werewolf6977
Lord High Smasher
Reged: 12/15/03
Posts: 7442
Loc: Hanover, Ohio
|
|
We all know I have a "heavy duty" department store tripod. What a joke! My question is: Is the Orion Paragon tripod any good? Or would I be better off with the Sunpak 7500? They're both in the same price range, but with the Orion there is the shipping issue. Which should I get? Pete 
--------------------
Pete
6" Apogee/LXD55 - "The Beast"
Starhopper 6" Dob - "Shiva"
Spaceprobe 130 EQ - "Spacey"
Bushnell Fatboy
The Abomination
Sun Pak Pro 7500 Platinum Edition
10X25 Bushnell Camo Roofies
7X35 Tasco Classic Plastic (good views though)
7X42 Tasco Rare Bird
10X50 Nikon Actions (Type 7)
15X70 Skymasters - "DroolMeisters"
One ratty old IBM 600E LapTop
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
I have used the Orion tripod with their Vista 7x50 binos. For those binos, they were fine. The tripod has some slop in the design, meaning it is not rock solid stable and the head is a little loose.
|
AJTony
sage
Reged: 04/17/04
Posts: 379
Loc: Hamilton Square, NJ
|
|
Which Orion Paragon are you planning to buy? I have used the Paragon XHD for over a year with my 10lb 25 X 100 binos, and I am satisfied with the setup. The negative aspect is that you cannot see easily above 50-60 degrees, but that is a problem for all tripods when using straight thru viewing binos.
Comments about sloopy head: At first I found it to be rock solid, and then one night it was sloppy. Checking out the head, I found that there are two large circular knobs, one horizontal, and one vertical. When I re-tightened these knobs, the head was again steady.
AJ
--------------------
Oberwerk BT100-45 Binos
Apogee 25 X 100 Binos
Canon 15 X 50 IS Binos
|
StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 11634
Loc: At The Movies
|
|
Slik Pro 700DX AMT-Titanium Alloy Tripod with 3-Way Pan Head (Maximum Height 89.8", Supports up to 15 lbs)
http://www.adorama.com/SL700D.html
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Yes, don't get me wrong the Orion head on the Paragon tripod is fine, but I found it to slip some when I thought there was enough friction to keep it in place. And its movement is not completely smooth. These are very small gripes. Nothing major.
|
Tom L
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 29817
Loc: Sunny Oregon
|
|
Quote:
Slik Pro 700DX AMT-Titanium Alloy Tripod with 3-Way Pan Head (Maximum Height 89.8", Supports up to 15 lbs)
http://www.adorama.com/SL700D.html
Max height said 74.8"
--------------------
Tom 
Tele Vue 102mm f/8.6 on an EzTouch
Vixen 80mm f/5 A80SSWT on a grab-n-go mount
|
StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 11634
Loc: At The Movies
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Slik Pro 700DX AMT-Titanium Alloy Tripod with 3-Way Pan Head (Maximum Height 89.8", Supports up to 15 lbs)
http://www.adorama.com/SL700D.html
Max height said 74.8"
Scroll down to the specifications section... 
|
Mogster
sage
Reged: 03/14/04
Posts: 296
Loc: Manchester, England
|
|
I'd say it depends how tall you are, I'm about 5'10 and the Paragon's dont go to more than 69inches including the head.
Not really tall enough for straight through viewing.
--------------------
CPC 9.25, Orion 127 Mak, WO Zenithstar 2 80APO, Coronado PST, Pentax 12X50 WP
Edited by Mogster (06/15/04 07:20 AM)
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
This merchant on ebay sells stout tripods on the cheap. I just received one that is solid. They have all types...I think they are bogan clones.
http://stores.ebay.com/amvona-com
|
Rusty
Postmaster
Reged: 08/06/03
Posts: 16399
Loc: Brooker, FL
|
|
I settled on the Quickset Samsons. Just reversing the heads allowed viewing almost to the zenith. Got mine on eBay for about $100 a pop (also bought some others to clean and lubricate for other people....sturdy, light, and cheap....
--------------------
N11GPS Fastar
TOA-130S
MK66 Std
Vintage C5
Megrez II 80mm ED Triplet APO
SolarMax 40
NJP Temma II
Sirius EQ-G
ST8XE/CFW-8(LRGBHa)/AO-7/DF-2/STV Dlx/ST237a/350D (Unmodded)/Mallincam Color Hyper Plus/DSI III Color/DSI II Pro
Two not-spoiled Golden Retrievers - Maggie and Casey
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering. - Arthur C. Clarke
|
Mogster
sage
Reged: 03/14/04
Posts: 296
Loc: Manchester, England
|
|
I finally gave up deliberating and bought a Bogen 3011 and the light weight video head(RC128/3126) The selection of budget tripods available in the UK is a bit limited.
It arrived last night and for my Pentax 12x50 bino's its just fantastic. I just can't believe how light but solid it is, this gear is built to last. I can pick the whole set up up easilly with one hand but if anything its more sturdy than the tripod on my Orion EQ3-2. I'm surprised how easy it is to view even quite high in the sky.
Not the cheapest but like many others I recommend it without reservation.
MOG
Edited by Mogster (06/16/04 06:45 AM)
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 