Just in case you need to know, I am in tomorrow, then Saturday (Pete Antrobus' funeral on Thursday). Next week prob Monday & Wednesday at least. But I have also told Yvonne that you may pop in & shown her where the grommets are
Sorry Neil, missed this (been ill with heavy cold/man flu - hence lack of reports from me at Newchurch!!).
Yes it can be fitted, it may need an adaptor grommet, which I have several of here (spare sitting on my desk so no charge for Forum Members ). If you wanted to pop in when passing I can have a q.look & hopefully sort it out
Can you put the 'Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Video Head with Rc2 Rapid Connect Plate' on the Velbon 200R instead of the PH-157Q? Just I have problems with scope rotating on the footplate that connects to the PH-157.
...Some excellent advice here on tripods but the models mentioned seem to be no longer in production...
Hi Ian,
I bought a Manfrotto 128RC head last year and it is still available, despite being a pretty venerable product. Classic Italian design, you might say. It has been excellent to use, and is very robust. I guess it depends if you digiscope or use cameras a lot. I find that my head is excellent for tracking birds in flight as I think Sid mentioned below, but I only use a scope and I don't take photos. But it was great watching my first Pallid Harrier the other day, it was really easy to move the scope around as the bird battled against the wind.
I am happy enough to lug a heavy tripod around, again it's horses for courses. I got a Manfrotto 190 3 piece aluminium, and it is a solid item, I thought aluminium was supposed to be light to be fair! But time after time in the field I see people with Velbon tripods, which are cheaper and must do a job to be so ubiquitous. I don't like the heads they do though, so I'm happy with my Manfrotto.
Give us a call at Focalpoint (01925 730399) will depend on what you intend to put on it, whether you want to take it abroad (weight consideration) etc, We have new & used available, you can come out & try before you buy too, and that's invaluable.
Cheers
-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Thursday 10th of November 2016 03:29:37 PM
My scope and tripod were recently(6 days ago) stolen from my car and I am looking to replace them. Some excellent advice here on tripods but the models mentioned seem to be no longer in production. I would really appreciate some upto date advice as the choice on offer is bewildering. Cheers Ian
Tried a pistol grip too excellent for scope and OK for still shots but again doesn't do the panning - as as soon as you release the trigger you get any movement in all angles if you see what I mean!
Cheers Pete! The Manfrotto seems a definite possibility.
Has anyone got an opinion on ball vs. fluid heads for both scope and camera work? And how about pistol grip ball heads?
Cheers
Martyn
Hello Martyn, you may find that the tripod works for both but I think that different head designs work better for the scope versus the camera - for the camera you really need a gimbal or a long lens type head which will allow you to move the camera through both horizontal and vertical movement so you can track birds for a BIF shot or pan up and away at a bird rising through your field of view to either side.
I use a chinese version of the basic gimbal design as the proper ones are circa £500 - Wimbrley being the proper brand. Another popular option is something like the Manfrotto 393 head which is a bit more reasonable at £120. There's a useful summary at: http://www.digitalbirdphotography.com/4.2.html
Cheers, Peter
OK, so now I've got a decent spotting scope I need to get a new tripod setup to replace my shakey 25 year old aluminium thing. I'm not too worried about weight but it must be absolutely rock solid for use in digiscoping and with a 500mm zoom lens on a DSLR camera.
Does anyone have any good recommendations for current models of tripod and heads at reasonable cost (round about £250). I fancy a ball head with a pistol grip so that I can move the scope or camera around with just one hand, but I've been told fluid heads are better. Any comments on this?
I don't mind another aluminium tripod (rather than carbon fibre) if it keeps the cost down whilst being rock solid. Heavier will probably be better anyway - with a long lens or digiscoping I can't afford it to flap around in the breeze.
Any suggestions or recommendations will be gratefully received - better still, if you have something suitable for sale please PM me.
Cheers, Martyn
cheers Ian and Sid fantastically useful advice. I've gone for it and ordered a lightweight carbon Velbon GEO E640 with 4 section legs so it folds down really compact and a Manfrotto 701HDV head. Was going to just stick the 128RC head from my Swarovski on it but you've persuaded me of the superior benefits of the 701. Ordered from South West Optics who advertise in Birding World. Seemed like a good price for both. So there goes some more money Ian!
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Friday 19th of February 2010 02:17:47 PM
Tim - Like Ian I also chose a Manfrotto head, mine is the 128RC model and does the trick very well for my scope and tripod. Its described as a fluid type tripod head - this basically means that with a bit of a simple adjustment before you start the scope will stay exactly where you leave it without having to mess about with a locking type handle. I also find it very useful for following birds in flight. Hope that helps.
Yes, I had the 128RC on my old Manfrotto scope Sid and it is a favourite of many and did me good service indeed. The newer 701RC though is slightly lighter and features true fluid filled cartridges, the smoothness between the two is very significant in favour of the newer head though and the 701RC comes with a balance plate which is very useful indeed but it comes at a price. The 701RC is now twice the price of the 128RC but what price do you put on your birding eh and Tim's got money to burn...
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 18th of February 2010 05:35:32 PM
Thanks Sid. If that's the weight with the head its less than half mine and sounds ideal. Will investigate
Tim - Like Ian I also chose a Manfrotto head, mine is the 128RC model and does the trick very well for my scope and tripod. Its described as a fluid type tripod head - this basically means that with a bit of a simple adjustment before you start the scope will stay exactly where you leave it without having to mess about with a locking type handle. I also find it very useful for following birds in flight. Hope that helps.
I have used a Sherpa Pro CF641 for several years now and have never looked back from my metal (lead?) Manfrotto of old and Slik D2 Master before that. My Sherpa is 4 section so I can easily conceal it in a rucksack when travelling abroad (particularly when using public transport!) though Pete Berry has exactly the same tripod but in the more usual 3 section. Being carbon-fibre it's very light and incredibly strong and all those rumours about carbon fibre being so light it'll blow over in any wind as strong as a mouse's fart is nonsense. Mine has been magificent in whatever the wind has thrown at it (including those comparable to a herd of mammoth elephant trumps!) and has outperformed it's metal equivalent in every area, including importantly weight of course.
The head of the tripd is equally important though and should not be under estimated. I decided on a Manfrotto 701RC head (after much research and testing) which wasn't cheap but suits the tripod well and with an expensive scope sittng on top you really want the most stable platform you can buy.
All you've got to do then is get yourself a nice new Scopac and you won't even know the whole lot's on your back
Tim don't know if it's going to be of any help but my tripod is really good and it is also a Velbon Sherpa but from what you say a differnt model. Mine is the CF530 - "a three section lightweight carbon fibre tripod with magnesium body" is what it says on the box. It weighs 1.4 kg but it is a very stable bit of kit and has supported by Zeiss 85 Diascope very well since I bought my stuff about 4 years ago.
Not only have I carted this around Tatton once or twice it's been up Pendle Hill and Dunsop Fell on more than one occassion
I'm thinking of getting a new tripod which combines light weight for comfortable portability in the field with sturdiness and adaptability and which is also capable of supporting a large scope. Currently I have 2 - a Velban Sherpa but the wrong kind and essentially for photography with a handle-operated wind up mechansim which I got from a camera shop when I started out. This has had its head removed and attached to my hide pole. It had a tendancy to fall over anyway and the catches were poor. Then I've got a metal-legged Swarovski tripod 1. This is great if you don't have to carry it very far. The catches are strong, top plate locks in well and the legs spread right out so you can use it in a machine gun-like position for sea-watching. However having recently toted it on the Cutacre twitch and for miles through Tatton the other weekend after the 2 Smew there it's just too heavy to cart about over longer distances. I see from spec at Ace Optics that the weight of this model is 3.5Kg. Any recommendations welcome
-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Wednesday 17th of February 2010 01:58:10 PM
). If you wanted to pop in when passing I can have a q.look & hopefully sort it out 
) stolen from my car and I am looking to replace them. Some excellent advice here on tripods but the models mentioned seem to be no longer in production. I would really appreciate some upto date advice as the choice on offer is bewildering.
excellent for scope and OK for still shots but again doesn't do the panning - as as soon as you release the trigger you get any movement in all angles if you see what I mean!
