Binoculars mounted on tripods. What is the use? (1 Viewer)

[ReinierB]

Hello,

I have the NL 10x52 and bought the NL tripod adapter for it, because I was curious if this might work for me. I also have the NL 12x42 and it is now in Austria being retrofitted, so the NL tripod will fit on it too.
I can use the NL 12x42 hand-held comfortably even without the headrest.

Now I wonder what your experiences are with mounting binoculars on a tripod. Can you please share? In which occasions is it really an advantage? How often do you mount binoculars on a tripod?
I am a birdwatcher and like watching wildlife in general. For astronomy I see an advantage. For magnification > 12x I see an advantage as well. For me 12x is still comfortable using hand-held. For 14x or 15x I see more use for mounting it on a tripod.

So maybe you can share your experiences and give me some good ideas.

 

[edwincjones]

Tripod mount is more steady than handheld, at least for me.
Easier to share views with others.
Do not have to carry-for heavier optics

edj

 

[Mono]

If you are scanning across a large area for extended periods then in is much more comfortable to tripod mount your binoculars than hand hold them. Binoculars will give you a wider field of view and a more relaxed viewing experience than using a scope, at the expense of outright magnification.

Such a use case is niche in birding but tripod mounted binoculars are widely used in hunting circles when searching open areas for large mammals.

When birding I would much rather have smaller handier binoculars and a scope as I feel it gives greater flexibility.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Better... use a monopod.

For instance, a monopod is needed when observing raptors. Often, raptors are far away and you have to follow them for minutes to get an ID or photo. Scanning the environment can last for minutes too. In the end you are looking through your binos for hours., It's impossible to handhold 10x binos the whole morning. The same applies to counting migrants. Although a lot is done without binos, there are always interesting birds, flocks at a few kilometer.

My monopod is always with me and when I'm standing somewhere I use it for my 10x Leica. You see much more details, watching is very relaxing, My birding style has changed because of the monopod, I look for interesting places where I want to use it instead of reacting to birds I see.

 

[Maljunulo]

I find it awkward with straight-thru binoculars.

 

[Patudo]

Pretty much as posts 3 and 4 above have described. A tripod restricts freedom of movement, which can be a significant disadvantage, but the great stability offered by the fixed mounting gives both greater viewing comfort and effective performance. If you want to see just how good your binoculars are (any binoculars, not just alphas), put them on a tripod or similar really stable setup. Even something like an 8x30 is a bit of a relevation with the wobble factor removed, and a good 10x or 12x can be breathtaking.

I don't use tripods much myself, as there is always a likelihood that the bird seen at a mile away can come right overhead (I wonder if there is some kind of quick release monopod setup you could let drop at the push of a button?...), but cannot deny that in certain situations the tripod arrangement really shines.

 

[KeesJ]

Sometimes I use a so called Finn stick, made by a friend, when observing or looking for birds in the distance for a long time. Easy to hold for a long time and it's also a stable setup.

 

[Binastro]

For astronomy I never used tripod mounted binoculars.

I could hand hold my 20x80 binocular for twenty minutes.
It is easier when pointed upwards.
The binocular weighs about 2.5kg.

The 20x60 was more of a problem as a lighter weight, so I used a car roof, fence, tree etc.

My standard binoculars were 12x45 and 12x50 and I had no trouble hand holding these.

Otherwise I use IS binoculars from 8x25 to 18x50.
The amount of unknown detail shown is amazing.

I had no use for large tripod binoculars, much preferring a 150mm Maksuton, 120mm refractor or larger scope on a rigid tripod.

The only tripod mounted binocular I used was the 25-135x80, but this was mainly for testing.
It worked well up to 80x but nothing was gained above 80x although it was well aligned up to 135x.

I was offered the Fortress of Malta Ross 160mm binocular for £250 by Arthur Frank in the 1960s I think, but had no use for it.
An astro society bought it.
It used old Zeiss objectives.

I can understand tripod mounted binoculars for long period observations of birds when hand holding is both tiring and shows much less detail.

Personally, I find tripods a nuisance with a binocular that takes away the freedom that binoculars give.

Regards,
B.

 

[rodneyAB]

Better... use a monopod.

For instance, a monopod is needed when observing raptors. Often, raptors are far away and you have to follow them for minutes to get an ID or photo. Scanning the environment can last for minutes too. In the end you are looking through your binos for hours., It's impossible to handhold 10x binos the whole morning. The same applies to counting migrants. Although a lot is done without binos, there are always interesting birds, flocks at a few kilometer.

My monopod is always with me and when I'm standing somewhere I use it for my 10x Leica. You see much more details, watching is very relaxing, My birding style has changed because of the monopod, I look for interesting places where I want to use it instead of reacting to birds I see.

Have a tall monopod arriving today, first ever, I'll give it a try. Yesterday I spent an hour+ sitting in a chair with the 12x tripod mounted, watching one perched raptor. No way could I have handheld the 12x for that length of time. Why watch one bird for that length of time? Tripod was confining.

 

[yarrellii]

I concur with most that has been said, especially by Patudo and Binastro y post 6 and 8. The amount of detail that we lose to the bodys natural shake (simply because of the fact we are alive and our heart beats) is really amazing. A simple (and shocking) test is holding a regular 8x and then an IS 8x... and discover you are actually losing resolution even at 8x... imagine what you are losing at 12x (even is your pulse is steady as an Egyptian mummy). And then, IS is not as stable as a tripod. So, yes, mounting your binoculars on a tripod can help with resolution, which in turn can help with ID. But then, as has also been said... if you are to carry a tripod, why not simply carry a scope, even a small one (my Kowa TSN501 weights 400 g and can easily go beyond 30x).
One thing that has been said here many times is that:

• we usually enjoy high quality optics because of the sheer pleasure, because they can provide a breathtaking image, sharp, crisp and more real than reality itself.
• the ugly truth is that a cheap IS (like a plasticky Canon 8x20, 8x25, 10x30), costing 5, 6 or 8 times less than a contemporary alpha... will show more detail than a handheld alpha for any given magnification (be it 8, 10, 12, 15x, etc.).

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

In fact you don't need a tripod for 10 - 16 x binoculars. A monopod is very stable at those magnifications. You can easily control the sideways motion.

Above 16x there are several ways to get a stable view until 30x without a footrest. For instance I use my own weight in the handstrap to stabilize the monopod, one of my feet stops the rotation. It takes some time to get used to such a trick, now I do it without thinking. Even at 45x you can use a monopod, takes too long to explain but it gives an idea.

When a bird flies above you, grab the monopod in the middle and lift it up.

 

[Hermann]

When a bird flies above you, grab the monopod in the middle and lift it up.

I don't fix the binoculars to the monopod. I use something like the Berlebach "Fernglashalter" (Binoculars Support from Berlebach ® Tripods) and leave the binoculars just lying on it, with one hand on the binoculars to operate the focusing and the other at the monopod. Have been doing it for years, works very well. And I can switch to handholding if something flies by in a second.

Hermann

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

I don't fix the binoculars to the monopod. I use something like the Berlebach "Fernglashalter" (Binoculars Support from Berlebach ® Tripods) and leave the binoculars just lying on it, with one hand on the binoculars to operate the focusing and the other at the monopod. Have been doing it for years, works very well. And I can switch to handholding if something flies by in a second.

Hermann

That's a good way too, but since I often have to grab my camera (lying on my backpack beside me) for pictures it's better to attach the binos to the monopod. Otherwise things start flying around.

 

[Hillclocks]

An interesting thread to read. Do I use a tripod, yes. When I am long distance viewing for waterfowl and shore birds I use a Gitzo tripod with a Swarovski CTH head. With it's Arca type quicktach plate it is easy to switch to a scope. I always have a 7 or 10 power Alpha binos around my neck. With 10 ,12 or 15 power binos on a steady tripod is easy to spot even the smallest movement along the shore of a pond or lake. For raptors, go with a monopod topped with a vertical swivel head slighty tightened. Happy birding!

 

[crinklystarfish]

If I know I'm going to be walking around open country, or sitting in hides, I'll often use my NL12x42 in conjunction with a monopod. I don't use any kind of head, indeed I had a blanking platform of about 60mm diameter 3D-printed to screw on to the monopod to provide a perfectly smooth and slightly compliant base for the NL.

I simply use a little downward pressure to 'lock' the NL to the monopod as and when required. Even if not quite as stable as a fully-mounted tripod, the views are undoubtedly considerably enhanced.

When not in use I carry the monopod in a shoulder case and just use the bins as normal. The whole setup is light, uncumbersome, convenient and highly functional.

 

[Thotmosis]

Better... use a monopod.

For instance, a monopod is needed when observing raptors. Often, raptors are far away and you have to follow them for minutes to get an ID or photo. Scanning the environment can last for minutes too. In the end you are looking through your binos for hours., It's impossible to handhold 10x binos the whole morning. The same applies to counting migrants. Although a lot is done without binos, there are always interesting birds, flocks at a few kilometer.

My monopod is always with me and when I'm standing somewhere I use it for my 10x Leica. You see much more details, watching is very relaxing, My birding style has changed because of the monopod, I look for interesting places where I want to use it instead of reacting to birds I see.

Interesting. Do you have a picture of your setup? I like the idea of a monopod but wonder how you fit the binocular to it.

 

[Thotmosis]

For astronomy I never used tripod mounted binoculars.

I could hand hold my 20x80 binocular for twenty minutes.
It is easier when pointed upwards.
The binocular weighs about 2.5kg.

The 20x60 was more of a problem as a lighter weight, so I used a car roof, fence, tree etc.

My standard binoculars were 12x45 and 12x50 and I had no trouble hand holding these.

Otherwise I use IS binoculars from 8x25 to 18x50.
The amount of unknown detail shown is amazing.

I had no use for large tripod binoculars, much preferring a 150mm Maksuton, 120mm refractor or larger scope on a rigid tripod.

The only tripod mounted binocular I used was the 25-135x80, but this was mainly for testing.
It worked well up to 80x but nothing was gained above 80x although it was well aligned up to 135x.

I was offered the Fortress of Malta Ross 160mm binocular for £250 by Arthur Frank in the 1960s I think, but had no use for it.
An astro society bought it.
It used old Zeiss objectives.

I can understand tripod mounted binoculars for long period observations of birds when hand holding is both tiring and shows much less detail.

Personally, I find tripods a nuisance with a binocular that takes away the freedom that binoculars give.

Regards,
B.

Binastro, you have a fascinating style of writing. Staccato. Like a machine gun. I like it.

Greetings from the Netherlands.

T.

 

[Thotmosis]

I have the NL 10x52 and bought the NL tripod adapter for it, because I was curious if this might work for me. I also have the NL 12x42 and it is now in Austria being retrofitted, so the NL tripod will fit on it too.
I can use the NL 12x42 hand-held comfortably even without the headrest.

Now I wonder what your experiences are with mounting binoculars on a tripod. Can you please share? In which occasions is it really an advantage? How often do you mount binoculars on a tripod?
I am a birdwatcher and like watching wildlife in general. For astronomy I see an advantage. For magnification > 12x I see an advantage as well. For me 12x is still comfortable using hand-held. For 14x or 15x I see more use for mounting it on a tripod.

So maybe you can share your experiences and give me some good ideas.

I’m really curious how you experience the view through your NL’s mounted on a tripod. Do you have a tripod?

 

[ReinierB]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I might try some myself.
Especially the monopod should be interesting and worth a try.

 

[Thotmosis]

I only use sometimes a tripod with my Zeiss 15x60. I use it seldom mainly because my wife complaines that the setup takes too much space in the house….. 🧙