Any experience with either of these heads?

[Richard Stern]

Hi,

I need a better head for my Feisol CF tripod, for use with a spotting scope (gimbal type isn't so good) and D300 + 300 lens - I have seen these 2 on line - ball park similar size, light weight and price, and I like the single lever control for smooth pan and tilt. Both are advertised as 'suitable for birdwatching" and are sold by optical companies that cater to birders, photographers and digiscopers.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these?

Thanks,

Richard

[Roger Clark]

Richard,
Why isn't a gimbal head good? How about a ball head and a wimberly sidekick? At least with a sidekick, you can balance the system and track subjects. With the heads you propose, you have to have enough friction to keep your rig from falling over, and that means difficulty in panning on moving subjects. With a gimbal head or a sidekick, you can have both axes completely free so tracking is easy and the system stays pointed at the same location if you let go of it.

Roger

[Richard Stern]

Hi,

I have a Jobu Jnr., but maybe it's just me - I find that with a spotting scope I can track birds more easily with the above type of head, and also with my cf tripod the Jobu + camera and lens seem top heavy and harder to carry in a balanced fashion. I suppose the answer theoretically would be to have a tripod + gimbal for the camera and lens, and one of the other type for the scope - but when I'm out birding I can't imagine myself carrying both!

Richard

[James Prudente]

Your Jobu Jr. should work very well with any spotting scope you may have. Attach a compatible plate to the foot of the spotting scope and you will have a smooth system to track moving subjects in the lower magnification range, higher magnification makes tracking with spotting scopes difficult. I don't know which Feisol CF Tripod you have but the head and camera/lens combo with a sturdy tripod under it should be more than adequate for strength and stability. You can avoid the extra expense of an additional head or ball head and Sidekick since your Jobu Jr. in essence serves the same function.

Just my opinion,

Jim

[JoelAvni]

Hi:

I have the older version of the Swarovski head and a Wimberley II. Maybe it's just years of familiarity, but I far prefer the Swarovski head for the scope to the Wimberley. And after experimenting with both of these heads, and others, I wouldn't ever choose the Swarovski -- just a rebadged Manfrotto -- for shooting with any of my long lenses.

Horses for courses.

Joel

Hi,

I need a better head for my Feisol CF tripod, for use with a spotting scope (gimbal type isn't so good) and D300 + 300 lens - I have seen these 2 on line - ball park similar size, light weight and price, and I like the single lever control for smooth pan and tilt. Both are advertised as 'suitable for birdwatching" and are sold by optical companies that cater to birders, photographers and digiscopers.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these?

Thanks,

Richard

[Bruce Miller]

I have the same issue. I have a jobu gimbal head. Works great with my 40d+100-400. However, with my leica televid 62 I find it difficult to move the scope around. A plate with an arm might be helpful.

[Richard Stern]

Hi again,

In the end, at least for now, I have kept my Bogen 701 video head, which works really well with my scope, and reasonably well with my camera and lens. However, I have bought a new tripod - a Manfrotto CX190 carbon fibre, which the head fits much better and moves much more smoothly in all directions than the Feisol that I used before.

Richard