Tripod for binoculars

[Orbviper (Nick)]

I recently purchased a set of 10x50 binoculars (Nikon Action 7), and have spent the last few clear nights out absolutely loving them, looking at Jupiter's moons, getting a closer look at the Orion Nebula, Pleiades, Omega Centauri etc.

I'm now looking to pick up a tripod and adapter so I can get a more stable look at things. I've had a brief check online, found a tripod adapter for about $15, so no trouble there, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for in a tripod.

I see tripods ranging from around $100 up to many hundreds. Is it worth spending a lot more? What features should I be looking for? Are there any reputable models/brands people could recommend? Any help would be much appreciated.

[dannat (Daniel)]

how tall are you?

most 10x50 do not weigh much, except the andrews ultra 10x50 MB which are 1.6kg.

i recommend a fluid head, with a buffer of at least 2kg (unless its a manfrotto - gtizo -they can hold what they actually say ) so if the head says 4kg rated, don't put bins on more than 2kg-2.5

one I've had & would recommend is the william optics tr188 - can be had on WO online for 125 + about 15 post

other than this a decent quality carbon fibre tripod should fit the bill

if you want Aluminium something like manfroot 190 is a minimum, 055 or 028 are better...i am tall so i make sure i get a 1.90M tripod

[Orbviper (Nick)]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm about six foot. I'm guessing it's advisable to get something a little taller than me to avoid having to bend too much for extended periods. What's a good height buffer to aim for?

[dannat (Daniel)]

prob 1.9, the head always add 10cm or so anyway

[mikerr (Michael)]

Nick, be wary of the cheap Bino Mounts as they tend to come loose and can cause problems like stripping the thread in the Binoculars.

After a lot if investigation on various forums I purchased this mount for my Fujinon 10x70s which are probably a little larger than your Nikons.

http://www.farpointastro.com/products.php

I would think that the Nikons were not cheap and deserve a solid mounting.

You may find these threads interesting..

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea...v=#Post4788774

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea...v=#Post4905256

I don't have any interests in the company etc.
Michael.

[Orbviper (Nick)]

Thanks Mike, hadn't really thought about quality of the adapter. Will take it into consideration.

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

Hi Nick,

I have found that tripods, used for this purpose have always failed to live up to expectations.

Have you ever considered using a parallelogram instead?

Regards,
Stu.

[Allan_L (Allan)]

Andrews Communications had a good looking parallelogram tripod for binos.
But they were a few hundred dollars.
(Alternatively check the projects and DIY section on this site for home made solutions)

If you buy a more conventional type, remember the camera type is designed to go up and down and side to side.
In preference to this i bought a video camera type with a "Ball head" that allaws free movement in any direction (with a lever grip release).
As a bonus, it had a removable centre telescopic pole which could be removed and used as a Monopod.
This I have found useful when using the binos in a reclining chair.

enjoy
al

[Orbviper (Nick)]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I've ended up ordering a TR188 and the farpoint adapter after checking out a few other reviews online.

The William optics online store didn't seem to charge me for shipping though, so I dunno what's going on there.

Hopefully the skies around Canberra clear up a bit next week so I can get some use out of this stuff when it arrives.

[dannat (Daniel)]

WO online free ships quite a few items

[Orbviper (Nick)]

That would probably explain it.

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

When your tripod arrives, try mounting the binoculars backwards. This will stop the handle getting in the way and still allow you to use it to position the binos on targets.

I am sure that you will enjoy the stable views that you will soon have.

[Orbviper (Nick)]

Ah ok, so with the handle facing away from the viewer? Makes sense, thanks.

[erick (Eric)]

That's a nice looking tripod. USD125 and free shipping to Oz! Paypal! Hmmmm, tempting

[Orbviper (Nick)]

Adapter arrived yesterday. Very solid. Popped it on and used it to help prop up the binoculars on a garden chair for some stability, and got some really nice views of the moon last night. Looking forward to the tripod arriving.

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

The detail revealed on the Moon by stable binoculars is impressive. The Pleiades also look better through binos. Jupiter and its moons are easy and I can just get a hint of Saturn's rings in my binos when mounted on my frame.

When your setup is complete post some photos.

[Orbviper (Nick)]

Tripod came yesterday!

One of the legs was a bit stuck, but after some jiggling and force it came loose, and all seems to be pretty good. Easily extends up to higher than I need, so no problems with that.

Spent an hour looking at the moon just after sunset. Was very impressed. Even worth getting completely devoured by mosquitoes

Had a guest over for a few hours, tried to go back out afterwards but cloud cover had picked up quite a bit so wasn't worth it. Hopefully there'll be a clear night over the weekend so I can spend some real time out there

Will post a pic of the setup later.

[PetarB (Petar)]

I love using my binos on my tripod mount. Highly underrated experience!