Swaro 95 on tricer or mini pan head?

[Hoot]

Anyone do this? I have a basic carbon fiber tripod and outdoorsman mini pan head, great in the back country for binos and my little maven spotter, but I’m going to step up my glassing/digiscoping game with a 95. I’ll get a more stable platform for the truck and day hikes, but for the backcountry, is it worth it to try? Balance rail? Bite the bullet and upgrade the tripod too?

Love to hear your thoughts…

 

[huntnful]

My buddy ran a 99 Kowa on the tricer tripod and panhead last year and it was extremely unstable. The slightest wind induced enough vibration to deem the whole system useless.

Definitely get a beefier tripod, around that 3lb mark and a standard panhead. Even the regular outdoorsman panhead would be much better, and not a huge weight penalty.

Ultralight and big optics just don’t go hand in hand too well

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

It’s doable but not great. I have used a Kowa 88 on the little tricer a lot (on a beefier tripod though). It will lock up to down but not really side to side. I think the tripod will be more of a limiting factor than the head, but neither is ideal.

 

[Fever Buck]

As others have said, you pretty much need to have a heavy hauler set up and a light set up. I have my light set up but will be building the heavy set up over the next few years. Was thinking BTX with RRS combo.

 

[huntnful]

It’s doable but not great. I have used a Kowa 88 on the little tricer a lot (on a beefier tripod though). It will lock up to down but not really side to side. I think the tripod will be more of a limiting factor than the head, but neither is ideal.

Agreed. Stable, heavier tripod is more important than the head for sure.

 

[PHo]

Had my 95 on a Tricer with Sirui T024SK tripod. Not useable for me at all.

 

[Hoot]

Bumping this to ask further questions as I’ve been reading what I can, but just can’t make a decision. If you were to recommend a do all tripod and head for a 95 what would it be?

 

[BluMtn]

Well I use a rather unique setup that the experts say isn't cool enough. I use a Primos Trigger Tripod 18"-26" with a Manfrotto 391RC2 head on it. I have a KOWA 99S that I use. The reason I use it rather than a standard tripod is if I need to change elevation of the scope with sitting all I have to do is pull the trigger and readjust the elevation. I have not had any major issues in the wind with this setup. I used it with my 884 before I got the 99. I have 3 other carbon fiber tripods that would work just as well, but I like the quick adjustability of the trigger stick.

 

[CCooper]

Bumping this to ask further questions as I’ve been reading what I can, but just can’t make a decision. If you were to recommend a do all tripod and head for a 95 what would it be?

Are you looking at a straight or an angled spotter, and do you want to use it standing? Those 2 questions will include and or eliminate a lot of options. IME you can get away with less tripod with an angled than a straight, but I prefer a straight, and I like to glass standing.

 

[Hoot]

Definitely will be angled! Buy once cry once, just don’t know enough to make a decision!

 

[Hoot]

I think I’ve settled on a RRS ascend tripod, still perplexed on the head. I had scheels put an ATX 95 on the Tricer fluid head, and it seems it can handle the optic just fine, I don’t like that you can’t lock down the pan, is the sirui va-5x the way to go here?

 

[PHo]

For my ATX95 I use a Sirui ST124 with a VA5 head. 62oz total for the tripod and head, so not the lightest setup, but I get the most out of my 95 with that setup. For me it’s been worth the weight penalty.