Got binos need tripod

[ramos]

Hello All,

I am a long time veiwer,first time poster.I finally after many years of saving $ and arguing with myself,

purchased a pair of Swaro 15x56 binos. Now I need a decent tripod.I was wondering if any of you have used

the Velbon Sherpa 750 that is sold on this website and what you think of it.

 

By the way the binos are worth every penny. I should have done it years ago !

 

Thanks Amanda and everyone involved in this excellent website.

 

Roy

[firstcoueswas80]

I do not personally own the Sherpa, but have a few buddies who have used it and like it. for me, its a little small. I have a Velbon Chaser efl-4 tripod I bought from amanda like 4 years ago and i freakin love it!

[DesertBull]

I've been through a lot of tripods in the last 3-4 years. I finally found one I like. I good compromise between the heavy Bogen's and the cheaper lightweight models. It is very steady in the wind, has lever locks instead of the twist kind and is fairly light, but not too light as to shake and vibrate in a breeze. It's a Bogen also,which is very well constructed.

 

http://www.eagleoptics.com/index.asp?pid=4883

 

I put the Bogen 700RC head on it. Smooth and easy to use and again, not too heavy.

 

If you have the money, you can get the Outdoorsman's stuff, which is second to none, but I found this to be good enough for me.

[Coues Sniper]

That Velbon Chaser efl-4 is a nice tripod. Anything with Bogan or Manfrotto is nice, but can be heavy (which is good in it's own way). That new Swarovski is unbelievable, but pricey ($700). You can usually find some good deals on Ebay for Bogans. Good luck.

[ramos]

Thanks everybody,

I have a couble full sized Bogens and they are great from camp or the truck but are too heavy to pack.

Outdoorsmans are my eventual goal but a little pricey for now. I checked out the Bogen 190 it looks like it might do the trick.

 

Roy

[stalkincoues]

I have the cableas 65" full sized tripod that I use for most of my glassing. I took the bottom metal and rubber feet off, and inserts out and replaced them with just some little rubber feet over the carbon fiber and lost about a half pound by doing that. The legs weigh 3 1/2 lbs and I have the 701rc2 which I love, and is a must have for me when using my Swaro 15x's. I pack it with me everywhere. I would like a little lighter setup but is not too bad considering that I can use this standing up, or use the 3 way postion to get all the way underneath it and it is very solid. Don't know how much weight I could actually shed and still have it this tall or steady enough. I am 5' 11" and if you plan on glassing standing up I'd reccomend no less than 65" tall. It is on sale right now also.....

 

 

 

 

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...s&noImage=0

[Coues79]

I have a Bogen/Manfrotto 728 B and really like it. Light weight and sturdy, real smooth head and it let's me stand to glass if I want to as well.

 

 

http://focuscamera.com/sc/froogle-lead-1.a...p;sid=978959631

[cjw2222]

Thanks everybody,

I have a couble full sized Bogens and they are great from camp or the truck but are too heavy to pack.

Outdoorsmans are my eventual goal but a little pricey for now. I checked out the Bogen 190 it looks like it might do the trick.

 

Roy

 

 

If your thinkin about outdoorsmans i would say buy them now and save $ in the long run. I saved up for months to buy it and couldnt be happier with it and my choice to wait and get the best. you got the best glass might as well get a matching tripod IMHO.

[ramos]

So many options. Looks like I need to get down to the valley

and do some hands on comparison shopping. I hate to blow

$100-$200 on something that dosent do what I need.

 

Thanks for the opinions.

 

Roy

[cpugsie]

You simply can't beat the Slik Carbon Fiber 713 for $219.00 from B and H photo. They are lighter than the full size Outdoorsman, go up just as high, are just as sturdy and about half the cost. You won't be disappointed. Everyone that tries mine in the field ends up buying one. I've tried many tripods over the years and still have a couple heavier Bogens for use at camp and from the truck but the Slik is the only one that goes on hikes with me. I use a Bogen 3160 pan head on top. These are great heads but they are not made any more. You can still find them on ebay for around $50.00. When I get a few bucks saved up I will look into the Jim White head to lighten up the load even more. Good luck!

[CouesWhitetail]

Velbon replaced their old Chaser EFL 3a and 4a with the Velbon Sherpas. The new models are called Sherpas and are very similar to the old Chaser series. The Sherpa 750RA is a replacement for the EFL4A and the major difference is that it now has a geared center column. The Sherpa 600RA is practically identical to the EFL3A but is a different color now.

 

I use the sherpa 600ra and find it's a great tripod. Very sturdy and light given that it's a fullsize tripod. I use a smaller tripod for backpack trips, but anytime I want something really sturdy I take the velbon.

 

And keep in mind that if you buy a tripod from me and you decide it's not right for you, you can return it for a refund. I suggest you come up with your must have list for what you want in a tripod. How heavy, how sturdy, how tall, how small it will pack and then see what meets your criteria in your price range. Carbon fiber tripods are nice and light, but they are generally twice as expensive too.

 

Amanda