Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod with 804RC2 Head and 80mm Opticron Scope (1 of 2)
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod with 804RC2 Head and 80mm Opticron Scope.
Last week I experienced yet another problem with my (third) Velbon Sherpa 750R tripod whilst out digiscoping, putting an early end to one of the few decent days we've had around here for several months now. I was so incensed that I finally decided to bite the bullet and shell out for a quality piece of kit! The two essential requirements were that the replacement had to be no heavier than the 750R and that it should still fit into my (Vango Trail 45) rucksack along with the rest of my digiscoping kit. The Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 seemed to fit the bill for the tripod legs, but I couldn't decide on a head unit. However, Wex Photographic were selling the Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 with a free Manfrotto 804RC2 head for £200. I'm usually pretty cynical about such "free" offers, but surprisingly I couldn't find a UK retailer selling the legs alone at a lower price - and so in this case free really did seem to mean free!
The tripod weighs in at 1.34kg and the head at 0.77kg, giving a total weight of 2.11kg, which is about 0.1kg less that the 750R.
My original idea was to keep the 804RC2 head as a spare and order a more sophisticated video head as my main unit, as recommended by most experienced digiscopers. However, after a couple of field trips I'm pretty happy with the 804RC2, and so as I have a strong aversion to spending money I think I'll stick with it for now (however, see comments below).
14 January 13
COMMENTS
Full specifications and comprehensive reviews for this tripod and head can no doubt be found elsewhere on the internet. These are merely a few notes based on my experience of using this kit for digiscoping with my Opticron 80mm scope and point-and-shoot digital camera over the past month or so (involving 16 field trips).
The only tripod I've used before is the relatively cheap Velbon Sherpa 750R (which comes with the PH-157Q head), and so this is my only point of comparison.
MANFROTTO 190CXPRO4 TRIPOD
The main problem I experienced with the Velbon tripod was the flimsy leg locks which were prone to shearing. The locks on the Manfrotto are considerably more substantial, and although more force is needed to close them, on balance, I think they should be prove to be more reliable. Replacement locks can in any case be bought for a tolerable price (currently £6.30 each), and presumably can be DIY fitted. My other relatively minor bugbear with the Velbon was the rubber feet which were frequently left behind in muddy terrain. The Manfrotto feet appear to be more securely fitted - they've certainly survived several lengthy sessions on sludgy Solway shores! Again, replacements can if necessary be bought at an acceptable price (currently £7 for a set of three - but see note added 22 May 13).
There are, however, two design features of the Manfrotto tripod that I'm not particularly happy with. Firstly, although the legs can be set at four different angles, in practice only the most acute angle is usable when in a standing position (unless the centre column is extended, which rather defeats the object) - and this angle is noticeably sharper than on the Velbon, which makes the tripod feel less stable. There's a hook near the top of the tripod to allow a weight to be suspended to increase stability under windy conditions. I gave this a go using a carrier bag holding a boulder weighing about 5kg, but there was no discernible improvement.
Secondly, unlike the Velbon, the centre column cannot be split, and the lowest practical position that can readily be achieved for digiscoping is about 38cm, as opposed to 16cm on the Velbon. Although it's possible to reduce the height further by rotating the tripod centre column horizontally (see photo 2 of 2) this involves a lot of fiddling about with both the scope and tripod and I don't think it's something I'd be happy to do in the field. A simpler option - where possible - would be to keep the centre column vertical and just dig a hole underneath it! (Incidentally, I found Manfrotto's instruction on how to return the centre column from the horizontal to the vertical position unfathomable, and I ended up just reversing the original procedure - which apparently you're not supposed to do for health and safety reasons!)
As I don't believe that either of the above "deficiencies" would have a significant effect on the quality of my digiscoped photos, I'm happy enough with this tripod.
MANFROTTO 804RC2 TRIPOD HEAD
As noted earlier, this 3-way photo-head came free with the tripod. It's certainly not the type of design favoured by most digiscopers; in fact the phrase "avoid like the plague" was used by one reviewer! However, as can be seen from my photostream from 12 January to 8 February, it's certainly feasible to use this head for digiscoping, and over this period I don't think I've missed a single photo-opportunity due to its limitations - touch wood! Having said that though, it does have some obvious and significant deficiencies, which should be borne in mind if anyone is thinking of buying this head for digiscoping purposes.
On the positive side, the ability to lock pan and tilt movements independently is a major improvement on my previous tripod head (Velbon PH-157Q). In practice, this means that in many circumstances there's no need to lock either function immediately prior to taking a shot. For example, if trying to photograph a wader making its way along the shoreline, the tilt can be locked at an appropriate angle (with periodic adjustments) and the bird followed just by panning; shots can then be taken without needing to lock the pan, as there's sufficient stiction to keep the scope steady enough for photos. (This will be obvious to more knowledgeable digiscopers, but it was a revelation to me!)
Another good feature is that the head can be locked solidly enough to carry the scope and tripod over the shoulder without the scope flopping down, as sometimes used to happen with the Velbon. Over the past month or so I must have carried my kit this way for several kilometres in total without any problems.
Now the bad news...
There are a number of irritating - but not critical - design features which I think are worth mentioning:
1 The roll function, which allows a camera to be rotated from landscape to portrait mode is redundant for digiscoping, but adds several cm to the length and several hundred grams to the weight of the head. Also, the design is such that the associated control lever must be kept in place to keep the top of the head level and so it can't be removed to save weight.
2 The head is an extremely awkward shape for carrying in a rucksack. Although all three levers can be unscrewed to make it easier to pack, this is not a practicable option for a digiscoper on the move. The best that can be done is to swap around the short pan and longer roll levers (as shown in the photo), and then perhaps dispense with the pan lever altogether, to save weight and bulk.
3 The QRP has to be fitted across the line of the scope as opposed to along the line, which reduces the area of contact, and so increases the chance of it unscrewing from the base of the scope.
4 The upward tilt angle is limited to 30 degrees. If a higher angle is needed then the QRP must be rotated through 180 degrees and the scope fitted to the head backwards.
5 The pan and and tilt levers are not long enough to allow fine control over the movement of the scope, which is more easily done via the scope eyepiece.
But by far the biggest problem is that there is so much stiction on the tilt movement, even when the control lever is fully unscrewed, that it can be very difficult to frame a shot at high magnification. Although I had a similar problem with the Velbon, it's even worse with the Manfrotto. For this reason, I've just upgraded to a Manfrotto 701HDV Video Head which I'm hoping will be more digiscoper-friendly:
www.flickr.com/photos/8453647@N05/8465667815/in/photostream
9 February 13
Note added 22 May 13: I lost my first rubber foot from the tripod today in a muddy field. Adding VAT and the cheapest P&P option the cost for a set of three replacements items from manfrottospares.com was £12.60.
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod with 804RC2 Head and 80mm Opticron Scope (1 of 2)
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod with 804RC2 Head and 80mm Opticron Scope.
Last week I experienced yet another problem with my (third) Velbon Sherpa 750R tripod whilst out digiscoping, putting an early end to one of the few decent days we've had around here for several months now. I was so incensed that I finally decided to bite the bullet and shell out for a quality piece of kit! The two essential requirements were that the replacement had to be no heavier than the 750R and that it should still fit into my (Vango Trail 45) rucksack along with the rest of my digiscoping kit. The Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 seemed to fit the bill for the tripod legs, but I couldn't decide on a head unit. However, Wex Photographic were selling the Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 with a free Manfrotto 804RC2 head for £200. I'm usually pretty cynical about such "free" offers, but surprisingly I couldn't find a UK retailer selling the legs alone at a lower price - and so in this case free really did seem to mean free!
The tripod weighs in at 1.34kg and the head at 0.77kg, giving a total weight of 2.11kg, which is about 0.1kg less that the 750R.
My original idea was to keep the 804RC2 head as a spare and order a more sophisticated video head as my main unit, as recommended by most experienced digiscopers. However, after a couple of field trips I'm pretty happy with the 804RC2, and so as I have a strong aversion to spending money I think I'll stick with it for now (however, see comments below).
14 January 13
COMMENTS
Full specifications and comprehensive reviews for this tripod and head can no doubt be found elsewhere on the internet. These are merely a few notes based on my experience of using this kit for digiscoping with my Opticron 80mm scope and point-and-shoot digital camera over the past month or so (involving 16 field trips).
The only tripod I've used before is the relatively cheap Velbon Sherpa 750R (which comes with the PH-157Q head), and so this is my only point of comparison.
MANFROTTO 190CXPRO4 TRIPOD
The main problem I experienced with the Velbon tripod was the flimsy leg locks which were prone to shearing. The locks on the Manfrotto are considerably more substantial, and although more force is needed to close them, on balance, I think they should be prove to be more reliable. Replacement locks can in any case be bought for a tolerable price (currently £6.30 each), and presumably can be DIY fitted. My other relatively minor bugbear with the Velbon was the rubber feet which were frequently left behind in muddy terrain. The Manfrotto feet appear to be more securely fitted - they've certainly survived several lengthy sessions on sludgy Solway shores! Again, replacements can if necessary be bought at an acceptable price (currently £7 for a set of three - but see note added 22 May 13).
There are, however, two design features of the Manfrotto tripod that I'm not particularly happy with. Firstly, although the legs can be set at four different angles, in practice only the most acute angle is usable when in a standing position (unless the centre column is extended, which rather defeats the object) - and this angle is noticeably sharper than on the Velbon, which makes the tripod feel less stable. There's a hook near the top of the tripod to allow a weight to be suspended to increase stability under windy conditions. I gave this a go using a carrier bag holding a boulder weighing about 5kg, but there was no discernible improvement.
Secondly, unlike the Velbon, the centre column cannot be split, and the lowest practical position that can readily be achieved for digiscoping is about 38cm, as opposed to 16cm on the Velbon. Although it's possible to reduce the height further by rotating the tripod centre column horizontally (see photo 2 of 2) this involves a lot of fiddling about with both the scope and tripod and I don't think it's something I'd be happy to do in the field. A simpler option - where possible - would be to keep the centre column vertical and just dig a hole underneath it! (Incidentally, I found Manfrotto's instruction on how to return the centre column from the horizontal to the vertical position unfathomable, and I ended up just reversing the original procedure - which apparently you're not supposed to do for health and safety reasons!)
As I don't believe that either of the above "deficiencies" would have a significant effect on the quality of my digiscoped photos, I'm happy enough with this tripod.
MANFROTTO 804RC2 TRIPOD HEAD
As noted earlier, this 3-way photo-head came free with the tripod. It's certainly not the type of design favoured by most digiscopers; in fact the phrase "avoid like the plague" was used by one reviewer! However, as can be seen from my photostream from 12 January to 8 February, it's certainly feasible to use this head for digiscoping, and over this period I don't think I've missed a single photo-opportunity due to its limitations - touch wood! Having said that though, it does have some obvious and significant deficiencies, which should be borne in mind if anyone is thinking of buying this head for digiscoping purposes.
On the positive side, the ability to lock pan and tilt movements independently is a major improvement on my previous tripod head (Velbon PH-157Q). In practice, this means that in many circumstances there's no need to lock either function immediately prior to taking a shot. For example, if trying to photograph a wader making its way along the shoreline, the tilt can be locked at an appropriate angle (with periodic adjustments) and the bird followed just by panning; shots can then be taken without needing to lock the pan, as there's sufficient stiction to keep the scope steady enough for photos. (This will be obvious to more knowledgeable digiscopers, but it was a revelation to me!)
Another good feature is that the head can be locked solidly enough to carry the scope and tripod over the shoulder without the scope flopping down, as sometimes used to happen with the Velbon. Over the past month or so I must have carried my kit this way for several kilometres in total without any problems.
Now the bad news...
There are a number of irritating - but not critical - design features which I think are worth mentioning:
1 The roll function, which allows a camera to be rotated from landscape to portrait mode is redundant for digiscoping, but adds several cm to the length and several hundred grams to the weight of the head. Also, the design is such that the associated control lever must be kept in place to keep the top of the head level and so it can't be removed to save weight.
2 The head is an extremely awkward shape for carrying in a rucksack. Although all three levers can be unscrewed to make it easier to pack, this is not a practicable option for a digiscoper on the move. The best that can be done is to swap around the short pan and longer roll levers (as shown in the photo), and then perhaps dispense with the pan lever altogether, to save weight and bulk.
3 The QRP has to be fitted across the line of the scope as opposed to along the line, which reduces the area of contact, and so increases the chance of it unscrewing from the base of the scope.
4 The upward tilt angle is limited to 30 degrees. If a higher angle is needed then the QRP must be rotated through 180 degrees and the scope fitted to the head backwards.
5 The pan and and tilt levers are not long enough to allow fine control over the movement of the scope, which is more easily done via the scope eyepiece.
But by far the biggest problem is that there is so much stiction on the tilt movement, even when the control lever is fully unscrewed, that it can be very difficult to frame a shot at high magnification. Although I had a similar problem with the Velbon, it's even worse with the Manfrotto. For this reason, I've just upgraded to a Manfrotto 701HDV Video Head which I'm hoping will be more digiscoper-friendly:
www.flickr.com/photos/8453647@N05/8465667815/in/photostream
9 February 13
Note added 22 May 13: I lost my first rubber foot from the tripod today in a muddy field. Adding VAT and the cheapest P&P option the cost for a set of three replacements items from manfrottospares.com was £12.60.