9 replies to this topic

[dustyc]

Armed with a mount head upgrade for my Oberwerk XL-100 bino and perfect weather last weekend, I decided to head out east for a shakedown run. The 608 head is much larger than the 5000 series head, so the nice bag supplied with the standard 5000 tripod won't fit unless the 608 head is removed. The steering handle is larger also, but you get just one. Mating bino to mount is a joy. Tip the shoe into the side and lower the other side down into a small cylinder which snaps the channel closed. Slide the shoe fore and aft to get a starting balance and then lock in place. The drag and counterbalance adjustments fine tune the movement so there is no drifting from a set position.

 

For the few hours that I was out there, I had a pretty productive night. Since Virgo was in a good position, I cruised around the Cluster and bagged the Messier galaxies and a few NGC "wisps" in the area. The summer globulars had risen high enough for observing so I grabbed great views of the "classics" with Omega Centauri thrown in for good measure. Despite the smaller aperture, stereo views still make for an entertaining night due to the 3D effect on a lot of targets.

A big reason why I felt that I had a satisfying evening was the 608 head. Ever spend some time with a really fine-tuned Dob? Effortless movement and it stays in place after you stop pushing? You don't have to overshoot the target so that it settles into the right position afterwards? This head feels the same way. I could gently push on the handle (or an eyepiece) in any direction and get smooth tracking and positioning while hunting for a target. Tracking objects over the zenith was no sweat. I didn't feel the need to wait for the target to get lower in the night sky for viewing. Balance is an issue when swapping from the 14mm-supplied eyepieces to the 7mm Obies. With the 608, twisting the counterbalance knob just a turn or two makes things perfect again.

 

About the only nit I could pick with this head is the "secret handshake" that you must do to release the bino from the mount. There is a cam lock and a push tab that have to be engaged simultaneously in order to reset the cylinder tab and release the shoe. Be sure to practice this release procedure at home, preferably on a carpeted floor!

 

Bottom line for the XL-100 sized binos: get this head if you are a diehard star hopper. However, if you have a home with a view and astronomy is a occasional side trip, the 5000 head is really all you need. It holds the bino steady and pans just fine.

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[Safetyman]

Awesome review Dusty. I, too, mount my 100XLs on the 608 sometimes, but mostly use it on a 612. My 70XL is usually on the 608. I have never used another mount for the BTs so I really have nothing to compare them to, but I can say the Nitrotech heads are almost perfect for them. I think the dual action release is a bit overkill, but I guess it’s better to be safer than sorry, right? Also, I would have liked a more beefy lock for the panning motion. The tilt gets a huge knob and the panning gets a tiny little screw.

[ButterFly]

The 608 is nice.

Dual pan handles aren't helpful when you need another hand to adjust the height of the column. The height is much more important over wider angles over the sky. With proper balancing and tension, one panhandle is fine.

[Rich V.]

I've got used to just using one handle with my N12.  My other heads allowed the use of two handles, but no big deal like ButterFly says.

 

I'm also used to the "secret handshake" on the plate release and it's a one hand operation on the button/ lever arrangement anymore.

 

The Nitrotech heads are easy to use and adjust.  I've had an N12 for a few years now and it works nicely with my 100mm BT and heavy 22x70 binos.  I'm sure it would hold a 120mm BT as well.

 

I like to have a fair amount of drag set so the binos don't have a chance to go anywhere that's not deliberate.  I can still push them around with one finger but it's firm.  Don't like my binos "loose" at all.  The drag and balance adjustments do all I can ask them to do.

 

Rich

[P.Wolfgang]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Dusty.

 

I currently have an Oberwerk 20x65 ED Deluxe that I mount on an Oberwerk 5000 tripod/head.

 

Recently I ordered an Oberwerk BT-82XL-SD and am patiently for it to arrive here in Canada.

 

I’d been planning to use it with my existing tripod/head setup, but just saw that the Manfrotto 608 video head is on sale locally as part of a Black Friday sale at Henry’s Cameras. It’s very tempting!

 

It sounds like you made a similar upgrade, so I’m hoping you or someone else reading this can answer my questions below.

 

1) It’s been some months now since you switched over. Overall, do you find the upgrade worth it? How much of a difference is it?

 

2) Currently, I keep the 5000 tripod and head attached to one another, storing and carrying them in the case they came in — which is great for a quick ‘grab-and-got set-up. You mentioned the Oberwerk 5000 tripod + Manfrotto head don’t nicely fit in the case that came with the tripod — bummer! How do you store and transport the head? Do you remove/attach the it each time? Does that take long? Does the Manfrotto 608 come with a nice case of its own to transport? 

 

Any insight appreciated!

 

Paul in Vancouver Canada

Edited by P.Wolfgang, 19 November 2023 - 01:03 AM.

[Fiske]

I've got used to just using one handle with my N12.  My other heads allowed the use of two handles, but no big deal like ButterFly says.

 

I'm also used to the "secret handshake" on the plate release and it's a one hand operation on the button/ lever arrangement anymore.

 

The Nitrotech heads are easy to use and adjust.  I've had an N12 for a few years now and it works nicely with my 100mm BT and heavy 22x70 binos.  I'm sure it would hold a 120mm BT as well.

 

I like to have a fair amount of drag set so the binos don't have a chance to go anywhere that's not deliberate.  I can still push them around with one finger but it's firm.  Don't like my binos "loose" at all.  The drag and balance adjustments do all I can ask them to do.

 

Rich

The Oberwerk 120XL on a Manfrotto 475B tripod with an NT612 head, and yes it works well. 

 

 

I'm with Rich on setting the drag high enough so the BT has to be deliberately moved.

 

I took this picture last night after glimpsing M 33 from my yard for the very first time.  Had thought about using the 127XL on the iOptron Tri-pier, but I opted for the 120XL setup because of the threat of early clouds (which unfortunately materialized). I was only just able to see a portion of the core in averted vision. But the viewing conditions were not ideal, there was a waxing crescent moon in the south west (33% illuminated), and Triangulum wasn't that high in the sky. So, I'll be trying this again on a better night, later in the evening.

 

Hopefully before too long. My next door neighbor did a test run on his Christmas display last night while I was observing. He has one of the signature displays in the subdivision.   Shockingly bright -- even shielded from the lights directly, the reflection off trees alone is enough to wreck observing. When he turned them on, I called out to ask if he were supposed to be doing that before Thanksgiving? We had a good laugh. And then he turned it all off, including his driveway security light. (He is a great neighbor.)

 

But, the Christmas season is fast approaching...  

Edited by Fiske, 19 November 2023 - 12:22 PM.

[ckwastro]

Armed with a mount head upgrade for my Oberwerk XL-100 bino and perfect weather last weekend, I decided to head out east for a shakedown run. The 608 head is much larger than the 5000 series head, so the nice bag supplied with the standard 5000 tripod won't fit unless the 608 head is removed. The steering handle is larger also, but you get just one. Mating bino to mount is a joy. Tip the shoe into the side and lower the other side down into a small cylinder which snaps the channel closed. Slide the shoe fore and aft to get a starting balance and then lock in place. The drag and counterbalance adjustments fine tune the movement so there is no drifting from a set position.

 

For the few hours that I was out there, I had a pretty productive night. Since Virgo was in a good position, I cruised around the Cluster and bagged the Messier galaxies and a few NGC "wisps" in the area. The summer globulars had risen high enough for observing so I grabbed great views of the "classics" with Omega Centauri thrown in for good measure. Despite the smaller aperture, stereo views still make for an entertaining night due to the 3D effect on a lot of targets.

A big reason why I felt that I had a satisfying evening was the 608 head. Ever spend some time with a really fine-tuned Dob? Effortless movement and it stays in place after you stop pushing? You don't have to overshoot the target so that it settles into the right position afterwards? This head feels the same way. I could gently push on the handle (or an eyepiece) in any direction and get smooth tracking and positioning while hunting for a target. Tracking objects over the zenith was no sweat. I didn't feel the need to wait for the target to get lower in the night sky for viewing. Balance is an issue when swapping from the 14mm-supplied eyepieces to the 7mm Obies. With the 608, twisting the counterbalance knob just a turn or two makes things perfect again.

 

About the only nit I could pick with this head is the "secret handshake" that you must do to release the bino from the mount. There is a cam lock and a push tab that have to be engaged simultaneously in order to reset the cylinder tab and release the shoe. Be sure to practice this release procedure at home, preferably on a carpeted floor!

 

Bottom line for the XL-100 sized binos: get this head if you are a diehard star hopper. However, if you have a home with a view and astronomy is a occasional side trip, the 5000 head is really all you need. It holds the bino steady and pans just fine.

 

Thanks for that review. I'm getting ready to replace my 502AH with the 608, so it's good to hear how well it works. I can't stand the fixed counterbalance on the 502, so the 608 with continuous CB from 0-17.6 lbs  seems to be the ticket for me.

[jrazz]

The 612 for me was a revelation. After both Fiske and Rich told me it took a crazy sale for me to budge and buy it and now I say with confidence that I would have paid full price.

It's not just the smoothness and ease of use. It's light and easy to use. It's well thought out and just works. The problem with less expensive heads is that they just don't work as well.

 

It's a lot of money but this is definitely a buy once, cry once scenario and the benefits are that you just use the instrument way more.

 

 

[RMay]

It's a lot of money but this is definitely a buy once, cry once scenario and the benefits are that you just use the instrument way more.

Or, as we one-eyed pirates like to note on occasion, “buying the best is usually a bargain in the long run.”

Ron

[Mark Y.]

Just the simple word "Nitrotech" is enough to want that head. Sure sounds to me like a comic book hero's fortress of solitude.