Hello Everyone,
I soo wish I had read these forum posts more carefully and some of the issues our members had raised around the 128RC!
We fell in love with the fluidity of the 128RC in store. So much so that without thinking/actually trying, purchased it for use with a Kowa 663M + 20-60. Super bad decision! The scope is back heavy, sags due to imbalance unless I tighten the tilt knob quite a bit. By the end of the exercise, I am fighting against the head quite a bit for moving the scope.
Checking the forum, I came across several posts that indicated how having a longer plate helps with balancing an optic (e.g., @jring's favorite 500AH) and how 128LP eliminates the need of "getting stuck" within the Manfrotto QR system. Of course, there are work-arounds like fitting a longer Arca-Swiss plate via an appropriate clamp screwed to the 128RC's QR plate. But ... the more I think about it, I am left wondering if the 128RC/128LP and all the extra bells and whistles might be serious overkill for the 663M.
Back to the drawing board, I have two questions:
1. We continue to much prefer a pan/tilt head over a ballhead. Any advice on a smooth pan/tilt head for <$150? Apart from the budget, I have two requirements: (a) the counterbalance etc., needs to work well with a relatively lightweight scope like the Kowa 663M. This experience with the 128RC has realllly left me with a bad taste for working against the head. And (b) the head needs to travel light.
For one, I recall really liking one of those Velbon heads in store -- I forget which one, perhaps the PH157Q? It felt really light! One of those handles that can be loosened, readjusted for pan or tilt, tightened back again. Not sure how well it would work with the 663M though, and its performance in field while tilting/panning with birds in flight/moving wildlife. Apart from this, there is the Sirui VA-5, that I know @Marc really likes! Any thoughts?
2. I don't want to make a similar mistake with the tripod legs too. I would greatly appreciate any tripod suggestions you might have. I was looking at the Feisol CT3442 Tournament CF tripod because of its ~2.55lb weight and the glowing recommendations it had from the photography community, but I am just not sure if it is worth spending ~$400 on a tripod for a lightweight scope like the 663M. I did come across a few threads recommending ~$300-$350 Benro CF tripods at ~3.1-3.5lb, but for an extra $50-$100, I would gladly go the Feisol route. Similarly, Manfrotto 055* are all >=4lb. Manfrotto 190Go! Carbon comes in at ~3lb at ~$400.
So I guess what I am asking is: is there a good lightweight tripod that costs <=$250, which has been known to work well with whatever head you might recommend for question (1)?
Any help is much appreciated!
Thank you,
Kumar
I soo wish I had read these forum posts more carefully and some of the issues our members had raised around the 128RC!
We fell in love with the fluidity of the 128RC in store. So much so that without thinking/actually trying, purchased it for use with a Kowa 663M + 20-60. Super bad decision! The scope is back heavy, sags due to imbalance unless I tighten the tilt knob quite a bit. By the end of the exercise, I am fighting against the head quite a bit for moving the scope.
Checking the forum, I came across several posts that indicated how having a longer plate helps with balancing an optic (e.g., @jring's favorite 500AH) and how 128LP eliminates the need of "getting stuck" within the Manfrotto QR system. Of course, there are work-arounds like fitting a longer Arca-Swiss plate via an appropriate clamp screwed to the 128RC's QR plate. But ... the more I think about it, I am left wondering if the 128RC/128LP and all the extra bells and whistles might be serious overkill for the 663M.
Back to the drawing board, I have two questions:
1. We continue to much prefer a pan/tilt head over a ballhead. Any advice on a smooth pan/tilt head for <$150? Apart from the budget, I have two requirements: (a) the counterbalance etc., needs to work well with a relatively lightweight scope like the Kowa 663M. This experience with the 128RC has realllly left me with a bad taste for working against the head. And (b) the head needs to travel light.
For one, I recall really liking one of those Velbon heads in store -- I forget which one, perhaps the PH157Q? It felt really light! One of those handles that can be loosened, readjusted for pan or tilt, tightened back again. Not sure how well it would work with the 663M though, and its performance in field while tilting/panning with birds in flight/moving wildlife. Apart from this, there is the Sirui VA-5, that I know @Marc really likes! Any thoughts?
2. I don't want to make a similar mistake with the tripod legs too. I would greatly appreciate any tripod suggestions you might have. I was looking at the Feisol CT3442 Tournament CF tripod because of its ~2.55lb weight and the glowing recommendations it had from the photography community, but I am just not sure if it is worth spending ~$400 on a tripod for a lightweight scope like the 663M. I did come across a few threads recommending ~$300-$350 Benro CF tripods at ~3.1-3.5lb, but for an extra $50-$100, I would gladly go the Feisol route. Similarly, Manfrotto 055* are all >=4lb. Manfrotto 190Go! Carbon comes in at ~3lb at ~$400.
So I guess what I am asking is: is there a good lightweight tripod that costs <=$250, which has been known to work well with whatever head you might recommend for question (1)?
Any help is much appreciated!
Thank you,
Kumar
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