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Tripod (or monopod) for ED50A (1 Viewer)

John Fleet

Finally reached 300!
England
Having just acquired an ED50 I'm wondering what tripods (or monopods) folk use with it? Obviously I'm looking for something as light as possible to maximise the potential weight saving, esp with airline baggage allowances in mind...

John
 
I had a manfrotto 7322 CY ,in carbon with integrated ball head,total weight 1100g..i liked it for hiking but with Four sections lega,the smaller one was very thin..like a biro really ,and i didnt find the tripod very stable if i wasnt holding the rig,...but it was super compact and incredible strong ...i sold it and bought a...mmm..MK3940something( impossible to remember the model ,since manfrotto has been changing these "digital" series models every year i guess)..anyway ,its very similar in design ,with triangular leg and column profile ,but in aluminun,like a shark skin grey finish,1400 gr with integrated ball head also,taller too..so its a BIT more stable when free standing ..
All in all ,i regret the change and reccomend the 7322CY,for its more resilient material properties and minimalistic approach ,inexpensive too.probably now extinguished as a model altogether but perhaps possible to find as second hand or old stock,or resucitated under another nomenclature.
Anyway ,small carbon tripod ,ball head.
 
Having just acquired an ED50 I'm wondering what tripods (or monopods) folk use with it? Obviously I'm looking for something as light as possible to maximise the potential weight saving, esp with airline baggage allowances in mind...

John

I've been pleased with the Velbon Ultra Luxi M and the PH 157 head for my ED50 as a minimalist travel setup.
The head is actually overkill for the scope, a Velbon ball head would be lighter, but I like the ease of handling with the PH 157.

The Luxi comes with its own bag and sling, is super portable, folds to just under 17 inches with the head attached and is easily belt carried in the field with a DEWALT DG5121 impact driver holster. (The holster is less than half the price of the Gitzo tripod holster and better designed imho. The offset is its impressively hideous brilliant yellow and black color scheme.)

This setup is well under $200, weight barely 3 pounds and stretches to 55 inches. I'd want something beefier for use with with a big lens DSLR, but for the ED50, it works well.

If you have a straight scope, a Stedi-Stock II shoulder mount might be an alternative approach. I tried the original version with my angled ED50 and found it effective but uncomfortable, because the line of sight was not straight.
 
I use 2 tripod setups for my ED50a......

For everyday birding = Manfotto 190xprob with 700rc2 fluid head.

For backpacking/lightweight hiking = Velbon Ultra Luxi L with Manfrotto 494 Mini Ball Head.

Im very happy with this set, and the quick realese plate works with both. :t:
 
My minimalist rig is the Velbon Ultra Luxi with Really Right Stuff BH-25 Pro ballhead. I like this rig because it is very light weight, very fast to deploy, and can be set very tall or all the way to ground level.

Note that the Ultra Luxi is now called the Ultra 455. The smaller Ultra Maxi (which some ED50 users prefer) is now the Ultra 355. There is a new Ultrek (UT) series that is even more compact than these. If one were tempted to go with the Ultra Maxi over the Ultra Luxi, it might be worth considering the new UT-43DII instead.

Velbon is forever slightly switching specs and model names but this time I think they made a terrible marketing mistake because models/names like the Ultra Maxi are iconic and have a lot of positive momentum/reviews (over the last ~20 years), which the casual consumer won't realize transfer to the new model name.

--AP
 
I use a Feisol carbon fibre tripod and an Acratech ball-head. Very light-weight but sturdy for that. Very happy with the combination, but not quite the budget option - bought with the idea of also using it for photography.

One thing you need to bear in mind though is that what tripod works well will depend on whether you have the angled or the straight version. You will need a taller tripod if the latter!

Andrea
 
I tend to use a mono with the 50 scope and a manfrotto with the big brother. The dissadvantage is obviously can't fix on a point and then go back to it! That said the mono tends to act as a walking stick/crook at the same time.

I have even used this arrangement at migration watchpoints. I can't actually think if I have ever attached the 50 to a 'tripod'...
 
Hello,
Is a monopod a good solution for a ED50 angled spotting , o best for a staright model ?
regards

I use the Sirui P-204S with my ED50 A and find it excellent. It acts as a tripod thanks to the large flip out feet and thanks to the adjustable tilt I find that I can use it without any additional head in 99 per cent of situations. The only time it won't work like this is when you need to tilt the scope upwards, typically for viewing a close up BIF.

Not cheap and I would prefer it to be a bit lighter but overall a great match for the ED50
 
I have recently found a Slik Sprint Pro EZ used that seems to me to be a very good choice at an affordable price (50 euros). It supports an ED 50 straight.
 
Looking for a light-weight, compact and budget-wise rig to be used with my angled ED50, I bought a Obo TS360C carbon fiber tripod, equipped with a small ball head and quick release plate: very happy so far!
The set is quite light (1250g) and packs easily inside my small backpack (45cm when folded with the ballhead on), it can also be converted into a monopod and IMHO it comes at a very good price (72€ shipped).
It supports easily this scope (max loading weight 8Kg), but in windy conditions I hang my backpack to the spring hook placed at the bottom of the centre post to dampen vibrations, yet when fully extended the tripod is not very steady (I usually hold it with my hand when at full zoom), I prefer to use it while sitting down or kneeling when possible.
Here's a shot of this set taken during IWC count the other day.
Cheers,
Max
 

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