[parknook]

Recently brought the Swaro 80HD ats as my first scope.
Now need a tripod to match what do you recomend and why.

I also tend towards the quality end of the market although this sometimes is not the smartest idea.

I have considered the monfrantto MN055 MF4 with the MN 501 pro head but thing this may be serrious overkill for an occasional birder like myself.

Any good reviews on tripods and heads you can point me to would also be useful.

Parknook

[SteveClifton]

Not a bad way to start out with your first scope. It took me over 20 years to graduate to the scope you have.

I also have the Manfrotto MF3, which is the 3-section version of the MF4. Nothing wrong with it, in fact in many ways it's an excellent tripod. Any particular reason you want the 4-section version? It can be a pain closing up the extra section unless you need the extra portability. I love the scope and wouldn't swap it, but if I were to buy again I would probably go for the Velbon Sherpa pro carbon fibre 635. It's probably around half a kg lighter in weight (legs only) than the Manfrotto, and from the reports I've read, its at least as stable. The best bit is the price. Cheapest I've seen is down your way (Bristol Cameras £130-check their website), and it comes with a free head at that price! You'd be lucky to find the Manfrotto for less than £200, even £250.

The 501 head you mentioned might be overkill, unless you plan to do lots of digiscoping, or don't mind carrying the extra weight. Most birders go for the lighter (but still excellent) Manfrotto 128RC which has an integral quick-release built into the top.

Saving weight is a popular theme these days, and the Velbon/Manfrotto 128 combo would be around 1kg lighter in total than the kit you were looking at.
Hope that helps, Steve.

[djprest]

i use a manfrotto 055 with a 128 head which the swarovski foot fits straight into with out the use of a quick release plate,and as mentioned has a locking device.

darrell

[IanF]

I'm using the Manfrotto 443 Carbon One with the 128RC head. I'ts a real big plus for me using the 128RC since as Darrell says the Swarovski ATS80HD foot fits directly into the tripod head without the use of a Q plte - it's a much stronger and more sturdy fitting than when a plate is used.

I still prefer the 055NAT for sturdiness, but if you're planning on carrying the tripod/scope very far, buying carbon fibre or MF is definitely worth the extra cost for saving weight.

The 501 is a very nice head but it's pretty heavy just by itself. Personally I prefer three stage tripod legs over four for stability.

[SteveCA]

I used to use a Bogen 3001D with a manfrotto 322RC2 Grip action ballhead with my 85mm Zeiss but found it too shaky at higher magnifications. I brought my scope to a camera store and tested out some gitzo carbon fiber tripods. What a difference a tripod makes! I had no idea how stiff those Gitzo carbon tripods were until I did the test. I now have the gitzo GT3540LS with the same manfrotto head and it is rock steady at 60X. I can put my cheek against the eye cup and focus without the annoying shake that used to prevent perfect focus. I also tested it out today in a windy place and found the image at 60X to be very stable with minimal movement. the most impressive part is how fast the tripod resteadies itself after a bump or tap. With my old pod, it was several cycles before the tripod stopped moving but with the gitzo, it stops immediately after the bump. With the old tripod, I could not allow my cheek to touch the eyecup without disturbing the image (at 60X). With the Gitzo, I can leave my cheek or brow in contact, which helps me keep my eye in the proper position. Of course, it comes at a pretty steep price but then again the scope wasn't cheap either.