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More Information Price $215.95 Shipping $9.95 List Price $306.00 Warranty 1 year

Of more benefit for shorter observers, however, is the ability to use the tripod with the center post almost all the way down. This makes for a more stable scope platform, as extending the center post turns the stable tripod into an inherently less-stable monopod sitting on top of a tripod. With the center post lowered, the scope is less affected by gusts of wind or touching the scope’s focusing knob and the images are steadier. The center post features a three-faced design that prevents the center post from twisting off-target as it is raised and lowered, as can happen with a round center post.

The tripod itself has three-section black finish anodized aluminum legs that let it close to 28.5" for convenient carrying and storage. Fast-acting flip levers lock the legs open at the appropriate height with just a 45° motion of the levers. The flip levers provide fast set-up and takedown so you won’t miss your chance at a life bird while fumbling with your tripod. Simply flip open each lever, let gravity pull the inner leg section out, and snap the lever closed again. A quick way to close the tripod is to turn it upside down, flip open each leg lock lever, and let gravity slide the inner leg section closed. The tension of the leg height adjustment flip levers may be set too high at the factory, so that individuals with weak hand strength might have trouble opening them. In such a case, the tension can be adjusted by loosening the bolt shown in the second feature image. The correct bolt is indicated by an arrow in the image. Be certain not to loosen the tension-adjustment bolt too much, however, as this may allow the leg to close unexpectedly while your scope is on the tripod.

The legs are tipped with rubber caps for a non-skid grip on smooth surfaces. The legs can be set at any of four angles for setting up on very uneven surface. At the widest leg spread position, the top of the pan head is less than 8" above the ground, for very low level photography.

The shoulder of the tripod is made of cast aluminum for strength, and has a 1/4"-20 thread bolt hole in its side for attaching an optional tripod strap. The center post height is locked by a fast-acting wing-type lever. If you use the tripod for photography, the center post can also be reversed for low-angle shots (shooting wild flowers from ground level, for example).

The supplied #3130 quick release pan head is made of cast aluminum. It comes with a #3157 quick release plate that has a standard 1/4"-20 thread camera/scope attachment bolt for fast scope setup. The head is fluid damped for smooth panning when tracking birds in flight or moving from one subject to another. There are separate large vertical and horizontal lock knobs for adjusting the pan head drag so that your scope does not tilt abruptly if the pan handle is released. The angle of the pan handle can be changed to avoid poking your chest during use and can be set for either right or left hand operation.

The spring-loaded quick release lever on the head locks open for one-hand installation of your scope and attached quick release plate onto the tripod. The quick release lever automatically closes when the scope is inserted into the tripod head. The quick release head has a separate small brass locking lever that must be opened before the quick release lever can be operated. This eliminates the danger of your scope detaching unexpectedly from the tripod if the quick release lever gets snagged on a tree branch or clothing.

The pan head holds binoculars, spotting scopes, and cameras up to 8.9 lbs. in weight, so it will support most spotting scopes with a camera attached. The tripod and pan head combination itself weighs only 7.4 lbs. An optional shoulder strap is available for no-hands carrying of the tripod (with its locked-in-place scope) in the field. An optional carrying/storage bag is also available.