Which head between spotting scope and tripod?
- Thread starter tlsmith22
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Re: Which head between spotting scope and tripod?
All the Slik Tripods that I've seen have a 1/4-20 male thread to attach tripod heads, Manfrotto's usually have a 3/8th male thread on the tripod. I'm not sure the 128 is going to work for your application.
All the Slik Tripods that I've seen have a 1/4-20 male thread to attach tripod heads, Manfrotto's usually have a 3/8th male thread on the tripod. I'm not sure the 128 is going to work for your application.
Re: Which head between spotting scope and tripod?
You can get an adaptor for 3/8 to 1/4. Manfrotto makes a good one that has a flange:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZUSUE/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00
You can get an adaptor for 3/8 to 1/4. Manfrotto makes a good one that has a flange:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZUSUE/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00
Re: Which head between spotting scope and tripod?
I love the speed to acquire a new target. I can be onto a new target in no time flat. It does have a bit of a "fall" into position. In other words when you let go of the joystick it falls (view moves upward) a very small amount. This is only annoying when you want to put the reticle in your spotting scope onto the target that the shooter is aiming for. This makes miss measurement easier/faster. This fall is predictable and if you simply keep your hand on the scope ever so slightly you can hold the reticle on while the shooter takes their shot. With a little more time you can get the reticle centered on target so that it can be viewed with no interaction with the tripod or scope.
Beyond that the only other thing I may have a small complaint about is when laying the tripod completely down to the ground and then putting the center stick out to the side for as low as possible situation the lowest you can get with the full joystick is a bit high for some people if they want to lay prone behind the spotter. The sideways pistol grip heads can do this a bit better but in my testing with the vertical and sideways pistol grip I found the vertical to be easier to get on target in less time. Less time usually meant smoother movement and fewer times passing the intended position. I found the longer lever arm of the vertical joystick was easier to maneauver than the horizontal one. It also felt like it was built stronger and tougher than the two horizontal offerings from Manfrotto that I tested.
Hope this helps your decision.
I love the speed to acquire a new target. I can be onto a new target in no time flat. It does have a bit of a "fall" into position. In other words when you let go of the joystick it falls (view moves upward) a very small amount. This is only annoying when you want to put the reticle in your spotting scope onto the target that the shooter is aiming for. This makes miss measurement easier/faster. This fall is predictable and if you simply keep your hand on the scope ever so slightly you can hold the reticle on while the shooter takes their shot. With a little more time you can get the reticle centered on target so that it can be viewed with no interaction with the tripod or scope.
Beyond that the only other thing I may have a small complaint about is when laying the tripod completely down to the ground and then putting the center stick out to the side for as low as possible situation the lowest you can get with the full joystick is a bit high for some people if they want to lay prone behind the spotter. The sideways pistol grip heads can do this a bit better but in my testing with the vertical and sideways pistol grip I found the vertical to be easier to get on target in less time. Less time usually meant smoother movement and fewer times passing the intended position. I found the longer lever arm of the vertical joystick was easier to maneauver than the horizontal one. It also felt like it was built stronger and tougher than the two horizontal offerings from Manfrotto that I tested.
Hope this helps your decision.
Re: Which head between spotting scope and tripod?
Also why not just get one of Manfrotto's legs? The legs I'm using are the Manfrotto 055XProB. The can be deployed from about 4" tall to almost 6 foot tall. Once you add on the head and the spotter its well over 6 foot. I'm 5' 11" and I have plenty of heigh left over on the tripod setup when standing behind it. I lose no stability when its fully deployed to this height. Well I guess if I was to go to FULL height I'd lose a little stability but I never need to. I usually use more of the vertical adjustment and that allows me to keep the legs at a wider angle for stability even in decent winds. Here is a link to a shot from a couple weekends ago that gives an ok look at my setup. Wish it was closer but its what I've got. The fact that the center post can be vertical or horizontal is something I use all the time! The legs can also be splayed out to completely flat and then the only real height is that of the joystick head.
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/hcte34lqan2vp29/2012-11-02%2013.56.01.jpg
Also why not just get one of Manfrotto's legs? The legs I'm using are the Manfrotto 055XProB. The can be deployed from about 4" tall to almost 6 foot tall. Once you add on the head and the spotter its well over 6 foot. I'm 5' 11" and I have plenty of heigh left over on the tripod setup when standing behind it. I lose no stability when its fully deployed to this height. Well I guess if I was to go to FULL height I'd lose a little stability but I never need to. I usually use more of the vertical adjustment and that allows me to keep the legs at a wider angle for stability even in decent winds. Here is a link to a shot from a couple weekends ago that gives an ok look at my setup. Wish it was closer but its what I've got. The fact that the center post can be vertical or horizontal is something I use all the time! The legs can also be splayed out to completely flat and then the only real height is that of the joystick head.
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/hcte34lqan2vp29/2012-11-02%2013.56.01.jpg
