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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Need help selecting tripod/head - Zeiss Harpia (1 Viewer)

KeriBirder

I love Snowy Owls!
Hey folks... in a couple weeks I’ll be getting a Zeiss Harpia 95. Now on to tripods and heads. I’ve been thinking about the new Zeiss Carbon Fiber Pro tripod combo, and also possibly the Swarovski CCT or PCT... I’ve also cursorily looked at Manfrotto or Gitzo Mountaineer, but have no real clue about which to get, which would be a better choice... thoughts/suggestions appreciated as always!
 
If you are anything like me, there would be a lot of distance involved in getting to a brick and mortar shop that carries a good variety of tripods and heads. I read a good bit on this forum, and shopped the internet, looking at reviews on products and ended up going Manfrotto. I chose the 500ah fluid head and am pleased with the smoothness of movement and the fact that once aimed it will stay put. I chose the 190go! MS Carbon 4-Section photo Tripod with twist locks . I got the carbon fiber for rigidity, a 4 section for compactness when stored, even though a 3 section would be more rigid, it's a trade off, and the twist locks. I had an old metal tripod I bought in an overseas USAF BX back in the early 70's that had twist locks and just like them, familiarity I guess. I'm pleased with my set-up, although really have nothing else to compare to.
 
Hi,

old Velbon Carbon legs called Carmagne 530 here (roughly equivalent to todays Geo N535). And a 500AH on top. Very stable and smooth movement for my 1.5kg TSN3. Should be good for up to 2.5kg.

Joachim
 
A big enough Gitzo and a Manfrotto 500AH head. Something like the GT3532. The Harpia isn't a light and small scope, so you'll want a substantial tripod.

Hermann
 
If you are anything like me, there would be a lot of distance involved in getting to a brick and mortar shop that carries a good variety of tripods and heads. I read a good bit on this forum, and shopped the internet, looking at reviews on products and ended up going Manfrotto. I chose the 500ah fluid head and am pleased with the smoothness of movement and the fact that once aimed it will stay put. I chose the 190go! MS Carbon 4-Section photo Tripod with twist locks . I got the carbon fiber for rigidity, a 4 section for compactness when stored, even though a 3 section would be more rigid, it's a trade off, and the twist locks. I had an old metal tripod I bought in an overseas USAF BX back in the early 70's that had twist locks and just like them, familiarity I guess. I'm pleased with my set-up, although really have nothing else to compare to.

Actually, I’m lucky in that there’s a great Optics shop not too far from me... they appear to have a great selection, but still want to get others’ imput here... the one thing I did glean so far is to go sturdy and not scrimp on price, which I wasn’t planning anyhow.... I guess I’m probably most interested in weight at this point and a sturdy scope...
 
Read my review under Scopes/Zeiss:

If you want to benefit from the superb quality and want to use the scope at enlargements beyond 40x you need a excellent wood tripod.

Even with only slight wind every carbon (e.g. FLM or Gitzo) tripod will tremble much more than a wooden tripod (Berlebach, I don't know other brands). Yes it weighs at around 3 kg plus the head (I can highly recommend the 2 way Berlebach 553) but it is worth it.

Without wind, which means in the shop, you will see no difference between the wood and the carbon model. But in the nature a slight or more wind will be almost every say.
 
Highly recommend the birder tripod with 2 section legs sold at Audubon shop as suggested by St Elmo. Very stable.
 
Joachim and other who use a 500ah--is the fixed drag an issue if you need to pan relatively quickly? I used a Benro fluid head once and I found the fixed drag to be a nuisance if I needed anything more than a very slow pan. I was hoping to pair a 500ah with my Kowa 883 but am still considering other head options.

Cheers,
Gabriel
 
Hey folks... in a couple weeks I’ll be getting a Zeiss Harpia 95. Now on to tripods and heads. I’ve been thinking about the new Zeiss Carbon Fiber Pro tripod combo, and also possibly the Swarovski CCT or PCT... I’ve also cursorily looked at Manfrotto or Gitzo Mountaineer, but have no real clue about which to get, which would be a better choice... thoughts/suggestions appreciated as always!

Hey folks... in a couple weeks I’ll be getting a Zeiss Harpia 95. Now on to tripods and heads. I’ve been thinking about the new Zeiss Carbon Fiber Pro tripod combo, and also possibly the Swarovski CCT or PCT... I’ve also cursorily looked at Manfrotto or Gitzo Mountaineer, but have no real clue about which to get, which would be a better choice... thoughts/suggestions appreciated as always!
I agree with Bill, the Gitzo GHF2W head is excellent & have a look at the Artcise AS 80C carbon fibre..no centre column, very stable, reasonably priced. Both great for phone or digiscoping. Benro Mach 3 also very good.
 
Gitzo tripods are great, but parts and customer service/warranty service not so much....
At this price point might as well look at Really Right Stuff.
Induro, FLM, ProMedia Gear, Feisol are well worthy to consider. I would stay away from any Chinese knock-offs....
Manfrotto, Peak Design, Benro and a few others are third tier of sorts, might do the job and more affordable , but they will have problems with stability, durability, among other issues, depending on model.
Buy once and cry once, but does not mean it has to be the most expensive - just be sure the weight, height and leg locks are things that fit you and your purpose.
Last but not least: the ballhead - actually I would recommended a gimbal instead - skip the swaro, as they are gitzo rebranded anyway. Wimberly, RRS, ProMedia and Zenelli as examples - again, stay away from knock-offs, as often rely on heavy grease vs ball bearings

ps: don't count on the center column to set scope at proper height. Its' ok(ish) if extends about half of total length, or in a pinch, if you don't want to extend tripod legs fully, but in general, they will not help with stability
 
Just one caution on your choice of tripod, which was illustrated beautifully to me in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone last September: be sure to get a substantial tripod that will not be likely to blow down in a sudden gust of wind. I had my Bausch & Lomb Elite scope on a video tripod and it remained standing during a very brief but intense wind storm while many (dozens) of others blew down. The light weight of carbon is appealing, but in some cases can be a serious disadvantage, and I own both but rarely use the carbon legs with my spotting scope. There are numerous good choices out there but I am glad that I bought my video tripod for use with my spotting scope. Enjoy your search.
 
Gitzo tripods are great, but parts and customer service/warranty service not so much....
At this price point might as well look at Really Right Stuff.
Induro, FLM, ProMedia Gear, Feisol are well worthy to consider. I would stay away from any Chinese knock-offs....
Manfrotto, Peak Design, Benro and a few others are third tier of sorts, might do the job and more affordable , but they will have problems with stability, durability, among other issues, depending on model.
Buy once and cry once, but does not mean it has to be the most expensive - just be sure the weight, height and leg locks are things that fit you and your purpose.
Last but not least: the ballhead - actually I would recommended a gimbal instead - skip the swaro, as they are gitzo rebranded anyway. Wimberly, RRS, ProMedia and Zenelli as examples - again, stay away from knock-offs, as often rely on heavy grease vs ball bearings

ps: don't count on the center column to set scope at proper height. Its' ok(ish) if extends about half of total length, or in a pinch, if you don't want to extend tripod legs fully, but in general, they will not help with stability
Benro is a Chinese company with Chinese made products. Ok, so not all Chinese products are good but neither are British, French, Italian etc, etc. Knock offs there may be from China but they also make some excellent stuff. Many optical/photographic equipment companies get products made there and market them under European/US brands. I've bought qr plates, attachments, fluid heads etc direct or through European sources at much reduced prices which have been fine. So let's not over generalise.
 
Made in China it's not the same as made by China - yes, they can manufacture good products in special regards to QC supervised by international companies, but....there are a lot of knock-offs, aka copycats - read stolen design property, made with cheaper components and standards, that will not last much or work properly.
Even simple things like arca-swiss plates have sizing issues - I got a couple that just lay the drawer's bottom because they don't fil well in AS type bases.
Let's not talk about batteries...lol
That's mostly what I am talking about. The second issue come with service - an example, as it's not photography item. Nitecore flashlights. Not cheap, and actually very well made - yes in China, by China. So the glass cover broke/shatter and yes my fault. Surprisingly, Nitecore is willing to repair it under warranty at no charge - the DRAWBACK : it will cost me almost $50 to ship it to them. Not their fault, but no, I am not paying that much, as might as well get a new one then. I asked them to send just the glass, as I can do the replacement myself - they refuse.
My RRS tripod had an issue with leg lock coils - RRS would repair under warranty, but due to size, still a bit expensive send the whole tripod over. I ask then, if they could just send me the coils, as I can tackle the easy repair/replacement. Sure, they said - and let us know if you need any help. Got them in a week, and it's working fine.
So , different issues but sums up the other part of the problem....
Gitzo is too a great brand, but if you are in the US, then good luck. However Europeans get way better served by local customer service.
 
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Just one caution on your choice of tripod, which was illustrated beautifully to me in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone last September: be sure to get a substantial tripod that will not be likely to blow down in a sudden gust of wind. I had my Bausch & Lomb Elite scope on a video tripod and it remained standing during a very brief but intense wind storm while many (dozens) of others blew down. The light weight of carbon is appealing, but in some cases can be a serious disadvantage, and I own both but rarely use the carbon legs with my spotting scope. There are numerous good choices out there but I am glad that I bought my video tripod for use with my spotting scope. Enjoy your search.

Hi,

that is indeed a good point, although I would prefer to increase the weight of my setup by one or two bottles of water in my mulepack... you can also use them for the obvious purpose and drain any excess for the hike home...

Joachim
 
Hi, first post, from the states. If you’re not a lightweight hiker/backpacker, I would strongly consider a wood Ries Tripod. Seems like many of the people here are from the UK and Europe, so I don’t know how easy it is to obtain.

They’ve been in biz since 1936, and Ansel Adams (the famous photographer) was a huge fan. They’re used extensively in the large format photography and electronic testing market, as I guess nothing reduces vibration more than a maple wood tripod.

Anyway, the key thing that sets them apart is that one can lock each leg at any angle. If you need to pick it up and move it a foot or two, the legs won’t awkwardly fold in once the weight comes off (unless you unlock the legs, of course).

This feature, plus the wood material, make this tripod the most rigid, easy to use, and vibration reducing of all tripods I’m aware of. (All tripods with a folding/locking triangle spreader brace halfway down or at the leg bottom completely stink, in my opinion. Using a chain to limit spreading is even worse).

I believe some Berlebach Uni tripods (not Report) have a friction lock on the leg spreading joint. I haven’t seen one in person, but besides the Uni line being heavier than the Ries, I would find it hard to believe a simple friction lock would be equivalent to the tri-lock brace mechanism of the Ries.

You can get a Ries down to about 7lbs. Certainly not super lightweight. But hanging swinging weights from that ultralight CF tripod isn’t real stable in the wind, you know?

I have a 12.5lbs Ries H-100-2 of the older, heavier style with a cast aluminum platform and bronze knobs. The thing is a rock of Gibraltar, believe me, but it is a “car-to-the-place-within-100yds” sort of tripod.

Anyway, Ries has a rather confusing site. I can try to answer any questions you might have (I don’t work for them!). If on your phone, do make sure you view their “desktop” site via a link on bottom of their mobile pages. Their mobile site is positively atrocious.

The only CF tripod that I’m aware of with a leg spread lock (not a spreader-brace thing!) are two from Field Optics Research, the PRO32-MIL and PRO39-MIL (video link explaining the lock and rather unique “head”). This community might be turned off by them, as they have a shooting focus, but Swaro is heavily involved in the shooting sports, no?
 
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Another thing: consider what you hate most about tripods and buy the opposite.

For example, I loathe multiple sections of legs. I want to extend once and done. I’m not bothered by a longish collapsed length.

After the trip, I also am not fond of lovingly disassembling and cleaning an intricate tripod after the bottom sections sink into mud and lock up or are gritty. I also hate flexi tripods and all tripods that flop about when being moved.

I can deal with a bit of weight. More stable in the wind!

So, for me, I need a medium weight, two-section, rigid, lockable spread tripod with grit-tolerant or easy to clean legs.

Some tripod leg designs eliminate spots where dirt can get into the legs by inverting the way they extend. In other words, their legs are sealed at the bottom. The Benbo and clones (sadly, all aluminum, I believe) and the RRS Tvc-22i mk 2 come to mind (sadly, no leg spread lock).

Wood tripods are easy to clean, just loosen the legs and hit them with the hose. Turn the water on first!

Haha!

So, get a piece of paper and rank your priorities or, using my way, rank your hates!
 
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