Alexis Powell
Natural history enthusiast
Thank you, Alexis, for your insights. They help define the problem
Among the Sirui offerings, I could not find a simple fluid pan head, just a range of ball heads and a gimbal head, which is really too big for my needs.
The Gitzo is more head than I'd had in mind price wise, so have ordered this very inexpensive and purportedly Arca Swiss compatible unit via Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Tripo...00P22ORAK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
It is probably marginal for photography, but should be adequate for scoping. I'll post impressions once it arrives and gets used.
I'll be interested in your experience with the Andoer head. It is super cheap, Arca compatible, and weighs 1.3 lb, which is a nice combination of features. Hope it is smooth and robust.
If that doesn't work well enough, I think the Sirui VA-5 Ultra-Compact Video Head is what you might want. It is a fluid head with spring counterbalance, weighs 1.3 lb, and costs $119 from B&H.
Yes the Gitzo is pricey ($250 if you are lucky), but it is only 1.0 lb and locks with a single big dial.
The Berlebach heads are super expensive (like $450+) in USA. The 553 is not what I'd call light weight in a birding context. The 510 looks to be closer to being compact, but it is still 1.5 lbs.
--AP