Tripod suggestions for Spotting scope

You really don't want a budget tripod for a spotting scope that can go up to 60X . Having said that you should check out some of the higher end prosumer tripods at Vistek

htt ://vistek.ca/results/ProPhotoTripods/tripods-triplegs/Tripod-Legs.aspx?order=Price

There are some Induro / Benros that are about $100 for Legs only. I would consider this bare minimum

The Manfrotto ( even the 190 and 055 models ) are not that much better than the sub $150 Benro / Induros

I have lots of Manfrotto gear but their tripod legs and ball heads are far from the best

If you are not in a rush, you can pick up a good 3 way pan tilt head ( better than a ball head for spotting scope ) like a Gitzo ( excellent top shelf brand ) pretty cheap . Budget at least $50 for a good head

Bit more than your $100 total but bouncy tripods will piss you off when looking through scope at higher magnifications

If you want to get the whole kit

ht ://vistek.ca/results/ProPhotoTripods/tripods-tripodkit/Tripod-Kits.aspx?order=Price

Just be careful since some of of the tripods in the link above are travel tripods, where you give up stability for small compact light weight

There are two Induro tripod kits that would suite your needs for less than $150

If you plant to only use this for bench shooting , don't bother with a table top tripod . Buy a "Bessey" style clamp and fab up a bracket to hold a tripod head . Manfrotto makes such a thing ( Manfrotto column clamp ) but by the time you pick up a clamp and column and head you will be into it for over $100

You can see in the pic below the clamp on the background . This setup is rock solid, far better than anything you can do with a tripod

ZeissSpotter.jpg
 
I agree with everyone else here saying that you won't get a decent tripod for $100. I've got a manfrotto that was about $200 or $250 for the head and legs that would be barely adequate for a big spotting scope. A couple years ago I bought a set of Induro legs ($200) and a nice ball head ($400) that is way sturdier than my smaller manfrotto setup.
Kristian
 
Really Right Stuff has awesome ball heads...I have a couple, one I use for my spotting scope exclusively is the BH-25. Small light weight strong and not expensive. The BH-25 is all you need, the other heads guys use are not this quality and usually more complicated than they have to be...If your pockets are deep I have a Really Right Stuff Tripod and ball head for sale, better than anything that has been mentioned on here so far...
 
JNA said:
So im assuming i need to raise my budget to a bare minimum 200 but most likely 300 or so...
Click to expand...

If you are buying new, yes. I had a look at my old manfrotto tripod, the head is a 056 and the legs are the old 190. You can get both from bhphotovideo for $210 US plus shipping, and that would be a decent budget combo for a spotting scope. The Really Right Stuff ball heads mentioned above really are nice, but the one I have was $400 for just the head. Plus you would need to buy a quick release plate for your spotting scope. The Induro legs that I have are also pretty nice for not much more. Way higher and a lot sturdier, but the tradeoff is that they don't collapse as small and weigh more. Stay away from the plastic crap that you find at places like london drugs, even if the legs are aluminum. A tip I was givenby a photographer was to also avoid any tripods with the braces from the legs to the centre column, they are usually there to compensate for not being strong enough, and really limit your setup options on uneven ground.
Kristian
 
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