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Nikon ED50 .. which tripod/head combo? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter pesto126
- Start date
pesto126 said:
I've got an ED50 and am also looking - the Manfrotto digi series look good:
718 - has pan/tilt head the 714 has a ball head - both are around £65 in the UK. Seem fairly sturdy and stable for such a light compact tripod and as a 6ft 1" birder they seem tall enough to use the angled version without extending the centre column.
I haven't purchased either yet - but I'm very tempted.
Richard
yes.. the 714 and 718 seem like decent tripods.. 2.5 or 3.1lbs and max hight of 64".. Now, to choose between a pan/tilt style or ball head.. I think I would go with the ball head for the lighter weight and smaller fold length.. seems like you would just set this baby up and forget it so long as the locking isn't too difficult.
The only bad thing is it doesn't seem to have dovetail setup.. 714 is screw in.. so, I'd need to buy an add'l dovetail plate for the ED50's Arca-style dovetail.. this seems like an added accessory that is difficult to locate.
So.. those that have the ED50.. what tripod/head combo are you using? If I could find a tripod like the 714 without a head.... that woudl be ideal!
The only bad thing is it doesn't seem to have dovetail setup.. 714 is screw in.. so, I'd need to buy an add'l dovetail plate for the ED50's Arca-style dovetail.. this seems like an added accessory that is difficult to locate.
So.. those that have the ED50.. what tripod/head combo are you using? If I could find a tripod like the 714 without a head.... that woudl be ideal!
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Well.. I ordered the Manfrotto 715b.. nice and light tripod.. seems like it would be great with the ed50.. except it has a really strange quick release built in.. They give you an adapter that would be great on a P&S (screw in type_.. but the ED50 has a arca mount on the bottom.. so now what? I went looking online for an adapter.. but couldn't find one.
Oh boy.. I kinda think I'm gonna have spend the $$ to get a lightweight pod and a lightweight head... I'm trying to keep the whole package under 4 lbs..
Again.. any ideas? I need to buy tomorrow...
Oh boy.. I kinda think I'm gonna have spend the $$ to get a lightweight pod and a lightweight head... I'm trying to keep the whole package under 4 lbs..
Again.. any ideas? I need to buy tomorrow...
pesto126 said:
Well since my last post I ended up buying the 718B and it works very well for the scope on it's own - surprisingly stable for the weight and even in moderate wind I could happily use the 40x end of the zoom. The QR supplied is a dovetail type with a (removable) pin that fits the hole in front of the tripod bush securely.
(see 1st photo)
For digiscoping the tripod isn't really heavy enough - the weight of the camera and rings leaves the tripod feeling a little unbalanced even if it doesn't tip. Attaching the scope to the Manfrotto universal plate then attaching the tripod quick release to the underside of the plate shifts the weight forward slightly and giving a pretty stable platform for digiscoping. A heavier tripod would no doubt be much better, but it's a solution.
(see second photo)
I'm sure there are other solutions but this seems to work okay, for relatively little expenditure.
Richard
Attachments
Thank you Richard.. I didn't realize the ED50 had a hole in the bottom of the arca mount! This should work just fine with the 715B then since it too has the converter with screw adapter! Well.. I should receive the scope today so I'll just wait and see. I hope this pod is sturdy enough for me.. if not, I'll look into the 718! Thx agan!
Richard D said:
Just figured I would follow-up in case any else is interested.. received the scope the other day.. boy is it small! Any way.. set it up on the 115 and it is a nice setup.. sure, the tripod is a bit flimsy and might not work well in a strong breeze.. but, it sure is a nice light setup for carrying around in the field. The quick release connector screwed right into the scope and is held tight on the tripod. Overall.. very nice!
I just acquired a Velbon Maxi347E tripod and tried it out with the ED50 at 27x this afternoon. I think the Velbon is a pretty similar design and size to the Manfrotto 718 that others have used. It can be bought for less than £45 at Devon Camera Exchange:
http://www.devoncamera.co.uk/index.cfm/photographic/Products.Details/product_id/873/referer/froogle
Basically it works fine for general viewing. There was a reasonable breeze blowing (around 9 knots), although conditions were clear, and I was still able to get good steady views with the tripod fully extended. It's probably not quite as steady as a big tripod but I don't think the differences are really striking, at least not in the conditions I used it in today. I have a straight scope and stand six feet tall and when the central column's fully extended I can look through the scope quite comfortably. The tripod weighs less than a kilo and, most importantly, folds up very small so that it fits easily into a day rucksack. It also fits into my office draw!
http://www.devoncamera.co.uk/index.cfm/photographic/Products.Details/product_id/873/referer/froogle
Basically it works fine for general viewing. There was a reasonable breeze blowing (around 9 knots), although conditions were clear, and I was still able to get good steady views with the tripod fully extended. It's probably not quite as steady as a big tripod but I don't think the differences are really striking, at least not in the conditions I used it in today. I have a straight scope and stand six feet tall and when the central column's fully extended I can look through the scope quite comfortably. The tripod weighs less than a kilo and, most importantly, folds up very small so that it fits easily into a day rucksack. It also fits into my office draw!
