Swarovski Universal tripod adapter review (1 Viewer)

Hi again,

Hauksen said:

Version 6 is pretty good already, but immediately when I looked at the printed version, it was obvious to me that it could be built quite a bit flatter and smaller overall.

Click to expand...

I think version 8 is probably going to be the final one ... it adds some ergonomic refinements, having a rounded spine and a cut-out for the nose tip:



Regards,

Henning

Well done Kevin and Henning! This is way beyond me to try. I need one of these, simpler than yours, and closer to, but much smaller than, the Berlebach, and even that will have to request a friend to turn out! It will ideally be kept screwed on over a monopod.

Henning, assuming that you have retained the dimensions in your post #45 it seems that in your version in post #61: overall length is about 125 mm, close to Kevin's, distances lengthwise (in mm): width of nearer bridge 25, gap 75, farther bridge 25. Is that correct? If so may I point out, FWIW, that it seems that the gap is a bit too long for a pocket instrument to span it (such as the new, possibly soon popular, Zeiss Victory, 112 mm long overall, which is about typical: my little adapter on the monopod will also be used with one of those.) Regards.

Hi,

adhoc said:

Henning, assuming that you have retained the dimensions in your post #45 it seems that in your version in post #61: overall length is about 125 mm, close to Kevin's, distances lengthwise (in mm): width of nearer bridge 25, gap 75, farther bridge 25. Is that correct?

Click to expand...

Actually, my adapters grew smaller and smaller in the course of their evolution

The latest version fits into a box 80 x 64.5 x 34 mm^3 now.

This shot shows a direct comparison (to version 7, which is the same size as version 8):



Regards,

Henning

Thank you Henning.
It seems we now have the panacea!
Sorry if you had mentioned the downscaling and I missed it:
afraid I did not scrutinize all your n++ posts about the n versions!

Hi again,

Hauksen said:

This shot shows a direct comparison (to version 7, which is the same size as version 8):

Click to expand...

And this picture shows version 8 with binoculars mounted, to illustrate the run of the cords:



You can see that this style of mounting is able to accommodate a wide range of binocular sizes.

However, as the 3D model I built is fully parametrized, it would be simple to customize it before printing. It's in fact a bit unusual that this normally won't be necessary

Regards,

Henning

Your version 8 is looking very good, Henning!
It's smaller and smarter.

I'll work on mine this week

This is really fascinating stuff but is well beyond me! I am looking for a secure way of mounting a Swaro 8x32 to a tripod for extended viewing, but how would I go about it - even if using your design - and how much should I expect to pay? It could be that a one-off, 3D printed mount works out more expensive than a commercially available one!

RB

Hi,

adhoc said:

Sorry if you had mentioned the downscaling and I missed it:
afraid I did not scrutinize all your n++ posts about the n versions!

Click to expand...

No need to apologize, incremental change is only interesting if you're following it "real time" ... read en-bloc, it's utterly confusing

Regards,

Henning

Hi RB,

Rotherbirder said:

I am looking for a secure way of mounting a Swaro 8x32 to a tripod for extended viewing, but how would I go about it - even if using your design - and how much should I expect to pay?

Click to expand...

Prompted by your question, I uploaded V8 to

- meltwerk.com: EUR 24 for all-white nylon
- shapeways.com: EUR 30 for all-white nylon, EUR 31 for black nylon

Shock cord, cord stops and the 1/4" nut come on top of that, obviously.

Regards,

Henning

Rotherbirder said:

This is really fascinating stuff but is well beyond me! I am looking for a secure way of mounting a Swaro 8x32 to a tripod for extended viewing, but how would I go about it - even if using your design - and how much should I expect to pay? It could be that a one-off, 3D printed mount works out more expensive than a commercially available one!

RB

Click to expand...

Swarovski's Universal Tripod Adaptor, which was reviewed in this Thread can be purchased from Swarovski for $128.00.

https://www.swarovskioptik.com/bird...r-c21040102/universal-tripod-adapter-p5006106

There is a PDF of the Instructional Manual showing how to use it.

https://aa.swarovskioptik.com/download/pdf/5006106-BA.pdf

It should handle a small binocular like the EL 8x32 WB without any trouble. I use mine with a Swarovski 2x adaptor on my SLC 7x42 B without any problems.

Bob

I just got the Outdoorsmans for my Sw 15x56 and I'm sending it back because when tighten it down there still titter play that leaves the binoculars with too much movement.
I can't believe they can't design one that's zero dead solid, I was told they leave the play in it to absorb possible damage if dropped |>| (then don't drop the dam thing)
I may just have to build my own system and with some of the adapters out there are stupid expensive for what they are.

Hi Kevin,

Kevin Conville said:

Your version 8 is looking very good, Henning!
It's smaller and smarter.

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot!

I have just uploaded it here, in case anyone would like to print his own (or have it printed):

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2971091

It's not yet customizable as I have to check whether the source code really works for a wide range of parameters, but the static object I uploaded will accommodate a wide range of binoculars nicely, as far as I can tell.

Regards,

Henning

ceasar said:

Swarovski's Universal Tripod Adaptor, which was reviewed in this Thread can be purchased from Swarovski for $128.00.

https://www.swarovskioptik.com/bird...r-c21040102/universal-tripod-adapter-p5006106

There is a PDF of the Instructional Manual showing how to use it.

https://aa.swarovskioptik.com/download/pdf/5006106-BA.pdf

It should handle a small binocular like the EL 8x32 WB without any trouble. I use mine with a Swarovski 2x adaptor on my SLC 7x42 B without any problems.

Bob

Click to expand...

Cheers Bob. I have no desire to pay the extortionate price of the Swarovski universal adapter I'm afraid. The one designed by Henning is smaller, lighter and can be left attached to the binocular without any detriment to the use of the instrument.

Thanks,

RB

Hauksen said:

Hi RB,



Prompted by your question, I uploaded V8 to

- meltwerk.com: EUR 24 for all-white nylon
- shapeways.com: EUR 30 for all-white nylon, EUR 31 for black nylon

Shock cord, cord stops and the 1/4" nut come on top of that, obviously.

Regards,

Henning

Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to investigate and report this Henning; it is much appreciated. This is half the cost of the Berlebach and a fraction of the Swaro Universal Adapter. I might just give it a go when you have finalised your design.

Thanks again,

RB

Rotherbirder said:

Cheers Bob. I have no desire to pay the extortionate price of the Swarovski universal adapter I'm afraid. The one designed by Henning is smaller, lighter and can be left attached to the binocular without any detriment to the use of the instrument.

Thanks,

RB

Click to expand...

That should work out too but won't it make your EL 8x32 more bulky and inconvenient to carry around?

My UTA stays on a Slik Tripod all the time for when I need it, which isn't all that often in my case.

Everything that Swarovski sells is expensive and comes with a 1st class warranty.

Bob

Hi Bob,

ceasar said:

That should work out too but won't it make your EL 8x32 more bulky and inconvenient to carry around?

My UTA stays on a Slik Tripod all the time for when I need it, which isn't all that often in my case.

Click to expand...

As usual, the perfect solution is the one that fits your needs, exactly

As my application differs a bit from yours, I like the idea of the adapter staying on the binoculars: Most of the time, I'm using my spotting scope with the tripod, and the binoculars hand-held. If then a situation arises where a wide field of view is advantageous, I can just exchange optics as they're both on quick release plates.

To me, the flexbility gained for just a tiny bit of of extra bulk is a worthwhile trade-off, but of course, that's really because it meets my needs.

Putting the extra bulk into context: The complete rig is higher than the bare binoculars by basically one thumb width plus one adapter plate height. The horizontal footprint is unchanged, as the adapter with the plate is much narrower and shorter than the binoculars. That means it comes down to having a slightly higher pair of binoculars than before.

If you carry it around the neck, you probably won't notice much of a difference unless you're squeezing through narrow hide doors, trekking through dense underbrush, or moving around in some other kind of confined environment.

The binoculars will certainly be less pocketable, and if you like to protect them from the rain by carrying them under the jacket, that will be less convenient too. If you have a carrying case specific to the binoculars, they most likely won't fit into that at all.

Personally, I like to go birding by bicycle, and carry both my camera and the binoculars in a handlebar bag with quick release and shoulder strap. It basically is a camera bag with velcro-configurable compartments, so I can just set it up to accommodate the extra height of the binoculars.

Your question regarding the extra bulk was quite inspiring: I believe that by dropping the "requirement" for holding the binoculars with the thumb directly beneath the barrel, a much slimmer adapter would be possible. Guess I'll have to create another variant!

Regards,

Henning

Henning, et al-

I started a new thread https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=363530
in an attempt to bring this thread out of a dusty corner of the Swarovski sub forum.

May I suggest you move some of your posts (Henning) over there so they may have a little more light shown on them?

Cheers,
Kevin

Henning:

Your work is impressive, and well done. 3-D printing is very new to me, and I am wondering
if you did the computer design yourself ? Then you find a printer who can make it ?

Tell us more.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

NDhunter said:

3-D printing is very new to me, and I am wondering
if you did the computer design yourself ? Then you find a printer who can make it ?

Click to expand...

Yes, I used OpenSCAD to design the adapter.

It's free and open source, and quite powerful:

http://www.openscad.org/

I've also used the free and open source program FreeCAD for a couple of other designs, though I very much prefer OpenSCAD at the moment:

https://freecadweb.org/

Initially, I had my designs printed by service providers such as shapeways.com and meltwerk.com, but I've since acquired a 3D printer that has sped up things a lot, and made them a lot cheaper.

(While it doesn't quite match the quality of the results from the professional service providers and incurs some restrictions in terms of how objects need to be designed, it brings down the price from EUR 20 - 30 for an adapter as shown above to less than EUR 1, counting only material and electricity.)

The printer I'm using is an Anycubic i3 Mega:

http://www.anycubic3d.com/products/show/1048.html

Regards,

Henning