Tripod for Binoculars?

[psadams]

I'm new at astronomy & are very keen in purchasing these 15x70 binoculars:

http://www.aoe.com.au/aoe70hp.html

What I'm wondering is what tripod should I buy for them?

I've been looking at this tripod:

http://www.myastroshop.com.au/products/details.asp?id=MAS-212

Do you think that these binoculars would be too heavy for this tripod? Is this tripod sturdy enough? Would you recommend spending more on a tripod?

I'm operating on a limited budget. I want a tripod that will also do cameras & video cameras. I have a digital camera & will be buying a video camera some time in the next year.

Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT: Sorry I put 50x70 not 15x70!

[rmcpb]

Welcome to IIS PS :)

As for the tripod, from the write up it looks like it could do the job and would probably be fine BUT if you are looking at mounting a video camera, etc then the heaviest tripod you can afford and handle would be my choice.

I have handheld these binos for VERY short periods and they worked fine. I also mounted them on my light tripod and they were great but if you are going to make the tripod a standard item then go for the best you can get.

Keep looking up.....

[erick]

Hi psadams :welcome:

15x70s (not "50x70" Eeeek!) would go very nicely on a tripod. I cannot say much about that particular tripod but your problems (in my limited experience) can be:-

1) Too heavy for the tripod - risk of overbalancing, particularly if bumped. Note that these binoculars don't come with a central mounting bar, so you will be using a binocular mount (check they come with one - try for metal, not plastic - I think AOE supply a good metal one with them or for a few more $s). This does mean that when you tilt the binoculars upwards, the centre of gravity can move a fair way out from the centre of the tripod.

2) Difficulty in getting your legs under the legs of the tripod (depending on the radial brace arms?). I find I prefer to sit (check small plastic stools - even upside down plastic rubbish bins!), but you need to be able to get your lesgs in under the tripod without your knees touching legs or radial brace arms.

3) Response to wind - 15x should not be too bad, but if the tripod gets a real jiggle up, your image bounces all over the place. Hard to check except "in the field" - but you may be able to set up at a camera store looking across the street with the binoculars, then tap the tripod and see what happens (and for how long it happens). Yes, some hang sandbags and bricks off the radial supports but think of the total weight - major structural collapse might be coming! I'm also sure that winding up the elevator only increases the problem. I try to keep the elevator fully lowered - then you have to be able to move your seat up and down (I use gas lift. try a piano stool?)

4) "Binocular neck" - the problem of getting to any altitude in the sky. In no time, you get all tangled up in the tripod trying to get your head positioned to look through the eyepieces. Again, you need to try any particular tripod.

5) Which leads me to the pan-handle arm. On some tripods, you end up having to swallow the first half of it to get your eyes on the binoculars. Try to find one that has a short arm or it bends down or is well below the plate.

6) If you do plan to multi-use the tripod, one with a quick release plate is recommended. Buy a few extra plates so you can dedicate one plate to each item you wish to put on the tripod.

My experience is that a set of 12x60s (AOE) have worked a treat on a Velbon CX-540. I have even used a set of 20x80s (with a central support bar) on the same tripod (with care - it is overloaded at that stage!).

I recently bought someone else a Velbon CX-560 for a set of 20x80s with a central support bar. It was $100, but I was impressed - I'd have bought the CX-560 for myself if I'd seen it before I bought the CX-540. The CX-540 has a support plate which basically connects only one side so it "hangs" in space(check some pics here:- http://www.velbon-tripod.com/cx.htm ). I jamb a piece of wood under it in some situations. The CX560 panhead rotates down to sit solidly supported on both sides.

Ted's Camera Stores supposedly have a Velbon CX-586 on special for $110. It's designed for video cameras - it looks like it might be a good option.

Sorry, I cannot advise on the tripod you are looking, but I suggest that you need to get "hands-on" with tripods at the camera store - with the binoculars, if possible. So many things become clear later, otherwise!

Good luck and happy viewing! :)

[psadams]

Thanks erick for your very informative response. It has helped me a lot with knowing what to look for.

I'm now seriously looking at the Velbon CX-560. It appears to be more solidly built than the Optex T565 one I was looking at. I did a search on the net & there is a camera shop that sells Velbon tripod which is just down the road from where I live. I'm going to go in there & have a look at some different models.

[psadams]

I decided on the Velbon CX-660 which is a 10cm taller & slightly heavier version of the CX-560.

http://www.velbon-tripod.com/cx01.htm

Ordered now & waiting for it to arrive at my local photographic shop.

[erick]

I think you'll love it? Let us know. I wish I had one. :)

[matt]

So where would one buy one of these gizmos... and what price?

[erick]

Well, you can do what I did and buy a couple of $16 specials from Aldi!! I actually did - but not for anything serious - just some basic lightweight camera (high shutter speed) mounting and a pair of light binoculars. I bought these since I had chewed up my previous $20 specials (from the 70s) making my new big binocular mount and a mount for my old 7x50s which don't have a tripod mount point.

Velbon seem to be well placed tripods, between the wobbly specials and the top quality stuff like Manfrotto. Wobbly specials (under $80), Velbon ($90-150), Manfrotto ($150+).

Any camera shop of significance will have Velbons on display.

Of course, if you are going really big loads, better go look in the surveyors shop for the big wooden tripods.

[psadams]

I bought the CX-660 for $125 from James Place Cameras (my local shop).

http://www.jamesplacecameras.com.au/

Not bad considering the only place I could find this tripod online was Madsens who were selling it for $142.70.

http://www.madsens.com.au/new/velbon/velbon.php?f=vb_all