I am starting to work on some simple gear reviews for products that interface with SRS products. Here I am comparing the Aziak Ridgeline tripod against the Tricer BC and LP head. I will post some pictures after this weekend.
I will be using them again this weekend on a bear hunt so if there's anything else specific you would like to know, chime in.
Both tripods are made overseas.
Shooting - Aziak all the way. I have been glassing using ball heads and no center post for 3 years now. Because of the ability to quickly level the gun, ball heads will always be better for shooting off of while clipped in. Both tripods are similar in rigidity, and work great for shooting with tripod rear positions.
Glassing – The tricer edges out the Aziak in this category. Having the center post allows for quick adjustments, and the pan head makes gridding an area easier. We went outside for an impartial opinion as I am used to running ball heads. My fiancée Jamie Hutchinson used both the tripods while bear hunting with me. She liked getting on something I would point out faster with the ball head, but ultimately preferred the standard pan head for glassing with binos. I will say though, the tricer head adjustments are a little harder to get consistent pressure on compared to other brands of pan heads I have used.
Heavy glassing – Aziak took this category. I used my Swarovski ATX 85 for this. The little pan head that could, couldn’t quite handle the weight of the ATX 85 (68 oz). The ball head on the ridgeline made it easier to get to a consistent pressure to make glassing easier.
Packability – This goes to the Aziak Ridgeline. While being a full 5” longer in the folded position, the Tricer height didn’t include a head. After the head there is only a 2” difference between the two. The Aziak folds into a smaller cylinder, and at 20 oz, it’s extremely packable.
Deployability – Functionally, they deploy in about the same time. The center post of the Tricer makes the finer height adjustment faster, but the Aziak only having one leg section makes up time. I do prefer the throw lever arca clamp on the Aziak vs the Tricer with the thumb knob.
Overall, I like the Aziak better. Coming in at over 10 oz lighter with an integrated ball head, and $230 cheaper, it’s my new go to for ultralight backpack hunts.
I will be using them again this weekend on a bear hunt so if there's anything else specific you would like to know, chime in.
TRIPOD REVIEW
- TRICER-BC TRIPOD WITH TRICER-LP PAN HEAD
- 27 OZ TRIPOD 4.5 OZ HEAD
- COMBINED WEIGHT 31.5 OZ
- MAX HEIGHT 40”
- 17” FOLDED
- 5” LOWEST HEIGHT + 3”HEAD HEIGHT
- 2 LEG EXTENSIONS
- PAN HEAD
- $588 ($369 TRIPOD, $219 PAN HEAD)
- AZIAK RIDGELINE TRIPOD
- 20 OZ TOTAL WEIGHT, WITH HEAD
- MAX HEIGHT 36”
- 22” FOLDED
- 5.5” TRUE MINIMUM HEIGHT
- SINGLE LEG EXTENSION
- BALL HEAD
- $349.99
Both tripods are made overseas.
Shooting - Aziak all the way. I have been glassing using ball heads and no center post for 3 years now. Because of the ability to quickly level the gun, ball heads will always be better for shooting off of while clipped in. Both tripods are similar in rigidity, and work great for shooting with tripod rear positions.
Glassing – The tricer edges out the Aziak in this category. Having the center post allows for quick adjustments, and the pan head makes gridding an area easier. We went outside for an impartial opinion as I am used to running ball heads. My fiancée Jamie Hutchinson used both the tripods while bear hunting with me. She liked getting on something I would point out faster with the ball head, but ultimately preferred the standard pan head for glassing with binos. I will say though, the tricer head adjustments are a little harder to get consistent pressure on compared to other brands of pan heads I have used.
Heavy glassing – Aziak took this category. I used my Swarovski ATX 85 for this. The little pan head that could, couldn’t quite handle the weight of the ATX 85 (68 oz). The ball head on the ridgeline made it easier to get to a consistent pressure to make glassing easier.
Packability – This goes to the Aziak Ridgeline. While being a full 5” longer in the folded position, the Tricer height didn’t include a head. After the head there is only a 2” difference between the two. The Aziak folds into a smaller cylinder, and at 20 oz, it’s extremely packable.
Deployability – Functionally, they deploy in about the same time. The center post of the Tricer makes the finer height adjustment faster, but the Aziak only having one leg section makes up time. I do prefer the throw lever arca clamp on the Aziak vs the Tricer with the thumb knob.
Overall, I like the Aziak better. Coming in at over 10 oz lighter with an integrated ball head, and $230 cheaper, it’s my new go to for ultralight backpack hunts.
