[wrz0170]

Hi everyone. I am just about set in getting the Zeiss 85 FL*T. One of the packages offered is with the Bogen 190CXPro4 Carbon Fiber Tripod /w Manfrotto 700RC2 head.

The tripod is rated:
19.68 in closed length
57.48 in Max height
2.95 lbs
11.02 lbs load

Is this a good combo? The 700RC2 ?

The other combo I looked at that they had was a Swarovski carbon fiber, but it was a bit heavier and more $$.

Thanks for any feedback!

William

[John Russell]

I take it that the offer is with the angled scope as the tripod height would be inadequate for straight viewing. Nevertheless, IMHO this would be a mismatch particularly if you are getting the zoom ocular. The 190 series are lightweight tripods and will not offer the necessary stability even at lower magnifications with a large scope. The bottom leg sections of a 4 section 190 will be very thin and flexible. Cheap, stable and light - pick two.

John

[wrz0170]

Originally Posted by John Russell

I take it that the offer is with the angled scope as the tripod height would be inadequate for straight viewing. Nevertheless, IMHO this would be a mismatch particularly if you are getting the zoom ocular. The 190 series are lightweight tripods and will not offer the necessary stability even at lower magnifications with a large scope. The bottom leg sections of a 4 section 190 will be very thin and flexible. Cheap, stable and light - pick two.

John

Hi John,

EDIT: I am getting the zoom ocular. Unusual enough, it is offered both Angle and straight. Straight not very convenient if you are a tall person. I am glad I asked here :)

The other combo offered was a Swarovski Carbon Fiber with the FH101 head.

74.9" height
7.7 load
4.5 lbs
26.9" closed

The height is certainly there.

The other one that I just saw was a carbon fiber velbon, but I don't know much about it. I would have to inquire.

They had a limited selection of carbon fiber tripods. I don't mind paying a bit more for strong, stable and the lighter weight as this will most likely be on my back....I'm usually the pack mule of the family.

[John Russell]

William,

I too am tall (6'3") and use a straight scope, which is quick on the bird but entails a penalty in tripod cost, weght and/or stability. If other family members are also going to be viewing with the scope, then angled might be the better solution.
As a rule of thumb for comfortable viewing the tripod height should be 12" less than your own height for straight scopes and 24" less for angled scopes. This allows for the height of the tripod head, the scope itself and eye level being 4" lower than your own height.
This should be achieved with minimal centre column extension and the lowest number of leg sections compatible with the closed height, if this is an issue.
Not a rigid rule either, but I would suggest that for the higher magnifications the bottom leg sections of a carbon fibre tripod should be 20mm diameter or more.
The best of luck in your search.

John

[wrz0170]

Thank you sir! I have seen some threads regarding CF/combos that seem to work for people. I will see what I can scratch up.

Originally Posted by John Russell

William,

I too am tall (6'3") and use a straight scope, which is quick on the bird but entails a penalty in tripod cost, weght and/or stability. If other family members are also going to be viewing with the scope, then angled might be the better solution.
As a rule of thumb for comfortable viewing the tripod height should be 12" less than your own height for straight scopes and 24" less for angled scopes. This allows for the height of the tripod head, the scope itself and eye level being 4" lower than your own height.
This should be achieved with minimal centre column extension and the lowest number of leg sections compatible with the closed height, if this is an issue.
Not a rigid rule either, but I would suggest that for the higher magnifications the bottom leg sections of a carbon fibre tripod should be 20mm diameter or more.
The best of luck in your search.

John

[veagle]

[quote=wrz0170;1453518]
The other one that I just saw was a carbon fiber velbon, but I don't know much about it. I would have to inquire.

QUOTE]

Don't know if you are still up in the air, but I have the EL Carmagne 630A Tripod Legs, and they are really quite nice. Less than $300, lightweight, and a nice feature is numbers on the legs (I know it sounds silly) which make it easy to remember that if you are birding with your spouse, and you need to make the legs shorter, you can simply remember to set the legs on "5", for example. Because Carbon fiber is so light, you may inevitably have some problems when there is high wind, but this comes with a hand attachment that clips to the legs, and lets you fill it with rocks, or dirt or whatever is handy to weight down the tripod. I've only used it once, but it came in very handy.

Veagle

[dmoulton]

I agree with John Russell - The 190 series tripods are too light for the Zeiss 85 FL. My wife has a Zeiss 65 FL and a carbon fiber, 3 section 190 series tripod which work together fairly well, but the tripod is a bit too flexible for the extra weight of my Zeiss 85 FL. Also the 190 tripod is too short for me (I'm 5' 10") without using most of the center column. General wisdom is that it is the rig is most stable with no center column extended.

The Manfrotto 055 series are taller and sturdier, thus a better match for the Zeiss 85 FL and a tall human. Also, consider the Gitzo 2131 series - lighter and more expensive, but top of the heap.

The 700RC tripod head is also marginal for the large scope. It's OK, but the Manfrotto 128RC is much smoother with the weight and size of your scope.

We recently replaced our tripod heads with the Gitzo 2180, which, in our opinion, is FAR superior to either of the Manfrottos. The Gitzo is easier to work and and provides smoother motion. It also has a quickly adjustable spring counterbalance to allow the scope to balance better and use less friction on the tilt control. This is a great help when digiscoping as I can quickly adjust the balance setting on the tripod head to allow for the weight of my camera.

Good luck and good viewing