Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Light weight tripod recommendations

Looking for a lightweight tripod for a Kowa 554 spotting scope.
I already have a Slik 624CF tripod that I use with a 77mm spotter, but would like to match the smaller scope with a lighter tripod. Thanks.

Outdoorsmans and don't look back!

Too bad Leupold dropped their little lightweight takedown three piece tripod. Less than a pound in its own slick carrying case. It is the cat’s pajamas for on a sheep hunt.

Hard to find, but worth a try for sure.

Ted

Thanks guys.

The smallest Outdoorsman tripod is heavier than me Slik tripod and way more money than I’m looking to spend.

I’ll do a search of the Leupold and see if can find something similar.

Call Doug at Cameraland NY. They've always got tripod deals.

+1.

Bought a pro master(??) or whatever the brand is, carbon fiber from CLNY a couple seasons ago.

Works great with my Leupold gold ring.

I'm of the view carbon fiber tripods are essentially a waste of money. There are plenty of mechanically comparable aluminum tripods that are equally light (or lighter) and cost less than CF. And CF requires twist-lock rather than lever leg tighteners. I really dislikes twist tighteners.

So, a lightweight for the small Kowa. The discontinued Slik 500 series is your huckleberry. I like the 500G-FL or 500G-7 (both these have levers). If you don't mind twist lock, the older 500's are easy to find. Ebay has these all the time. I got my 500G-7 on ebay, new. 21.2 oz's and a great, fully functioning tripod for small spotting scopes.

At 30 oz, the 624 is going to be hard to beat without giving up stability IMO.

Thanks. I’ll check out what CL has I will actually be in WY for a week in Oct. maybe even be able to have it delivered there.

Thanks Brad, I’ll check eBay for these Slik 500 models.

I’ve been wondering this as well. I really like the 624 and the weight savings may not be worth the trouble.

My main thought was to have a tripod/Kowa 554 combo, that I never hesitate to throw in a pack and take with me.

Right now I only take my Kowa 773/Slik 624 on specific hunts because of the added weight and bulk.

Brad’s conclusion is the same one I have come to. In fact, I think it was Brad who turned me on to that Slik.
It’s what I use with my kowa 554.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2557173993...ar=&widget_ver=artemis&media=SMS

Everything is a compromise. I can’t do a tripod that doesn’t have multi position legs and the ability to change heads. I’m on the opposite side of Brad, I much prefer twist lock.

Check Goodwill online store.

https://shopgoodwill.com

One of the best is the Revic Backpacker. Here is a link for you to see it and of course there is a special forum price. Light weight, folds up small and absorbs a lot of the wind vibration


https://cameralandny.com/shop/revic...013a-23b7-00163e90e196?variation=3233508

mod7rem;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope you're getting the weather you need in your part of our beautiful province and you're well.

Since you didn't mention what you were hoping to be chasing whilst using said lightweight tripod and scope, I'll offer a couple thoughts while they're semi-recent in my old guy memory.

This year an old friend and long time hunting partner drew one of two any ram tags on the mountain behind our house, which happens to be home for the Vaseux herd of California Bighorn. Honestly he's never hunted sheep and wasn't all that amped up, but he'd gone to school with the former outfitter from the area who'd hunted sheep there for his entire life and he's also buddies with a former guide from here who also worked with his late father.

We're still a pretty rural and relatively small place out here, so we all knew each other socially as well from the gun club, etc.

Rounding out the group was buddy's nephew who is an avid hunter but had never been on a sheep chase before.

For the past 3 weeks then in any spare time we had during the week, for the first 5 days of the season and all weekend, there would be 5 guys planted with spotters and tripods getting a bad case of "spotting scope eye". So help me last Friday night coming down I could not get my right eye to focus for at least half the way down and was glad I wasn't driving!

To the point of my sheep story though sir, is that I believe a tripod which will allow you to use it standing and all the way down to lying down is the way to go. I'm running some kind of Slik that got spray painted camo and grey primer the day it came home, but it's aluminum, has the over center lever locking system on the legs and will extend to nearly 5' tall. If I had to guess, I'd say I've had it for close to 30 years now, having bought it to replace a cheap twist lock one that stopped locking reliably on one section. Likely they both came from London Drugs back when??

I'm only 5'6" so that's enough for me, but I did notice that the taller fellows in the group looked a wee bit uncomfortable using it like that.

Terrain and then brush and grass meant we couldn't always use them in lower positions, so a few times the young fellows much shorter tripod meant he wasn't able to use his spotter.

Anyway sir, while weight is a factor for sure, the ability to use it in various conditions would trump an ounce or two to me.

Hopefully that all made some sense and was useful to you or someone out there.

Good luck with the tripod search whichever way you decide and good luck on your hunts this fall.

Dwayne

Hi Dwayne,
Everything is good with me here in PG and the weather has been very good.

I know how you feel about long glassing sessions ha ha. I use a drugstore eyepatch when I’m using a spotter so I’m not always squeezing one eye closed and getting eye and forehead fatigue. Makes it easier to switch to my non-dominant eye as well.

Right now I have a Kowa 773 and a Slik 624cf tripod that I take on all my backpack hunts for stone sheep, caribou, goats and when I go to Wy for Pronghorns. It’s an awesome combination, but it is a little heavy and bulky for throwing in a day pack for deer hunts and similar. Also it’s a little bigger and heavier than I’d like if I’m on a shorter, solo back pack hunt for something like goats where I probably don’t need the extra performance of the 773.

I just bought a Kowa 554 and I’m thinking if I can get a tripod that’s lighter weight than my Slik 624cf, then I’d have a very lightweight, compact combo.
Mostly to be used from a sitting position. I’ve been looking into the suggestions made here but haven’t bought anything yet.
Thanks for the reply.

Trever

Other thing that is a must have for me is a handle for tilting and panning. A ball head without a handle isn't something I want for use with a spotting scope.

Brad;
Top of the morning to you sir, it's been too long since I've said hello and I hope all is as well as can be with you and your fine family these days.

When I read your post this morning I chuckled a bit because I'm the exact same way, but I'm not certain in my case it's not just because I'm familiar with it that way?

My old friend with the ram draw had picked up a new ball head tripod with a pistol grip sort of setup to release and move his spotter.

When I used it, while it seemed to work "okay" for me, somehow on my setup I've grown accustomed to resting my right chin whiskers on the handle. The old 25X Leupold straight tube that I used has a fair bit of eye relief and it sort of helps me stay steady - or so I tell myself anyways Brad.

For sure I could manipulate the Slik's tripod head around in such a way that the handle isn't there too, but I don't seem to do that when I'm out using it hunting ever.

Yet another example of many roads to get to Mecca I suppose, but that's a rut I seem to be comfortable in.

All the best to you all and good luck on your hunts.

Dwayne

Morning Dwayne - indeed our own preferences are hard won, and I'm comfortable in my rut as well

I have both tripods with a simple ball head and those with a handle for tilting and panning. I've relegated the ball head to use with my chronograph or photography after not being happy with it in the field with a spotter. I find the pan head tripod mount smoother, steadier and simpler to use in the field. The pistol grip with ball head is definitely easier to use than just a simple ball head alone, but I still prefer a pan head to either by a mile (or kilometer in your case)!