Another Tripod Question, Best for Prone, Need Help.

[Strykervet]

Sorry to post another tripod question, I just didn't see what I need answered here. I've spent a few days looking at Manfrotto's site and comparing others, etc.

So what I need is a tripod that will work while I'm in the prone. 14" is just too high and that's what the Manfrotto Element Traveller worked out to, and it's about the smallest one they have? The 190 will go lower if you put the center bar on sideways, but I can't really use it like that with both the USO spotter and large Mk5 LRF mounted side by side on a dual camera mount. The smallest tripods looked like junk. Is there one that'll work in the prone, or is there another brand maybe?

Is there one that spreads out low to the ground, and has a very short center post? Or no post at all?

Should I get one head for the tripod, or should I mount the dual camera mount directly to the tripod and use two heads, one under the spotter and one under the LRF? OR should I use two tripods, two heads?

What kind of head should I get for the tripod if dual mounted to a bracket, and what kind of heads if separate or if no head on the tripod?

I don't know shit about any of this and I REALLY need help. So lost in this shit, and they don't just have a "spotting scope" or "LRF" product category. I don't wanna spend money on something I can't use. Funds are tight now, so I need to keep it in the $100-$200 max if possible, I understand if that's not possible and I need options. And I need it to work. In the prone.

And if any of you know of a better mount that will mount a USO spotter and a MK5 LRF stacked on top of each other, I'd be interested. The USO spotter is only a few inches tall at most and the scope and LRF both thread onto a tripod stud. Is there a smaller item, like a C shape or a box shape the spotter will fit in?

 

[hlee]

I'd argue that if 14" is too tall, and flipping the post sideways is not an option, your rifle mounted bipod should be sufficient. There is no scenario I can think of where I would rather use an accessory tripod when the weapon mounted bipod would suffice. That said, I bought a shorter post for my manfrotto carbon fiber tripod (it is factory, but discontinued). You could cut your post to whatever length would work, or source a second post to cut, or find a shorter post. I think I would look for a replacement post and do some surgery, safe in the knowledge that I'm still have the factory post if I screw something up.

I'm having a hard time visualizing how I would use a spotting scope and lrf mounted to the same tripod my rifle is attached to, from prone. Different strokes, I guess...

 

[hlee]

I think I missed your point, so here goes one more time. Your ball head should have a way to flip 90 deg so that the mounting surface is level to the ground with the post flipped horizontal. That should allow you to mount your dual mount to the ball head and your lrf and spotting scope to the mount.

 

[Nik H]

Sorry to post another tripod question, I just didn't see what I need answered here. I've spent a few days looking at Manfrotto's site and comparing others, etc.

So what I need is a tripod that will work while I'm in the prone. 14" is just too high and that's what the Manfrotto Element Traveller worked out to, and it's about the smallest one they have? The 190 will go lower if you put the center bar on sideways, but I can't really use it like that with both the USO spotter and large Mk5 LRF mounted side by side on a dual camera mount. The smallest tripods looked like junk. Is there one that'll work in the prone, or is there another brand maybe?

Is there one that spreads out low to the ground, and has a very short center post? Or no post at all?

Should I get one head for the tripod, or should I mount the dual camera mount directly to the tripod and use two heads, one under the spotter and one under the LRF? OR should I use two tripods, two heads?

What kind of head should I get for the tripod if dual mounted to a bracket, and what kind of heads if separate or if no head on the tripod?

I don't know shit about any of this and I REALLY need help. So lost in this shit, and they don't just have a "spotting scope" or "LRF" product category. I don't wanna spend money on something I can't use. Funds are tight now, so I need to keep it in the $100-$200 max if possible, I understand if that's not possible and I need options. And I need it to work. In the prone.

And if any of you know of a better mount that will mount a USO spotter and a MK5 LRF stacked on top of each other, I'd be interested. The USO spotter is only a few inches tall at most and the scope and LRF both thread onto a tripod stud. Is there a smaller item, like a C shape or a box shape the spotter will fit in?

Have you looked at this one. 5" shorter when collapsed

Pig Tripod (Short)

 

[Strykervet]

Have you looked at this one. 5" shorter when collapsed

Pig Tripod (Short)

Yes, I have, and I plan on getting one to shoot from but not for the optics.

I think I missed your point, so here goes one more time. Your ball head should have a way to flip 90 deg so that the mounting surface is level to the ground with the post flipped horizontal. That should allow you to mount your dual mount to the ball head and your lrf and spotting scope to the mount.

I think you misunderstand --rifles just have Harris or Atlas or the heavy duty one on the .50. I do plan on getting a tripod like the one above, the pig and a saddle, for shooting from in the future though.

So I think your idea of cutting the center post makes sense. I did look for ones that had shorter posts but couldn't find 'em. I don't wanna buy two and it'll only work cut short anyway. I still need a tripod that spreads low though; no sense cutting the center post if the tripod only goes so low.

Now you recommend using ONE ball head on the tripod, then the dual camera bar mounted to that, then the spotter and LRF mounted directly to the dual camera bar. Correct? They'll be as close together as I can get 'em and they should be fairly about the same height, more or less.

And not the dual camera bar connected directly to the tripod, and using two ball heads attached to the bar, one for the spotter, one for the LRF. Correct? It would seem to be more complicated for sure if I used two heads but it would give me the ability to unlock one and leave the other locked, right?

I'm hoping the setup isn't unwieldy, I really would have liked a Leupold or better yet a Spotter 60 but the USO is the best I can do and that LRF I was lucky to get. So I have to make it work. Would two tripods be better than having them side by side do you think?

What decent tripod mounts low (if the center post is cut)? Without the horizontal bar setup the 190 changes to. If I had one head and a dual camera mount with the LRF and spotter mounted side by side, wouldn't a video head work better? Something with a handle maybe? Or is the ball head still superior?

 

[hlee]

Strykervet, you should be able to run your tripod like this...

https://goo.gl/images/pmfsGh

https://goo.gl/images/UWmhLA

With just about any decent ball head. This puts the center post horizontal, but keeps the threaded mount stud vertical. I assume you can mount your dual mount to a ball head. This would seem to be a more elegant solution than mounting two ball heads on the dual mount- especially as I would assume the range finder and spotting scope would generally be pointed in the same direction.

 

[Strykervet]

Strykervet, you should be able to run your tripod like this...

https://goo.gl/images/pmfsGh

https://goo.gl/images/UWmhLA

With just about any decent ball head. This puts the center post horizontal, but keeps the threaded mount stud vertical. I assume you can mount your dual mount to a ball head. This would seem to be a more elegant solution than mounting two ball heads on the dual mount- especially as I would assume the range finder and spotting scope would generally be pointed in the same direction.

Yeah, that's the 190. I want to avoid having to use the horizontal bar. So a low tripod with a ball head I guess. I can cut the center post. But I don't know which is the lowest tripod, Manfrotto's numbers don't show how low the tripod itself can go, at least I don't think. The Element traveler was their lowest one I could find but it's still too tall to use in the prone. I need something that'll go like 8".

The Ray Vinn looks nice but it's too expensive with the outrigger I believe. The dual camera mount is cheap. I just need a low tripod and head to put it on. One that won't break the bank, but that won't be junk either. I can do aluminum, can't afford carbon fiber this time.

Is there another brank I should maybe be looking at?