Inexpensive pan head for Slik Sprint Mini II

[mtfallon]

I know there have been several discussions on pan heads recently and I'm curious if anyone has upgraded the head on the Slik Sprint Mini? I believe it has 1/4"-20 threading. Right now I'm looking at the Slik 707E as a budget option, or springing for the Outdoorsman Micro which is 10 oz lighter but $200 more expensive. That said, what good is a tripod if you leave it in camp because of weight.

Best,
Mike

 

[Solitude]

How do you plan to use the tripod? If you just plan on putting a spotter on it to zoom in on game you spotted free hand with your binoculars then keep the original ball head IMO. If you want to mount binoculars or the spotter to scan I advise you go out and do it a couple times with the ball head to see what you like/dislike. I have the Slik Sprint Mini II in my quiver of tripods and it rarely gets the call now days as tripod mounted binoculars are my goto and I find myself wanting to stand up and glass often. BTW-The Micro is a solid product IMO.

 

[mtfallon]

Im looking for a new heard primarily for glassing with bino's. The ball head that came with it is super light but don't like that it's hard to stay on the same plane when glassing and real easy to move it way to far if you're not extremely careful. Also that the knob is so small and close to the head that it has to be in your lap to adjust unless you're leading all the way out.

 

[Upcountry]

I got just what you're looking for. I picked up the Slik Sprint Mini last year and added this Field Optics Research Panning Head and absolutely love it. The head is a good fit on the smaller Slik tripod. It's single handle is small and tucks nicely into the tripod for transport, the drag wheel is easy to use and gives a ton of adjustment. I've been using my Minox MD50, some Vortex 12x50 binoculars, and some Brunton 8x42 binoculars all with great success, and I've tested my larger 20-60x60 spotter and it'll hold fine, but I'd opt for a larger tripod for that scope. I've also been using the Field Optics Binocular adapters and really like them. When using the binoculars, I'll run the pan head handle away from me. I've used some of the other "budget" pan heads including the Vanguard PH111 that a lot of people like and much prefer this new one. Hard to beat at $35. A tip though if I recall correctly, you'll need a threaded insert adapter for the pan head as I think it's a 3/8" thread and the Slik will leave you with a 1/4" stud when you pull the ball head off... They're like $3 at B&H
FullSizeRender by Jesse Reeves, on Flickr

Field Optics Pan Head
bushing:
Bushing

 

[mtfallon]

Awesome- only problem is they are backordered at BH until late Oct! I'll check the web for other sellers. Thanks!

 

[Upcountry]

I've ordered extra plates and an additional binocular adapter directly off of Field Optics' website before, they have a "store" section. Few buck more expensive but more than likely in stock.

 

[kad11]

JReeves, do you know what the weight is for your Slik tripod with the Field Optics panhead? I've got the same tripod as you but don't really care for the stock ball head; I would definitely go for the panhead if there isn't a significant weight difference.

 

[mtfallon]

Kad11- I believe the Field optics head is just under a pound, which should be a good 10oz more then the stock ball head but I'm not possitive.

JReeves- Thank you, I'll check that out!

 

[mtfallon]

Just ordered the head and extra plate from Field Optics Research and the bushing from BH Photo. Thanks!

 

[kad11]

mtfallon, thanks for the info; I think I'll just stick with the ball head.

 

[Hiwayman92]

The field optics research head looks just like my Schonfeld heads, got them on B&H for 35 bucks, they're great.

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