Tripod preference ?'s

[luke moffat]

I prefer twist style as they are faster and allow a tripod to be more compact when stowed and taller when extended. Needs to come in at 2 pounds or less without a quality ball head on it.

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

I prefer twist style as they are faster and allow a tripod to be more compact when stowed and taller when extended. Needs to come in at 2 pounds or less without a quality ball head on it.

I am shooting for a little lighter than that.

 

[luke moffat]

I am shooting for a little lighter than that.

Good to hear, my current setup goes from 14" to nearly 60" and comes in at 29 oz with a ball head strong enough to run my 85mm Zeiss so I can't complain too much. Very interested to see what you come up with though.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I am shooting for a little lighter than that.

This project sounds great, but please, please flip-loks! I like to level my tripod on a hillside by flipping the lock on the downhill leg sliding the leg by pressure, an flipping the lock shut. Twist locks are not as convenient, and they also seem to "twist-in" debris and grit, in my experience.

 

[Kevin Root]

Sitting height.
Less than two pounds but needs to be stable before a weight compromise. A hook for adding weight to help stabilize would be nice.
I'm torn between a twist lock and lever lock. I like lever better but the ones I've had in the past have been aluminum or plastic and loosen or don't handle extra weight well and have slowly slipped over time. Twist is fast in overall collapse, set up and is solid but when making slight adjustments on a leg I find it to be a bit slower or a bit more work adjusting than just flipping, adjusting and locking the leg.

 

[Solitude]

I am thinking it needs to have multiple legit, not gimmicky uses.

How about a tripod that can be broken down fairly quickly and used as a trekking pole, perhaps tarp poles, Etc? Perhaps leg diameters could vary to allow them to nest properly as one or two long poles, yet still function primarily as a tripod. Might it weigh a bit more, ya, but if it could take the place of another piece of gear at a fraction of the weight and perform comparably, I would buy it.

Lastly, I think someone has to be able to come up with the ultimate simple solution on how to mount a scope and binoculars on the same tripod simultaneously for a reasonable cost. Perhaps the spotting scope is integrated as the handle, flip tops, twist locks, etc.

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

Finally have some prototypes in the mail to me. I'll post up some pics and maybe send a couple out to some guys for testing when I get them in.

 

[Mossy1]

What are the minimum and maximum heights going to be? Weight? What is it made of? What locks are the protos? Any idea what weight spotter it will hold securely? In the market, considering a vortex summit ss currently. Would like to see what you will be offering. And of course price?

 

[mtnkid85]

Yea, Im excited! Just in time too Im going to be on the look out for a stouter tripod to support my new 85mm Zeiss. Ill be spending my fair share of time behind that guy.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Definitely interested in seeing what you came up with Steve, keep me posted!

Coop

 

[pyroducksx3]

I use the promaster you sell and the 6160 head.I'm happy with the twist locks.
I would make all the metal parts out of titanium .
When sheep hunting i remove the center post and two sections of legs as i am sitting anyway. I will be using a Manfrotto 494RC2 Ball Head this year will knock off almost a pound total.
Titanium is not cheap but if you want strong and light it's the way to go.
Now if i could find some plugs to fit into the hole where i remove the legs i would be happy.
Being able to quickly change to a shooting post would be handy as well

I think I have this same set up would have check to make sure though. For the shooting tripod I just ordered an extra plate and use a precision shooting solutions cradle. Then I just pop of the spotter and put on the shooting cradle, works great

 

[R Miller]

Having the ability to point a leg vertical doesnt hurt, especially in sheep terrain. Pretty tough to beat this combo for lightweight function. The lower leg sections are removed and the beauty of the twist lock is they go back on eliminating any exposed carbon rod, there is a nice rubber buffer wrapping around the bottom even though the hole remains. No issues whatsoever. Slik Pro 624CF with Really Right Stuff BH25-PF, Max height (with lower legs removed + ballhead) 30". Min collapsed <16". Weight 27 oz

For those of you removing leg sections on twist locks this might be as good as it gets for replacement feet. I was looking for them too before the Slik came in the mail but was relieved I didnt have to go that route.
http://www.acehardware.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=rubber tip&origkw=rubber+feet&sr=1

Good luck

 

[trdhunter]

Im very interested in the new prototypes as I am in the market for a new tripod. Looking forward to these new designs and if it would be worth the wait if they go into production. Thanks for the info.

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Right now the specs are:

Folded length: 16"
Extended length: 60"
Weight: 1.8lbs
Three position legs
Twist lock
25mm Carbon Fiber legs
All machined aluminum (no plastic)

It has some other cool features that I'll share with you guys when I get them.

 

[littlebuf]

does the folded length include a head? why twist locks and not cam locks?

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

does the folded length include a head? why twist locks and not cam locks?

Just legs, no head. I can't stand cam/lever locks, for me I much prefer twist locks. They are just a lot faster and easier to operate in my opinion.

 

[Matt Cashell]

That is a nice feature list, Steve.

I am with some of the others, and prefer lever locks, but the other features on the list might make up the difference for me.

I will be watching how these turn out, and I am definitely interested in the other features you hinted at.

 

[Racethesunset]

For portability, I am giving the <2lb Vortex Summit SS a try this year. The twist and lock system, once you get used to it, is effective because you can fully extend and collapse the tripod in one motion. I don't like the in-between sized tripod that land in the middle of 60" and 70" - not tall enough to stand, too tall to sit. For heads, the Outdoorsmans Pistol Grip is one of if not the lightest full size hunting-specific heads you can buy. Cannot recommend it enough.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Having the ability to point a leg vertical doesnt hurt, especially in sheep terrain.

Do you mean horizontal?
My tripod legs all can point vertical at same time

 

[Racethesunset]

Do you mean horizontal?
My tripod legs all can point vertical at same time

Ha

Going past the horizontal axis is great for marketing IMO. I seem to always find a way to keep the legs pointed down hill. Guess I need to find some steeper terrain.