Tripod for Nikon ED50 (1 Viewer)

Which tripod would be suitable for use with my recently purchased Nikon ED50? I am 'making do' with an old, cheap, photographic one which is useless. This is my only 'scope. I am of small build and have neck/balance problems so it needs to be light and manageable, sturdy and not cost megabucks, as I'm now destitute following purchase of the Nikon!! When I was at Titchwell looking at compact 'scopes I looked at one on a Manfrotto which cost around £70 (I seem to remember it had a 7 and an S in the code?? and was actually a 3 way head photographic tripod). They said they were using it because the ED50 is so light and compact it looked rather silly on something more substantial. Any advice greatly appreciated. By the way, thanks to everyone who gave me advice on the purchase of the Nikon recently. I know I wont regret it even though it was more than I could afford.

Lightweight Manfrotto tripod for ED 50

Probably the 718B with a dovetail quick release plate.....good combination and folds down nicely. A little bit sturdier is the 728B, same head but slightly heavier legs, around £89 methinks.

Try looking at the Manfrotto digi range. They are small, lightweight and under £100. They have a built in three way head and would be a good option for the ED50.

Looks like Pyrtle had the same thought. both tripods mentioned are in the digi range.

A friend uses the Slik Video Sprint. It's super lightweight but definitely does the job - surprisingly rigid and stable (just take care in windy conditions). Cost is under £60-00.

Thanks guys. Very helpful. Will check these out.

Hi Amelia,

I have just bought an ED50 (straight) and am now faced with the same decision that you were faced with when you started this thread. Could you post details of the combination that you ended up with, and how happy you are with it, please (or are the details in another thread?)?

I got a Slik Video Sprint too. It's just the job. Congrats on your new ED50!

I don't have a specific recommendation for a tripod but would remind those with straight scopes to get a tall one. When looking "up" you don't want to be stooping.

Hi The Octagon!
I ended up with the angled ED50 and a Velbon Sherpa 600R tripod. I was really keen on the Manfrotto 718B which was a photographic lightweight tripod but for some reason I went for the Sherpa. I think it was because the Sherpa was a bit heavier and a bit more stable and, at the time, a good price at Camera King. I liked the feel of the pan & tilt and the build quality is good - much better finish than the equivalent Opticron that I also looked at. As I wanted to start digiscoping and get back to photography 'proper' stability took priority over weight in the end. (Hubby was going to do most of the carrying anyway!) I have been more than happy with both purchases (not 100% sure of the zoom eyepiece though).

Thanks everyone. I've seen quite a few people recommending the Slik Video Sprint, but then I've also seen this post, which isn't as favourable.

The Velbon Sherpa 600R sounds good, if a bit heavy at 2 kilos (though, as Amelia suggests, I suppose that increases the stability). I don't think I'm planning on taking the scope for long hikes (will probably stick to binoculars when the main purpose of the exercise is to be on the move), so maybe the weight wouldn't be a problem. It has a maximum height of 170 cm, which is taller than most tripods. (I am 5'11", so I think that would be sufficient -- but I have read that ideally you shouldn't use too much of the scope's extended centre-column height, as that introduces wobble.) It apparently got a good review from Birdwatching Magazine in 2006 too. The Velbon site says (and the same phrase is regurgitated by numerous vendors) that the 600R has "one-touch locking of pan and tilt actions". Does that mean that it has a lock for the pan action and a separate lock for the tilt action (as I've seen in the tripods that I've looked at so far)? I.e., it doesn't just have two modes: (1) wobbly in all axes and (2) locked off in all axes? I'm not sure that I'd like the latter, as I like being able to move my vision easily in a single axis: e.g., up a tree trunk for a treecreeper/nuthatch, or along the the bottom of a hedge when dunnock-hunting in the garden.

Warehouse Express sells the 600R for £79.00 now, and that wouldn't hurt my pocket too much. I'd be fairly happy to shell out some more, however, if I thought I'd get my money's worth. If I use the ED50 hand-held with my 27x wide MC eyepiece, I appear to be able to hold it pretty steady, and can locate and remain fixed on objects at a distance: I can see the identifying features of a bird with great clarity. Anyone who had never used a tripod might therefore think that there was no need for one. With a tripod, however, I seem to be able to make more sense of the optical information available (the viewing experience is somehow indescribably richer), presumably because my brain isn't wasting any CPU cycles on image-stabilisation. So I'm happy to spend a significant proportion of the scope's own price on a tripod, since adding a tripod almost seems to have the effect of giving the scope a bigger objective lens. Does anyone have any suggestions of other tripod-head combinations that might give me the stability and height of the 600R, but possibly with a lovelier head, or a lighter weight, or some more leg-height, up to about the £150 mark? Please warn me if you think that going beyond £80 is overkill for a scope as dinky as the ED50.

(I had to send my first ED50 back yesterday, as it arrived with a defective join between the two halves of the body, so I am trying to use a bit of tripod-selection angst to distract me from the pain of being parted from my new toy.)

Well, I just picked up these carbon fiber legs made by a company called "Benro." The legs are a rip-off of the Gitzo design, and cost me $150 or so - and this includes a small, reasonably robust ballhead with Arca-Swiss style plates.

The ballhead is sort of what one would expect from a cheapo ballhead - it holds the scope fairly steady once locked down, but has a tendency to creep downwards while being locked down. It has a friction knob that works quite well as well - which is really nice for the price.

The legs are surprisingly light and sturdy, and do a pretty good with my MM2 (soon to be replaced by an ED50, for which I blame Sancho almost entirely!) and with my PF65.

I have top-quality tripods & heads - a Gitzo 1540 and the Arca Swiss ballhead, among others - so I know what real sturdiness is. The Benro aint it - and for $150, I'd be very surprised if it was. However, for the price and the weight, it is good enough. I wouldnt use it at very high magnifications, with heavy scopes (not without changing the ballhead, anyway) or for digiscoping. But for simply looking through a scope such as the ED50, it should be just fine.

It has replaced my Manfrotto 055 as my travel tripod when I am just carrying a scope, although if I plan to stick a camera on the tripod, I take my Gitzo 1228.

FWIW, once everything is locked down, the weakest link in this chain is actually the generic Arca-Swiss style QR plate - despite locking down fairly tightly, the scope tends to have a bit of play relative to the plate. So I am not even sure if there is going to be a significant improvement in stability with using a sturdier tripod.

I have seen these legs for approx $150 at www.ShaShinKi.com -> even with international postage, it might be worth getting. The light weight + price combo is hard to beat, especially as you get a "stable enough" platform for the price.

Vandit

Hi again The Octagon!

Just read your comments re the Velbon Sherpa 600R and thought I'd add a couple more.............

Forgot to mention another reason I chose this tripod was because of the removable hide clamp. So easy to whip the central column out and pop into the hide clamp - away you go! Like that a lot. It's well made, once again, and quick to use. Re the pan and tilt - it is one smooth action, no wobble, with one locking action using the pan handle.

Interesting that you like to use your ED50 handheld.............
I like to do that too and find it much easier using the Nikon hand-held Grippa case, which cost about £19 I think. Very well made and comfortable to use. It has a padded strap you slip your hand under which can be used either side if you're left/right handed. Nice long carrying strap to sling over your shoulder to carry our lightweight marvel! Also, it gives good protection to the scope because of the fabric used. My only complaint about using this case is that the substantial screw that holds the case and carrying strap firmly in place fits into the tripod mount screw hole which means you have to remove it from the tripod mount completely before use. It's still great though!!