Hey Everybody,
I have frequented this forum for quite a long time and can't even begin to say how much I appreciate all of the incredible information here.
I was incredibly lucky, and shocked, when I was notified recently that I had been selected as a winner of the monthly Cameraland NY giveaway contest. I was selected to receive the Athlon Midas Tripod CF29.
I'm posting this thread to provide a review of the tripod. I was really psyched to check out this product because I have Athlon binoculars and an Athlon spotting scope that I've been really happy with. Full transparency: at the time I received the tripod, I owned a Vortex High Country II tripod. I loved that freaking tripod for everything it provided at a $200 price point. I was considering keeping the Vortex if I wasn't blown away by the Athlon, but that definitely wasn't the case. It isn't a shock, considering the Athlon is priced at $479, but the Athlon tripod was everything I expected it to be and then some.
I was impressed by the packaging and pumped to see what was inside.
The carrying case is very high quality. Heavy duty and well padded. And I like the camo a lot.
Contents include:
Tripod with Ball Head (and counterweight hook)
Carrying Case
Tripod Hammock (Awesome Accessory)
Shoulder Pad
Carrying Sling (Awesome Accessory)
Leg Wraps (I think they are badass)
Interchangeable rubber or spiked feet
Leveling head for larger attachments
Carrying Case has two pockets: one for leveling head and one for spiked feet
First Impressions:
Very sleek and very smooth
Although this is a minor consideration: I definitely like the aesthetics of this tripod.
The carrying case is heavy duty and I really appreciate the extra padding and Velcro hold down for the ball head. The zippers on the carrying case are heavy duty, as well.
The feet on the tripod are well designed and grip the slippery top of my chest freezer extremely well.
Rotating leg locks for adjusting leg height are smooth and open with a small rotation--be aware, it is easy to open them too much and the leg will actually fall out. I think this is one of only a few design features that I was not thrilled about. It was seamless to reassemble, but just be mindful of it.
The ball head is SMOOTH! I cannot stress this enough: I was super impressed with the ball head functionality. It is high quality and very responsive without being crazy loose or being all-or-nothing. The friction control knob is a nice feature that gives even more control of the ball head. Another design feature that I would like to point out: The friction control knob is VERY easy to tighten too much to the point where it is a real pain in the ass to try to loosen again. Not too big of a deal, but these knobs are clearly designed to just go to finger tight and no more.
Quick Release Plate: This is quite possibly my favorite feature! This plate is freaking awesome. The vortex tripod I had, as well as others I've used, have an entirely different quick release plate system that seems to always maintain just a slight amount of play in it no matter how hard I tension it down. That is definitely not the case with this tripod. This quick release tightens with a tension knob, and it ratchets down smoothly to get rid of all play at all in the plate. THIS IS SUCH A RELIEF! That small amount of movement in the other plates would always drive me freaking crazy when I was glassing.
Haven't gone to the range or out hiking since receiving this, so took it into our vegetable garden to show you what it's all about.
Pictured with the hammock, shoulder pad and sling attached.
Standard height is 24"
Shown with Athlon Ares straight spotter.
Full height eyepiece at 67.5" --which is just barely too tall for me, and I am 6' tall.
The hammock seemed like a minor deal, but the more I played around with it, I think it will be incredibly functional during long periods spent glassing--to hold radio/calls/rangefinder/etc.
I haven't used the spiked feet yet, but they are incredibly easy to attach--simply screw the rubber feet off and thread the spiked feet on. Very easy and strong system.
The tripod is smooth and strong. I'm very pleased with the legs and the twist lock system. It is quiet to operate and easily slides without any catching. It was windy while I was trying it out and I felt no wobbling at all.
Also, I folded the legs in but kept them fully extended and used the carrying sling to carry the entire system, including attached spotting scope. It was so convenient to have it slung on my shoulder and my hand holding the base of the ball head. I never felt worried about my spotter because the quick lock system is so secure. I can imagine this feature will be very handy if I need to quickly move spotting positions.
Additionally, the leg angle catch locking levers, which open to allow the legs to fully extend at an angle are very responsive and smooth and quiet. I appreciate the thought and design that went into this feature for using the tripod with binos.
I love the ball head system and its smoothness. Again, I am all in on the quick lock system that Athlon has adopted. All things considered, I am blown away by the quality and functionality of this tripod. In the case with all accessories, it weighs 7 lbs 6 oz, which is certainly a factor to consider on backpacking trips. But that weight can be significantly paired down without the case and accessories to a more manageable 5.5 lbs.
I will check back in after I've actually taken it on a hunt and/or to the range. At this point though, I would have to say that I would certainly recommend this tripod for a hunting/shooting tripod. I am impressed with nearly the entire package and consider myself lucky to have one. I'd encourage anyone in the market to reach out to Doug at Cameraland--I couldn't be happier with the service and products I've received from them.
I hope this is helpful and happy hunting!
I have frequented this forum for quite a long time and can't even begin to say how much I appreciate all of the incredible information here.
I was incredibly lucky, and shocked, when I was notified recently that I had been selected as a winner of the monthly Cameraland NY giveaway contest. I was selected to receive the Athlon Midas Tripod CF29.
I'm posting this thread to provide a review of the tripod. I was really psyched to check out this product because I have Athlon binoculars and an Athlon spotting scope that I've been really happy with. Full transparency: at the time I received the tripod, I owned a Vortex High Country II tripod. I loved that freaking tripod for everything it provided at a $200 price point. I was considering keeping the Vortex if I wasn't blown away by the Athlon, but that definitely wasn't the case. It isn't a shock, considering the Athlon is priced at $479, but the Athlon tripod was everything I expected it to be and then some.
I was impressed by the packaging and pumped to see what was inside.
The carrying case is very high quality. Heavy duty and well padded. And I like the camo a lot.
Contents include:Tripod with Ball Head (and counterweight hook)
Carrying Case
Tripod Hammock (Awesome Accessory)
Shoulder Pad
Carrying Sling (Awesome Accessory)
Leg Wraps (I think they are badass)
Interchangeable rubber or spiked feet
Leveling head for larger attachments
Carrying Case has two pockets: one for leveling head and one for spiked feet
First Impressions:
Very sleek and very smooth
Although this is a minor consideration: I definitely like the aesthetics of this tripod.
The carrying case is heavy duty and I really appreciate the extra padding and Velcro hold down for the ball head. The zippers on the carrying case are heavy duty, as well.
The feet on the tripod are well designed and grip the slippery top of my chest freezer extremely well.
Rotating leg locks for adjusting leg height are smooth and open with a small rotation--be aware, it is easy to open them too much and the leg will actually fall out. I think this is one of only a few design features that I was not thrilled about. It was seamless to reassemble, but just be mindful of it.
The ball head is SMOOTH! I cannot stress this enough: I was super impressed with the ball head functionality. It is high quality and very responsive without being crazy loose or being all-or-nothing. The friction control knob is a nice feature that gives even more control of the ball head. Another design feature that I would like to point out: The friction control knob is VERY easy to tighten too much to the point where it is a real pain in the ass to try to loosen again. Not too big of a deal, but these knobs are clearly designed to just go to finger tight and no more.
Quick Release Plate: This is quite possibly my favorite feature! This plate is freaking awesome. The vortex tripod I had, as well as others I've used, have an entirely different quick release plate system that seems to always maintain just a slight amount of play in it no matter how hard I tension it down. That is definitely not the case with this tripod. This quick release tightens with a tension knob, and it ratchets down smoothly to get rid of all play at all in the plate. THIS IS SUCH A RELIEF! That small amount of movement in the other plates would always drive me freaking crazy when I was glassing.
Haven't gone to the range or out hiking since receiving this, so took it into our vegetable garden to show you what it's all about.
Pictured with the hammock, shoulder pad and sling attached.
Standard height is 24"
Shown with Athlon Ares straight spotter.
Full height eyepiece at 67.5" --which is just barely too tall for me, and I am 6' tall.
The hammock seemed like a minor deal, but the more I played around with it, I think it will be incredibly functional during long periods spent glassing--to hold radio/calls/rangefinder/etc.
I haven't used the spiked feet yet, but they are incredibly easy to attach--simply screw the rubber feet off and thread the spiked feet on. Very easy and strong system.
The tripod is smooth and strong. I'm very pleased with the legs and the twist lock system. It is quiet to operate and easily slides without any catching. It was windy while I was trying it out and I felt no wobbling at all.
Also, I folded the legs in but kept them fully extended and used the carrying sling to carry the entire system, including attached spotting scope. It was so convenient to have it slung on my shoulder and my hand holding the base of the ball head. I never felt worried about my spotter because the quick lock system is so secure. I can imagine this feature will be very handy if I need to quickly move spotting positions.
Additionally, the leg angle catch locking levers, which open to allow the legs to fully extend at an angle are very responsive and smooth and quiet. I appreciate the thought and design that went into this feature for using the tripod with binos.
I love the ball head system and its smoothness. Again, I am all in on the quick lock system that Athlon has adopted. All things considered, I am blown away by the quality and functionality of this tripod. In the case with all accessories, it weighs 7 lbs 6 oz, which is certainly a factor to consider on backpacking trips. But that weight can be significantly paired down without the case and accessories to a more manageable 5.5 lbs.
I will check back in after I've actually taken it on a hunt and/or to the range. At this point though, I would have to say that I would certainly recommend this tripod for a hunting/shooting tripod. I am impressed with nearly the entire package and consider myself lucky to have one. I'd encourage anyone in the market to reach out to Doug at Cameraland--I couldn't be happier with the service and products I've received from them.
I hope this is helpful and happy hunting!
