeiss Diascope, birders with an 80mm scope may find the set up a bit 'top heavy'.
To summarise this tripod does seem to be a real bargain to me. I will use it as my main tripod and I was looking for a new travel tripod, to use with my Nikon ED50, I'll probably use this for that as well now. Warehouse Express are selling the Manfrotto 190 legs for £210 that's a return flight to Finland more, but I would recommend looking at it first, as its lightness may not be to everyone's taste. If you order it off the net - which you have to do to get the discount - and choose pick it up from the store, you don't pay until you pick it up so you can pull out if you don't like it.
Some people will always want the 'right' brand but the known names are not always the best.
There are quite a few reviews on the web e.g.
http://www.digicambuyer.co.uk/accessories/jessops_major_carbon-_fibre_tripod_
Of course it may break tomorrow and then I feel like a plonker.
Firstly a few people seem to have prejudged it, I presume without seeing it? It is not a cheap and nasty piece of kit and I don't know why some people presume it is. It is cheap - but bear in mind the big discount - for a carbon fibre tripod and to be honest the head it comes with, as well as not being suitable for birding, would not be my choice for photography either, but to me it has a good quality feel. Of course how durable it is will only become evident with use/and or an accident. But if you think any tripods going to last forever you're naive. I'm on my second Manfrotto and I've got through several others, in my thirty odd years of birding, as well. The latches are plastic, and they couldbe a weak point.
What it is is very light - 1.24kg - and this is either its advantage or disadvantage depending on your viewpoint. It is, however, only 100g lighter than the Carbon Fibre version of my current (well now last) tripod the Manfrotto 190.
I've found this tripod very stable - and the spiked feet were useful in the ice - but I've only used it in light winds. I tried simulating wind, by wobbling with my hands, this tripod and my non-carbon fibre 190. The Jessops did wobble slightly more, as is to be expected in a tripod weighing nearly a kilo more. Incidentally, there is a hook hanging from the centre column. If you wanted to use this tripod in strong winds, when station - such as on a sea watch - you could hand a rucksack from this hook.
I'm using this with a 65mm Zeiss Diascope, birders with an 80mm scope may find the set up a bit 'top heavy'.
To summarise this tripod does seem to be a real bargain to me. I will use it as my main tripod and I was looking for a new travel tripod, to use with my Nikon ED50, I'll probably use this for that as well now. Warehouse Express are selling the Manfrotto 190 legs for £210 that's a return flight to Finland more, but I would recommend looking at it first, as its lightness may not be to everyone's taste. If you order it off the net - which you have to do to get the discount - and choose pick it up from the store, you don't pay until you pick it up so you can pull out if you don't like it.
Some people will always want the 'right' brand but the known names are not always the best.
There are quite a few reviews on the web e.g.
http://www.digicambuyer.co.uk/accessories/jessops_major_carbon-_fibre_tripod_
Of course it may break tomorrow and then I feel like a plonker.
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Steve Babbs
Well-known member
To address this, personally I'm not worried about the finish flaking. A broken centre column thread would be more serious, except it hasn't got a centre column thread. You just pull the column up and down. Unless I've misunderstood what you mean?
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
What I would be interested in is using a different head when I'm travelling light but I can't seem to find a converter to enable me to use a head with a 1/4" hole rather than the 3/8" used by this tripod and Manfrottos. ( I think I've got those measurements right) If anyone knows where I could get one I'd be grateful.
apbarr
Well-known member
Picked mine up today and unfortunately the knob for tightening the centre column was broken in the box. I'm picking up a replacement on Friday. Put my Manfrotto 390RC head on the legs and with the ED50 attached it feels very light and fairly stable, nothing like my 055 legs but it is a LOT lighter and will be used as a travel tripod so quite happy with it. If I was using it mainly for birding in the UK I'd probably stick with the Manfrotto. I need the centre column raised to about 80% of the maximum height to use with the angled scope but I'm 6'3". Quality seems good for the price.
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
Used it in moderate NE winds today. It coped with them fine, I didn't.
Stephen Fletcher
Yes, i did take the photo of the Eagle
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TRIPOD-BUSH-THREAD-ADAPTOR/dp/B00131LE1O but i would think most optics sellers would have them, the shop at Martin Mere keeps them from what i recall.
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
Cleme
I'm pretty pleased with it so far, it is very stable for its weight. All the bits are tightened with a, provided, allen key. I've had to use this quite a bit, I presume this is either due to them not being tightened enough in the factory or a bit of initial 'give' I have no idea if I've ever had to tighten the same point twice. If it becomes obvious that it is the case then that would be a pain. I have no idea how well it is made yet though. The leg 'clamps' could be a weak point, no evidence of that but they don't look that tough.
So to sum up great to use, it's saved me having to buy a separate travel tripod, time will tell about toughness. In fact combined with my Manfrotto head the weak point is the head, which wobbles a bit.
Steve thanks for the link but the bush adaptor enables you to use something with a 3/8 hole with a 1/4" male part. I need the other way. Manfrotto do make one but I resented paying £18 to fix the, fairly flimsy, head I have on so I've bought a light weight Manfrotto head instead.
I'm pretty pleased with it so far, it is very stable for its weight. All the bits are tightened with a, provided, allen key. I've had to use this quite a bit, I presume this is either due to them not being tightened enough in the factory or a bit of initial 'give' I have no idea if I've ever had to tighten the same point twice. If it becomes obvious that it is the case then that would be a pain. I have no idea how well it is made yet though. The leg 'clamps' could be a weak point, no evidence of that but they don't look that tough.
So to sum up great to use, it's saved me having to buy a separate travel tripod, time will tell about toughness. In fact combined with my Manfrotto head the weak point is the head, which wobbles a bit.
Steve thanks for the link but the bush adaptor enables you to use something with a 3/8 hole with a 1/4" male part. I need the other way. Manfrotto do make one but I resented paying £18 to fix the, fairly flimsy, head I have on so I've bought a light weight Manfrotto head instead.
I bought one of these today, it was £89 in the shop but they only had the demo left so I negotiated another £10 discount. Haven't used it but it'll do me for the vast majority of situations unless you are standing on top of Flamborough in February a Force 10 which I wont be. I shake more in those situations than any tripod!
One thing I do like is the weight, it is so light & it's so cheap, if it lasts me three or four years I'll be well happy. The centre column is manual but what the hell. The head seems fine to me. It doesnt rank with the best scopes but it'll do me and it'll do you too unless you're after being seen with the latest fandangoing kit.
One thing I do like is the weight, it is so light & it's so cheap, if it lasts me three or four years I'll be well happy. The centre column is manual but what the hell. The head seems fine to me. It doesnt rank with the best scopes but it'll do me and it'll do you too unless you're after being seen with the latest fandangoing kit.
Steve Babbs
Well-known member
I'd have to say I wouldn't recommend it now, it'd appear that the cynics were right. It's been a lovely tripod to use, amazingly steady for its weight but one of the leg locking mechanisms has cracked. Maybe when I tightened it? It still works fine but it doesn't fill me with confidence. So it'd appear it was too good to be true.
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
So the "difficult to make" CF legs (and metal casting) are fine but the "easy to make" plastic(?) leg locking mechanism failed?
Ugh. Annoying.
But future generations of this might be a useful tripod.
Ugh. Annoying.
But future generations of this might be a useful tripod.
I bought one of these just before xmas mainly as a travel tripod and occasional use as a lighter alternative to my Gitzo. I've junked the head it comes with and got a manfrotto 700rc2 which fits straight on and pushes the price up to around £150, still cheap for what it is. The mounting thread for the head is also reversible so other less common thread diameter heads will be usable too. I used a Zeiss 65 with 15-45 zoom on it.
I've only really used it on a 6 day trip to Morocco over xmas and it was very impressive, as light as a manfrotto junior my mate uses but with legs that can be spread to any angle and a much superior head.
I mainly used it with the legs splayed out and me sat down which is achievable in most situations and it was perfectly stable even in some quite strong winds. Predictably it is less stable when extended, mainly because at 5'9'' I have to use the centre column on it and it is then unusable in any wind. That said even my Gitzo struggles with the centre column extended, basically you should never do it just sit down or move around the object blocking your view!
The only slight worry is the leg clips being made of plastic. When using it in the desert sand has got into these and although I put it in the shower to clean it out it has scratched the surface of the cam on the clamp making them a little abrasive and thus they stick and you have to use gentle force to tighten the leg rather than them snapping into place. Maybe not the easiest description to understand.
Would I recommend this tripod? Definitely if you throw away the head and use a 700 rc2. Nothing comes close to this weight or amount of features for the price.
G
I've only really used it on a 6 day trip to Morocco over xmas and it was very impressive, as light as a manfrotto junior my mate uses but with legs that can be spread to any angle and a much superior head.
I mainly used it with the legs splayed out and me sat down which is achievable in most situations and it was perfectly stable even in some quite strong winds. Predictably it is less stable when extended, mainly because at 5'9'' I have to use the centre column on it and it is then unusable in any wind. That said even my Gitzo struggles with the centre column extended, basically you should never do it just sit down or move around the object blocking your view!
The only slight worry is the leg clips being made of plastic. When using it in the desert sand has got into these and although I put it in the shower to clean it out it has scratched the surface of the cam on the clamp making them a little abrasive and thus they stick and you have to use gentle force to tighten the leg rather than them snapping into place. Maybe not the easiest description to understand.
Would I recommend this tripod? Definitely if you throw away the head and use a 700 rc2. Nothing comes close to this weight or amount of features for the price.
G
Kevin Purcell
Well-known member
SteveClifton
Well-known member
Well, you said it Steve.
My views about tripods have always been that to buy cheap is a false economy. That £100 or so for a CF tripod might seem cheap at the time, but more than likely it's going to come in very useful when you have to replace that bargain tripod for a proper travel one. At which point your total cost is likely to run to £200-£250+ so really quite an expensive travel tripod. Surely better to buy the one you really need the first time than keep wasting money on cheap junk.
Don't get me wrong, I love a bargain too, and there are still some decent bargains to be had in travel tripods. About 4 years ago I bought a Feisol 3402:
http://www.feisoluk.com/Tripods-Standard-Tripods/c24_32/p93/CT-3402---Medium-Standard-Class-Carbon-Fibre-Tripod/product_info.html
It's an excellent CF travel tripod, and can be customized with an optional centre column, or used with a supplied flat plate for greater stability. Mine was around £130, but now prices are nearer £190
Benro is another brand that make well respected, but cheap knock-off Gitzo-like tripods (made in China). A CF model like their Travel Angel would cost similar to the above Feisol. It's even cheaper for an aluminium version-about £120. They are quite widely available now via internet traders like Microglobe and Amazon, or can be ordered through Photopal, their UK distributor.
The Velbon in the link below really does look like a true bargain. Made from magnesium and CF, but they do have a good reputation for reliability, unlike the Jessops tripod.
http://www.microglobe.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?pName=velbon-sherpa-plus-530-tripod
One final thing, for a small/travel scope, a ball head works really well in my experience, especially if you use a camera too, though larger scopes don't work so well. They take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you'll wonder how you managed without one. Mine is a smaller Giottos model, and it's almost as smooth as my Manfrotto fluid head. I can easily follow birds in flight with it. Thoroughly recommend it, but perhaps not to everyone's taste. Very light too.
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