True, but if compact tripods were sturdy, everyone would be using them.
However, even a flimsy tripod is far better than nothing.
For a long time I used a small tripod I found years ago at a trash and treasure
market, and it wasn't that bad. It's disadvantages were that it was a little
lower than I'd prefer, and the legs were in 4 sections not 3, meaning I had to
fasten and unfasten 9 legs joints rather than 6 each time I used it. The leg
sections were so short that sometimes it was necessary to collapse two leg
sections rather than just one when putting it still erected in and out of car
boots.
It was also not safe to leave the scope unattended in windy conditions, as it
was light enough to blow over.
Mine had the collet type of clamps on the legs, rather than the more usual
screw or quick release clamps (I'm not sure, but suspect Gitzo use this type).
While a bit of a pain to operate, these have the advantage that they don't
protrude from the legs at all, and there's nothing sticking out to continually
get caught on things in your backpack. Mine had a normal head mount, so I was
able to remove the wobbly, heavy steel head it came with and put a better one
on, but I suspect that might not be such a common feature, so you'd have to
check that before buying. Maybe consider putting a very simple ball head on
it, to save weight and reduce the size even further?
These little tripods are often quite cheap, although I'm sure there are
expensive versions, and are therefore stocked by lots of camera shops and
department stores, so you shouldn't have much trouble trying one out to see if
they'll do the job.
Peter Shute
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of david taylor
Sent: Thursday, 30 April 2009 6:05 AM
To: Frank Antram
Cc:
Subject: small spotting scope
Couldnt agree more Frank - its the tripod that is always the cumbersome part of
the deal and your idea of a collapsable one is spot on.
cheers
David Taylor
On 29/04/2009, at 9:50 PM, wrote:
> The issue for me when travelling overseas is not the scope (my
> Swarovski ATS65HD 20-60X fits comfortably into my backpack with
> binoculars and camera) but the tripod which only fits into a largish
> suitcase (and takes up way too much space) or has to be checked in
> separately.....and I've arrived at a destination before to find the
> airline has dropped it and broken the catch mechanism. A tripod that
> folds down to backpack-size, but is still sturdy when erected, would
> be a real bonus, I believe.
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