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Normal Topic Tripods, beanbags, stability, etc (Read 1652 times)
DavidPennington
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Tripods, beanbags, stability, etc
10/31/10 at 18:08:05
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As DT said on the other thread, stability is absolutely fundamental to successful digiscoping. Coincidentally, I also bought a new tripod a while ago. My old one was heavy, and therefore good for digiscoping, but it wasn't doing my back any good. The other reason I decided to get a lighter one was because of airlines' increasingly stringent luggage weight restrictions. I still use the same head though - a Manfrotto 128RC. I'm happy with the compromises it makes between weight/size/smooth panning etc.

So, my new one's a bit lighter and therefore not as stable. One of the reasons it's lighter is that it's made of carbon fibre, which is supposedly better at reducing vibrations. Hmmm... maybe. To make it as stable as possible, I always use it at the lowest setting possible, even if that means kneeling in mud or whatever. I've always done this, even when not digiscoping. This is another time when having an angled scope comes in - you can have your scope placed lower than your eye-level. Also I usually widen the legs by one stop and, it should go without saying, try to get out of the wind.

Obviously, one of the times when you might need to extend your tripod fully is when scoping over a wall. In this case I usually ditch the tripod entirely. Walls are excellent bases for beanbags! My beanbag is just an old cushion-cover filled with dried beans and rice. You lose a lot of panning ability but it's way more stable than any tripod, even when it's windy. It's also ideal for setting the scope in when looking through an open car window. Only thing is, it's not really portable (too heavy). I rarely take it more than a few yards from my car unless I'm sure it's going to be needed.



  
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