TheSkySearchers

Hi

I'm looking to invest in a small tripod for my camera and mak 102. I already own an exos nano mount and while it's very small, it still takes up quite a bit of space. Plus, it's not ideal for a camera mount. Currently, I'm looking at the benro slim and sirui T-024sk. They cost about S$160 (usd120) so the lower end for carbon fiber tripods. Im just afraid they are not stable enough for the mak. While the mak is well below the load capacity, I'm not sure how bad vibrations will be.
Do I have to look into beefier and more expensive tripods like the sirui am-254 if I intend to use the mak on it? I would appreciate any experiences, even better if you have tried these particular mounts before. Do feel free to suggest tripods as well.

I'll list the specs of the tripods here:
Benro Slim CF Andoer Tb81x ballhead
Price: S$155 usd114
Max: 146cm
Min: 40cm
Folded: 51cm
Max/Min leg: 22/12
Material: CF
Payload: 4kg
Mass: 1kg
Sections: 4

Sirui Am-254 k10x ballhead
Price: S$299 (usd220)
Max: 120cm
Min: 78cm
Folded: 54cm
Max/Min leg: 26/15
Material: CF
Payload: 12
Mass: 1.4kg
Sections: 4

Sirui T-024SK B-00 ballhead
Price: $159 usd118
Max: 149cm
Min: 21.1cm
Folded: 40cm
Max/Min leg: 22/13mm
Material: CF
Payload: 5kg
Mass: 1kg
Sections: 4

Thanks in advance
Nathan

Total the weight of your telescope, camera and any accessories and the mounting head of your choice (eyepieces, finder, cables) then add around 25% at a minimum.
That is the minimum capacity of the tripod you will be looking for.
Your mount head will have to be able to hold this amount of weight as well so you do not have any shaking while viewing or taking images.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:25 am Total the weight of your telescope, camera and any accessories and the mounting head of your choice (eyepieces, finder, cables) then add around 25% at a minimum.
That is the minimum capacity of the tripod you will be looking for.
Your mount head will have to be able to hold this amount of weight as well so you do not have any shaking while viewing or taking images.

Thanks for the advice.
I guess I should also consider bigger scopes I might get in the future. Might as well get one tripod that will last. Right now all of them fulfils this criteria (the benro just I think), so not good in the long run.

The standard 2" stainless steel tripod that is normally paired with EQ-5 sized goto mounts is good for about 130 lb capacity,
something like my Manfrotto 028b tripod is good for about 30 lb so good for grab and go set ups if you have a sturdy mount to go on it.
I use a Stellarvue M2C mount which is rated for about 25 lb.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:13 am The standard 2" stainless steel tripod that is normally paired with EQ-5 sized goto mounts is good for about 130 lb capacity,
something like my Manfrotto 028b tripod is good for about 30 lb so good for grab and go set ups if you have a sturdy mount to go on it.
I use a Stellarvue M2C mount which is rated for about 25 lb.

I probably will have another set up with an equatorial mount in the future. I would prefer this tripod to be easy to carry around as a travel tripod as well so those tripods might be a little too big. But the manfrotto does look very sturdy. I can see how the M2 and the manfrotto make a great combination. Thanks for the suggestions anyway. I think I'll wait and see if the sirui am-254 gets a discount. Its a little too pricey for me atm.

Possibly helpful:

https://thecentercolumn.com/

I have a Tiltall, tremendously stable, great for my 20x80s, 20 kg capacity. Here's a link: https://www.adorama.com/tpte01s.html?ms ... ivatelabel

I used it for my ED80. I wonder about your 102 Mak though. At long focal length you should probably use the Nano because it can track in RA. And you may need the stability too. I have a Nano, good value for the price.

I recently bought an Innorel RT90C to pair with my Stellarvue M2C - https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Tripod-Pr ... 8M5CS&th=1

I've been very happy with it - listed payload is 88lb/40kg.

I should mention a Manfrotto 475B. Not carbon and rather large even when folded, but I do love the geared column. Very handy when I use my ST120 near the zenith - just crank that puppy up to bring up the EP. Observing near the horizon? Crank it back down. It's almost made my adjustable height observing chair obsolete. FWIW.

The Manfrotto 028b is another solid tripod with geared centre column.
77cm at is smallest and extends to a ridiculous 227cm!
Payload is 12kg.

Innorel sells their tripods under brand names as Sirui, Coman, Xiletu, Innorel, Jieyang, QZSD, Cayer and no doubt others.

I have this Innorel tripod/monopod, branded Coman: It is model RT85C here:

               www.aliexpress.com/item/32836039382.html

Scroll down and you will find a comprehensive description in English.

The legs are up to 33 mm diameter and made of 8 layers of carbon fibre resin, the metal parts are machined aluminium-magnesium alloy, and the ball in the head is 44 mm in diameter. The whole weighs 2.4 kg and is rated for loads up to 25 kg. I found an outlet model for the ridiculously low price of €270. (The original price was €100 more.)

For my WO 73mm refractor I use the tripod with a video head (one with a poke to point it with). This is my super birding scope set up.

For my binoculars I use the thing as a monopod, together with a light weight binocular head. As monopod it reaches high enough (196 cm) for me to look straight up while standing.

I find the included ball head too heavy (522 g, a considerable portion of the total weight of the tripod). It is a good ball head though.

For use with a telescope you need a sturdy tripod. Any shaking is magnified in the eyepiece and you want as little vibration as possible combined with a fast dampening time. This is where carbon fibre outperforms metal. With the WO73mm (slightly over 4 kg with rings, mounting plate, video head, diagonal, eyepiece and finder) there is hardly any dampening time at all. It's too short to measure.

Do consider carbon! Look around: Take a close look at the other models in the aliexpress link above. Discounted Innorel tripods, usually last models with weird brand names keep appearing at discount prices.