Dazed and Confused (1 Viewer)

[paddyenglishman]

dont you just hate it when you have written a blisteringly hilarious piece and then you accidently delete the damn thing .
So this post is now in its second addition.
I would like some help in choosing a tripod please .
I am in the process of buying a second hand ,third hand ? AT80HD swarovski
and as i suspect it going to be not on the light side i am going to need something to put it on .As the borrowed cheapo ebay scope sits on its mini tripod on a chopping board precariously balanced on a pressure cooker conveniently placed on my kitchen units i think it may be time to go up in the world .
now i know the bird spotting lark ( pardon the pun) suffers from equipment elitism as does every other hobby in the world , correct me if i am wrong.So whilst i'm not afraid of spending money i don't think i need a shiny carbon fibre job
So i know i need a tripod ,and i suspect from my powers of observation that i need a head , i'd like one that pans? and tilts ? with one lever . Is that reasonable? It can be robust as i do not intend to carry it far, i will be doing most of my viewing from the comfort of my home.
I'm a 6'2" confused bloke that has no idea what i'm doing or whether or not i need a plate to go on this head or tripod .Should i stick with the pressure cooker?
Ideas please.or amusing insults i'm easy
Regards
Dave

 

[nick the grief]

Don't worry Dave ... it won't stay shiny long

 

[Sancho]

Manfrotto 128RC Head, with 190D tripod. The tripod is made of aluminium or somesuch, the head is one-lever operation and comes with the distinct advantage the Swaro scopes fit directly onto it without the need for the tripod head plate thingy. (I don´t know what all these bits are called). In other words, the tripod foot-plate on the scope sits snugly into the top of the 128RC head, you don´t need to screw anything into it. No screws. No extra footplate. Happy Birding!

 

[paddyenglishman]

Thanks Sancho and Nick Any suggestions for a Dublin based supplier?

 

[Sancho]

Thanks Sancho and Nick Any suggestions for a Dublin based supplier?

Hiya Paddy E., Conn's of Clarendon Street do them. But you'd get them a lot cheaper from one of the UK-based online retailers. Let us know what you get!

 

[kabsetz]

Without being elitist (which I am also perfectly capable of being), I'd recommend a sturdier tripod. The head Sancho recommends is fine, but the 190 is not very stable, especially when fully extend which a 6'2" person would need to do when standing, even with an angled scope. So go with a 055 series tripod, perhaps the 028 or, better yet, get a Berlebach 3042 ashwood tripod (no idea if these are available in Ireland, though). The Swaro scope is not especially heavy, but the AT 80 is pretty long, which means that much of the weight is distributed far from the center of gravity and thus it will tend to resonate more when it starts to shake for any reason. Also, the scope is very well able to take magnifications up to 60x, but at these magnifications even the best tripods begin to show their weakness.

Kimmo

 

[Sancho]

So go with a 055 series tripod, perhaps the 028 or, better yet, get a Berlebach 3042 ashwood tripod (no idea if these are available in Ireland, though).
Kimmo

I hadn´t thought of the height issue, being a non-tall person myself! Even if these are available in Ireland, don´t buy them here, because you´ll pay quite a premium for the privilege. I´m sure you could check them out in a store and then buy them on-line, though (serves Irish sellers right for ripping us off constantly....)

 

[paddyenglishman]

Well i had a quick look online for the ash tripod and couldnt find a supplier in Ireland ( i'd like to say it came as a shock ) so i got on the the 6am train and had a trip to Dublin today. I was already going to Conns Cameras to look at the Swarovski scope.I have been a bit wary about buying this scope as it seemed cheap , but i am happy with it so far,its an AT80Hd .So whilst there i had a play with various tripods . and ended up buying a Manfrotto set up. I weighed up the online offers this week and whilst on the one hand Uk dealers are far cheaper , carriage costs need to be taken into account and as i live in the Republic of Ireland i get stiffed on them.I am not saying i got deal of the century but somewhere i got a €75 saving which brought the 128Rc and 190dbx down to €150 , now i know i bought a scope as well but on the whole i don't think thats too bad.
Not had much chance to use the set up but i can say i am actually glad i am not any taller as this tripod is only just tall enough. I can see a modification happening sooner than later, i may make some leg extensions if i have a problem.

 

[paddyenglishman]

Ho ho , i'm impressed with my purchases.
I wanted the scope so i could get a decent view of a particular deciduous tree .not only do i have a perfect view of the as yet unidentified tree the first thing i picked up with was a couple of male pheasants feeding in a field at twice the long range distance. It is nice to see the pheasants as i have heard them all summer ,i have seen the female in my garden but not the males. It suprises me that they havent be shot to be honest ,as everyone here thinks Elmer Fudd is a role model. The 190dbx tripod with its legs retracted is the perfect height for me when placed on the kitchen units .this pleases my wife as she can have the pressure cooker back.And i am impressed with the 128RC as it gives me easy control in all directions and it stays where you put it . thanks for the recommendations .
Dave

 

[Sancho]

Congrats, Dave, glad you like the setup. The pheasants around where I live are half-tame, they get fed by the neighbours and wander around the road in front of the cars when people are going to work in the morning. Actually they look a bit thick close up. Nice work in Conn´s, happy birding!

 

[Tero]

Sanco, the tripod head plate thingy sometimes works well. I had worse luck with the other kind. You can't see how much of the screw is actually holding your scope.

It never hurts to check every time you put one on. Mine fell off once so far, wtith the old head.