helios apollo 15x85

[zepter7]

i have just purchased helios apollo 15x85 binoculars, as they weigh nearly kg5 i was thinking of buying the following, 055xpro tripod and mvh5ooah lightweight fluid head, the legs are ok i think but not sure about the head. does anyone think this head will be ok or suggest a more suitable head not that much more expensive.

[spike95609]

I think both would work fine with those bins, the head has a safety payload of 5kg according to the Manfrotto site, but bear in mind it'll be elevated at steep angles which will put more strain on it. The ultimate combination in the Manfrotto line would be the 475b tripod, which comes with a geared extender rather than the 055 which I think I'm right in saying is moved manually and held by a locking screw, and the 502ah head - which is basically the same thing but can cope with a little more weight. If you have any doubts I'd go for the more robust ones rather than risk it not being good enough and finding that you need to pay again. I hesitated at the cost of the 475/502 and tried looking at cheaper options, but in the end I'm glad I didn't because they're simply superb and make star hopping a joy. The cheapest I found the 502ah was £130 on Speed Graphic.

[zepter7]

I think both would work fine with those bins, the head has a safety payload of 5kg according to the Manfrotto site, but bear in mind it'll be elevated at steep angles which will put more strain on it. The ultimate combination in the Manfrotto line would be the 475b tripod, which comes with a geared extender rather than the 055 which I think I'm right in saying is moved manually and held by a locking screw, and the 502ah head - which is basically the same thing but can cope with a little more weight. If you have any doubts I'd go for the more robust ones rather than risk it not being good enough and finding that you need to pay again. I hesitated at the cost of the 475/502 and tried looking at cheaper options, but in the end I'm glad I didn't because they're simply superb and make star hopping a joy. The cheapest I found the 502ah was £130 on Speed Graphic.

thanks nebula i saw some of your posts when you were looking for a tripod, i purchased both on amazon for a good price with free next day delivery so thanks.

[Chris]

I also think you'll be fine, surprisingly even my simple Horizon tripod handles the 15x85's ok!

[Piero]

I have  mvh500ah and is a very nice mount head. I like it very much. Never had a problem even holding my tv60 + ep + diagonal + barlow (2.2kg). It was very stable with wind too. 

I think it should hold your bins although this might be at limit. Maybe have a look yourself in a shop. 

One thing though: you will need a quite tall tripod for viewing above 60 degrees. Be sure to check the maximum extended length of the tripod you intend to buy. 

If you plan to use them at home, you could also consider a parallelogram mount. 

Have clear skies! 

[zepter7]

I think both would work fine with those bins, the head has a safety payload of 5kg according to the Manfrotto site, but bear in mind it'll be elevated at steep angles which will put more strain on it. The ultimate combination in the Manfrotto line would be the 475b tripod, which comes with a geared extender rather than the 055 which I think I'm right in saying is moved manually and held by a locking screw, and the 502ah head - which is basically the same thing but can cope with a little more weight. If you have any doubts I'd go for the more robust ones rather than risk it not being good enough and finding that you need to pay again. I hesitated at the cost of the 475/502 and tried looking at cheaper options, but in the end I'm glad I didn't because they're simply superb and make star hopping a joy. The cheapest I found the 502ah was £130 on Speed Graphic.

GOT THE TRIPOD AND THE HEAD BUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BINS ON THE FAST RELEASE PLATE,  DO I NEED SOME SORT OF EXTENSION AS THERE IS  NO CLEARANCE OF THE BINS AND THE PLATE. OR AM I MISSING SOMETHING AS THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT THAT EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND THERE WAS NO INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE BINS,  WOULD BE VERY OBLIGED IF YOU COULD ADVISE,

[Piero]

Do you have an L-Adaptor? On one side it holds the binoculars, on the other side, it attaches to the release plate. 

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/l-type-binocular-tripod-adapters.html

Does this answer your question?  

[Piero]

actually, I apologise, I was not aware your bins already have that support included. 

You will need to use one of the screws provided with the tripod head. If you insert those at the bottom of the plate and then lock it with the plastic thing to prevent the screw to be lost, then you can attach your bins to the mount plate. 

If you look at Damo63's first image: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/189478-helios-apollo-22x85/, you can probably see what I meant. 

Here is a photo of the screw insertion I meant: http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images150x150/986283.jpg

[spike95609]

I've never tried mounting that binocular onto my stand, but my impression is, as described above, the plate should simply screw onto the binocular and there should be plenty of clearance to slide that onto the head. You shouldn't need anything else, only the 15x70s and smaller need the L adapter. Can you post some photos if you can't fix it?

[zepter7]

yes great thanks all. i left it and had a cuppa and i suddenly realised the blindingly obvious i had not opened the bins out, must have been a senior moment but they are ok now  just fine tuning , there was no instructions with the bins so is focussing easy , haven't really tried yet.

[spike95609]

Glad to hear all's well, we've all had moments of being seniors. It took a few sessions to focus my 15x70s as slight adjustments can make subtle changes to the view which may not be immediately apparent. Keep making a few slight changes until you're satisfied that it's right, then make a note of what they are in case someone starts playing with them!