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Hello, I'm thinking of buying a MM3 60 and Velbon Ultra 355 to keep the weight down. Can anyone recommend a good head to go with this combo? Thanks in advance, Adam
I'd also sing the praises of the Velbon Ultra and PQ157 head, very easy to use and light, but have switched to their QHD43 ball head with their Super 8 Ultra Stick monopod. It is much lighter still and yet remains effective for scoping.
Do note this setup is not stable enough for extended viewing, so not for sorting through flocks of gulls or peeps, but for scope looks at distant birds without a lot of weight or bulk, it is excellent.
I use the discontinued Velbon Ultra Luxi, which is equivalent to the current Ultra 455. For me, the 355 you are considering is just a little too unsubstantial for scoping. For a head, I use a Really Right Stuff BH-25 ballhead (with compact screw-knob clamp that takes Arca-Swiss type QR plates). It is very robust compared to most small ballheads. Anything other than a small ballhead on the 355 or 455 adds a lot of bulk, and some choices add a lot of weight. If by Velbon PQ157 you mean the PH-157Q head, my feeling is that it is bulky and heavy (>21 oz compared to ~7 oz for the RRS BH-25 with QR plate) for these tripods, even though it is very light for a head with a handle and panning ability (and it may be the best you can do if you are unwilling to use a ballhead).