Fluid Head f/Binos

tracker12

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Jan 29, 2016
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Looking for a compact budget friendly fluid head to use with my Binos. What do you recommend.
 
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The VA5 is phenomenal. It's on the heavy side though.
The Tricer LP is decent for the weight and price. Smallrigs are decent on the far budget end of the spectrum.

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nobody

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Sep 15, 2020
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Depends on your definition of "budget"

If budget means $50-ish or less, I've been impressed with the Smallrig Fluid Head I bought last year and put on my backpacking tripod:


I definitely wouldn't want to shoot from it, but it has handled everything from binos to an 85mm spotter without a hiccup. Not sure how the longevity will be, but for $50, I'm not really worried. Plus it's extremely lightweight (about 8oz) and super compact. It's also easy and intuitive to use, which I think is typically overlooked on most heads. I typically prefer simplicity over bells and whistles, and the Smallrig is very simple and intuitive to use, and doesn't have any extra knobs or levers to confuse a guy.

From there, I would echo the above and recommend the Sirui VA-5. Not extremely compact, but there's definitely larger heads out there. Also not ultra lightweight. But it's very capable for even the biggest of big glass if you set the tension right. Definitely more capable than the Smallrig and more bells and whistles, but it's also a ton more money.
 
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tracker12

tracker12

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Budget for me was $150 or less. I ended up ordering a VA-5 and also picked a cheap0 from Amazon that looks like a Small rig copy. I'll compare when they come in. I needed something for my window mount also.
 
OP
tracker12

tracker12

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4th_point

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Jun 14, 2022
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Budget for me was $150 or less. I ended up ordering a VA-5 and also picked a cheap0 from Amazon that looks like a Small rig copy. I'll compare when they come in. I needed something for my window mount also.
Thanks for the info on the MagicLine head. It does resemble the SmallRig, which I prefer over my VA-5 even with 82mm scope.

BTW, why is part of your text in black? Did you do that intentionally?
 
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