I have tripod. I can make a monopod of one of the legs as well.
No experience with NL's mounted on a tripod yet. Busy family life at the moment. Not much time for birding / watching through binoculars left.
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Binoculars mounted on tripods. What is the use? (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter ReinierB
- Start date
No experience with NL's mounted on a tripod yet. Busy family life at the moment. Not much time for birding / watching through binoculars left.
Am I understanding correctly that you have not used your binoculars on a tripod yet?
It's pretty amazing how much you can see when binoculars are mounted on a tripod. That's true even for lower magnification. I've used my 7s on tripods before and was very impressed the improved performance compared to handheld.
Having said that, I don't really use tripods and binoculars all that much. One of the things that makes binoculars so cool is that they can be used handheld. I even use my 15s handheld a big majority of the time.
Tripods and binoculars are useful when I'm sitting in one place and birding carefully - actually trying to identify every individual bird. I'm not usually doing that though. And where I live, there aren't many great spots where you can see a big expanse where birds congregate. And even in those places, if I were to carry a tripod, I'd probably rather mount the scope to the tripod and use the binoculars handheld.
Binoculars on tripods are awesome. And definitely worth a try. But I don't use them that way in my regular birding.
Binoscoper
Also a spotting scoper
I like to 'old railway bridge' mount my binoculars.... jokes aside though, I do like the occasional tripod mount on dedicated trips out. Like others have said, so much more relaxing and less tiring.
Hermann
Well-known member
This is so true it can't be said often enough. What's also true is that this fact of life is ignored by many, if not most people here.
Hermann
I admit that I am amongst the two or three people here on BF that do not ignore this fact of life. I enjoy the throbbing, hammering of pulse inside my head, indicating I'm still alive.
I dislike tripods to some degree , too much fussing around , this is why I prefer a dobsonian telescope . I do have one tripod that I use exclusively with my Pentax Papillio 8.5x21 , makes studying the small stuff a nicer experience .
I use a monopod with my 15x70 (stargazing) , my 8x42(stargazing and daytime nature viewing) and my 10x42 monocular (stargazing and nature viewing) .
I use a monopod with my 15x70 (stargazing) , my 8x42(stargazing and daytime nature viewing) and my 10x42 monocular (stargazing and nature viewing) .
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TheGreyman
Member
I find using a tripod in certain settings is more enjoyable. Yesterday I was observing a bald eagle and several hawks in and around an airport. A mounted 8.5x42 FP and a handheld 8x32 FP were used. Despite the small degree of rolling ball circus, the time spent was enjoyable.
I do not have a spotting scope at this time. Probably will acquire a monopod in the spring
I do not have a spotting scope at this time. Probably will acquire a monopod in the spring
I have a monopod (with simple foot, not a tiny-tripod-foot). But, with my 10x42, I do not find the monopod to be appreciably more stable than hand-holding. In the end, the binocular can still freely move around 1.5 axes (compared to 2 when handheld); 1 vertical axis, and 0.5 horizontal (0.5 because it's a bit more stable vertically than handholding, but not much). So in practice for me a monopod does not help.
TheBlackGrouse
Well-known member
You might need a different monopod or practice some more. The monopod must be stable, the tubes have to be thick, because of the length, since you are looking straight through the binos.
Practice is needed, when i bought my STC 17-40 half a year ago I was able to watch at 20x magnification. And seriously I wanted to return the scope because I thought that a monopod didn't help. However, using a tripod with video head would add so much weight that I could as well buy a heavier spotting scope. After all I bought the STC because of size and weight... so I kept trying.
Now, I'm able to look with 35x magnification for hours, even more for shorter periods. My technique has changed over the months.
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key words for me. bino mounted to monopod sans flex head. will try it both ways. flex head in the post later today. still stars out now...off to Tolay soon
Got two hours use just after sunrise with the monopod, a Sirui P-424FL, and 12x bino mounted direct. Works well. Observed an unfamiliar bird doing familiar activity, turned out to be Say's Phoebe. After delivery of the Sirui L-10 Tilt head, initial thought is skeptical on use, 0.33Kg, probably only notice the weight during set-up, not walking or in use, but do I need or want the tilt?
tenex
reality-based
It also is handheld, although as Black Grouse just said, "Practice is needed." But I'll draw the line before 28x110.
TheBlackGrouse
Well-known member
In fact, four years ago I did buy that Sirui L-10 tilt head with the monopod, but had a try out with another pan-tilt head and found out it wasn't needed, so I could return the Sirui (unused/undamaged).
Some things to consider.
- The weight of the tilt head is at the top and it disturbs the balance when the monopod is mounted on a backpack when hiking/cycling.
- Birders who like to sit on rocks, benches when watching may need a tilt head.
- A head is not needed for birds flying over, you can grab the monopod with one hand in the middle and lift it up.
That last technique I use when counting migrants.
I am now training for streching out my ability to steady handhold 40x150 binoculars. 🤓
No, seriously. As I think everybody understood post #30 was a joke.
I am personally convinced about that some are able to get a steady view with higher magnification than 10x(which is pretty commonly considered as the upper level for most people). But 15x is indeed very high power unless some kind of support technique is used. And 20x80: yes some here claim they can handle that too. Let me doubt just a bit. At least that it's practical and that you really gain of it, more than very temporarely. But that's just me.
With that said: I think 15x56 binoculars are excellent on tripod, being between normal handhold magnification and spottingscope magnification. And the comfortability to view with both eyes is worth to mention.
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tenex
reality-based
Well, if you really feel entitled to doubt what others can do (with some practice), you need to share your theory of why they enjoy pretending to do what they can't, and lug the gear for it. I'm all ears.
Last week my wife and I were observing Wood Ducks around an island in a pond that one simply can't get near, she with 12x50, I with 15x56. We saw and enjoyed all the detail there was to see. I wouldn't have kept at it for hours without a tripod, but that would apply to any magnification.
Jason Bugay Reyes
Well-known member
I like 🤤A SLC 15X56 is an optic delight mounted on a tripod.
