[Redeye]

Thanks for the input all.

Icearcher, it was your post that I happened across that started me thinking about this in the first place! A trip to Bunnings is likely in order! I like the idea of the survey tripod for less portable situations, such as driving around and setting up near the car, but suspect that probably wouldn’t be a good solution for more mobile requirements, say flying somewhere? I think they will be more portable than the cg5 legs, cheaper and lighter and as you say, provide similar levels of performance (regidity, payload and vibration suppression)

Ukastronomer, the question was more generic than specific. ie “what is a sturdy tripod?” Rather than “this is my setup what is the sturdiest tripod?”. However, to answer your question, my tracker setup is a Star adventurer, but the Tripp’s solution may also be used with an Az-Gti in equatorial mode. The payload being either a full frame DSLR with a 24mm F 1.4 lens, or a Full frame DSLR with a WO Z61 and ultra mini autoguider.

Following other discussions the concept of “sturdy enough” has been raised. ie a solution which is sturdy for a DSLR widefield setup, might not be sturdy enough for a telescope setup with a longer FL, so a sturdier tripod solution would be required. Add to this, travel and portability, and there may be a range of solutions and compromises such as for travel, a camera tripod, but the vibrations from wind etc May limit tracking to 60 secs at longer FL?

What I suspect, as with everything, is that one solution rarely meets all requirements, portability, vibration at wide and long focal lengths, payload weight and cost.

Ultimately, for me personally, I will probably use a surveyors tripod or set of cg5 legs for long and short FL where portability is not critical, and a relatively quality (ie expensive) tripod where portability or reuse with just the DSLR, is important and then take the hit that I might be limited in tracking time at longer focal lengths?