Binocular for tripod during daytime viewing.. (1 Viewer)

[Northman]

Considering buying a binocular, attaching it to a tripod, watching birds while out walking.
This would be between 10-14 in the afternoon.

Most birds are in the 20-50m range...

So, tripod, small chair and a binocular..
I already have tripod and small chair..


What would you use?

 

[tehri]

You should at least give an idea of price, budget, because with all the opinions that you will receive, you will have the choice between 50 binoculars, and will not be more informed ! 😋
Between 50 and 3000 €, the choice is vast !

 

[mwhogue]

Considering buying a binocular, attaching it to a tripod, watching birds while out walking.
This would be between 10-14 in the afternoon.

Most birds are in the 20-50m range...

So, tripod, small chair and a binocular..
I already have tripod and small chair..


What would you use?

.

Based on your stated plan to use on a tripod and with a chair during bright light, generally IMO you would be better off with, or at least might as well use, a 10, 12 or 15x binocular to take maximum advantage of the tripod. If you want to have the option to sometimes more easily use the binocular without the tripod then you could also consider a 7 or 8X as well since all bins benefit from the stabilization provided by the tripod.

As tehri suggests in post #2, if you are inclined to provide more information you will get more specific recommendations.

Mike

 

[Will K]

What would you use?

If you’re looking for straight personal opinions …

I’d go with 12x or 15x, to make good use of a tripod (as suggested above) but retaining flexibility if handheld use is ever needed. I have used 20x binos in a setup similar to the one you describe. That was before I got a spotting scope, which I now prefer for seated distance viewing.

Even with daylight viewing, big objectives are almost always a bonus - brighter images are always better - and especially so if you’re not holding their weight by hand. So I’d be looking at 50mm, or even 60mm, objectives.

If I was buying entry-level binos again for this kind of thing, I’d probably look at Vortex Diamondbacks. If I was splashing out, it would probably be Swarovski SLCs.

Budget is a decisive factor, as previous posts say 🙂

 

[Northman]

Lets just say I am considering a Swarovski 8x56 SLC.

 

[Maljunulo]

I’m not convinced that a tripod is necessary for 8X, and 56mm objectives sound equally unnecessary, but it’s your money.

How did you arrive at this particular choice?

 

[Richard D]

I use SLC 15x56's on a tripod and enjoy them - much more pleasant viewing than a scope, but obviously less magnification. Swarovski sent me a free additional stud for my SLC 7x50's when I contacted them and whilst the difference between using the 15's handheld and mounted is extremely noticeable, mounting the 7's gives very little improvement (but does save the neck and arms for longer viewing periods).

 

[CharleyBird]

Guessing there's a reason you can't simply sit down on the ground and support the binocular with elbows on knees.

Not something I've considered previously, but for me, to justify carrying a chair & tripod to an observation point I'd have to be using an unusually high magnification (15x or more) or something very heavy (a WX10x50 would be nice). Maybe carry them in a windy environment with expansive views where I'd be sitting for a significant time rather than walking.

 

[edwincjones]

I would agree with the higher mag (12 to 20X) if you are using a tripod,
but (for me) one of the higher mag IS binos is easier to carry than bino, tripod, chair.

edj

 

[Mono]

I'm struggling with the ergonomics on this setup.

If you are sat in a chair with tripod mounted binoculars then you must be leaning forward a great deal to get your eyes in the correct place, hardly the most comfortable position for extended observation. Sitting squarely in the chair with one's back supported would be much more comfortable but would make using tripod mounted binoculars difficult unless you had a long horizontal extension bar or a microphone stand style arrangement.

 

[Will K]

I'm struggling with the ergonomics on this setup.

If you are sat in a chair with tripod mounted binoculars then you must be leaning forward a great deal to get your eyes in the correct place, hardly the most comfortable position for extended observation. Sitting squarely in the chair with one's back supported would be much more comfortable but would make using tripod mounted binoculars difficult unless you had a long horizontal extension bar or a microphone stand style arrangement.

I find it possible to sit comfortably when the chair is angled about 45 degrees to the side of the tripod. Its comfortable for about 10-15mins, then I'd probably need to switch sides or move to a new location. A scope definitely has more flexibility.

I expect that Swaro BTX users have their own tips and preferences, too (the scope with the binocular optics).

 

[Saxatilis]

Hi
I used a 15x56 Vortex Kaibab for years with good results

 

[Northman]

Using Walkstool:
(Not my photo)

And the RRS tripod are not that heavy.

Where I live, I do daily walks around a lake with my dog, 1 hour long walk, weather permitting.
With ducks, swans, eagles.. and even more to look at in the summer.

Or I can walk up the mountain next to my house, a 2 hour walk up and down.. or go down to the seaside.


Last 4 times I encountered a pair of eagles, they where just 20-40m above my head.
The walking path is just 10m from water, so birds are usually close.


I could do a 15x56, to get a close up of a bird, or another magnification to get a wider view, and get more birds into view.

 

[Will K]

Where I live, I do daily walks around a lake with my dog, 1 hour long walk, weather permitting.
With ducks, swans, eagles.. and even more to look at in the summer.

Or I can walk up the mountain next to my house, a 2 hour walk up and down.. or go down to the seaside.

Sounds lovely!

I guess there is always the NL Pure 12x42. That’s a fantastic all-round bino, if price is no hinderance.

 

[Mono]

A stool makes much more sense! I had you relaxed in some sort of laid back lawn chair.

 

[yarrellii]

There's a set of conditions that could guide you. Let's see

• walking
• bright daylight (actually the brightest moment of the day)
• tripod
• Intermediate distance (20-50 m)

• Walking would imply you need something light, but then, you say you're also carrying a small chair and tripod... well, maybe another reason to go for a lightweight binocular. However, since you are using a tripod, weight would not be a consideration (except for the fact that you say you would use them while walking).
• Bright daylight. This means that your pupil would contract, and thus you could use binocular with smaller exit pupils without great compromise (a tripod also helps with this, since the binoculars are more stable), so something with a 3 mm exit pupil (or even less, actually) would be enough.
• Tripod, this opens up the chance to use high power without the fear of getting a shaky image, or else use a "conventional" power (8 or 10x) but taking full advantage of the resolution. However, the main point of handheld binoculars is that you can move them swiftly to follow birds in flight or moving among the bushes.
• 20 to 50 m is not really long range. So an intermediate power could suffice (again, we don't know what you're trying to get; if it's the ultimate detail of birds on a tree/feeder) the experience of a 20x can be mind-blowing, although the use of that set of optics would be very specific)

So I guess a powerfull 12x or 15x that doesn't require a huge lens (so a 40-42 mm objective would be enough, even less). Maybe a Nikon Monarch 5 12x42 (which incidentally is a very light binocular), or a 15x56 (but then, for that weight you're entering scope territory, since you can get a more powerful 40x60 scope under 1 kg, but then the vision would not be binocular obviously). It's a tough one.

 

[exup]

On Cloudynights there is a similar debate regarding mounted bins. For sky watching the bins most suitable tend to be higher magnification and larger objectives, so the benefits are much more pronounced.

An often cited relationship is from Pinac:

The formula that has been proposed** is:

Efficiency(handheld) = Efficiency(mounted) : (1 + 0.05 M)

M is binocular magnification.

This relationship can be debated (off course!), but the well proven point is that there is a huge resolution advantage from removing the human handholding interface from the visual delivery chain i.e. hand shake.

One can choose to do this with hard mounts such as p-mounts or tripods/ monopods or by using electronics which can prove to be more portable.

 

[BKoh]

Using Walkstool:
(Not my photo)

And the RRS tripod are not that heavy.

Where I live, I do daily walks around a lake with my dog, 1 hour long walk, weather permitting.
With ducks, swans, eagles.. and even more to look at in the summer.

Or I can walk up the mountain next to my house, a 2 hour walk up and down.. or go down to the seaside.


Last 4 times I encountered a pair of eagles, they where just 20-40m above my head.
The walking path is just 10m from water, so birds are usually close.


I could do a 15x56, to get a close up of a bird, or another magnification to get a wider view, and get more birds into view.

Maybe you can consider a combo, an 8x30/32 for quick looks, plus an IS binocular for distant targets.

1. 8x30/32 eg Nikon Monarch 7/Kite Lynx/Opticron Traveller ED (midrange), Swarovski NL/Zeiss SF (premium)
==
Light, easy to track birds in flight. 8x25/20 even smaller but FOV is reduced so not ideal.

2. IS binocular
==
Canon 15x50/18x50 on monopod will be nearly as stable as binos on a tripod, but allow you more flexibility when tracking wildlife. The monopod carries most of the weight, and IS provides stability. Canon also has the 10/12/14x32 which are lighter but cannot be tripod mounted.

Kamukura-made 12/14/16x42 (various brands) also do not accept a tripod head but weigh 600-800g. They also come in 10/12/14x30 versions which are even smaller and lighter (422g).

 

[fazalmajid]

I have the Kite 16x42 APC stabilized binos, which are remarkably light. I wouldn't bother with a tripod.

 

[Royfinn]

Using Walkstool:

And the RRS tripod are not that heavy.

Where I live, I do daily walks around a lake with my dog, 1 hour long walk, weather permitting.
With ducks, swans, eagles.. and even more to look at in the summer.

Or I can walk up the mountain next to my house, a 2 hour walk up and down.. or go down to the seaside.

Last 4 times I encountered a pair of eagles, they where just 20-40m above my head.
The walking path is just 10m from water, so birds are usually close.

I got walkstool as christmas present, just waiting for the better weather to test it...

But I don't really get your way of thinking... If you are walking the dog at the daytime, you need something light, portable and fast to use, like 8x30 bins. Here in Finland I haven't seen no one using bins with tripod and certainly not while walking the dog. If you want a look for the eagles, bins in a tripod is propably the worst option. If you need more reach for the walks, small (angled version) spotting scope or zoom camera will do the trick and they are easily carried in the backback.