Choosing the best tripod for one of the best spotting scopes takes work. It can be tempting to go for something lightweight and/or affordable, but before you go for mobility, above all else think about stability. It may seem like a necessary evil for using a spotting scope, but only a good tripod can help your observations stand up to the wind when you’re out birding, terrestrial viewing, or studying the night sky.
The rock-solid support of a tripod is crucial when using a spotting scope, but there are various designs on the market. The best choice is a full-sized tripod that reaches a head height, with other options including a more compact travel tripod and a super-compact tabletop tripod. Some tripods are sold as legs only, while others are sold as a kit with a tripod head included.
The price you’ll pay will depend on the brand and the quality of the engineering. Tripod kits that comprise a set of legs and a head can range in price from around $15/£10 to about $1,500/£1,250 for a top-of-the-range model. That’s a huge range, and each extreme is worth avoiding. Generally speaking, the best spotting scope tripods start at about $150/£150, though the use of carbon fiber will bump up the price alarmingly.
Jamie Carter
Jamie is the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com, and travels the world watching every eclipse he can and photographing the night skies. He’s our go-expert on optics such as spotting scopes and solar binoculars.
This eminently affordable option has an integrated pan-and-tilt head that teams up well with a spotting scope, and reaches a good height too. Read more below…
A head costs extra for this heavy-duty tripod, but that means you get to choose one you like, and the tripod itself has loads of useful features. Read more below…
This travel tripod packs down pretty small, but still reaches a good height, while easy-to-use locks make setup a pleasure. Read more below…
Best spotting scope tripods in 2024
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A flagship member of Manfrotto’s lightweight Befree line-up, this light travel tripod pairs very well with a spotting scope. Included in the kit is Manfrotto’s compact Befree 3-Way Live Head: its hydraulic damping system is made for videographers, helping them smooth, steady movements, and it’s a good complement to a spotting scope. The kit also includes a 200PL-PRO quick-release plate (which can take both Manfrotto RC2 and Arca-Swiss attachments).
The tripod itself has a lever leg-locking system, plus a strong center column to extend the maximum height to a respectable 150cm.
A sturdy yet low-rise carbon fiber tripod for big spotting scopes
Specifications
Material: Carbon fiber
Leg sections: 5
Max load (legs/head): 14kg/30.8lbs
Max height (with head): 111.2cm/43.8”
Folded height: 40.5cm/16”
Weight (with head): 1.41kg/3.1lbs
Reasons to buy
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Very lightweight
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AirHed Cine head with detachable handle
Reasons to avoid
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Very expensive
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Low maximum height
If you’re schlepping a big spotting scope around, you won’t also want to be carrying a heavy tripod. But you’ll sure need one that can reliably support your scope, particularly at high magnifications. Cue the 3 Legged Thing Jay with AirHed Cine, a pricey but impressive carbon fiber tripod that weighs an astonishingly low 1.41kg/3.1lbs yet can support a whopping 14kg/30.8lbs. That’s going to be overkill for most spotting scopes, but if you’re a videographer after a tripod capable of holding a lot of gear in various scenarios, the 3 Legged Thing Jay with AirHed Cine makes a good all-round choice.
There’s no center column here – something that almost always introduces stability – and its absence means that its maximum height is only 111.2cm/43.8”. That may be a deal-breaker for some, but if you’re most interested in stability, Jay’s leveling base will also appeal.
However, pride of place in this kit goes to the bundled AirHed Cine, a compact and controllable fixed drag head that comes with a screw-on handle for precision movements.
An entry-level aluminum tripod with a built-in fluid pan and tilt head that moves through 360º, the Svbony SA402 is an ideal partner for a spotting scope. Its all-in-one design will only suit those who plan to pair it with a spotting scope near-permanently, though elsewhere it’s got a lot going for it for outdoor use.
Weighing a mere 2.2kg/4.85lbs, it comes with a nice shoulder bag complete with an adjustable shoulder strap. It gets to 164cm/64.5” thanks to an extendable center column and, in our test, felt sturdy enough with a spotting scope mounted on top. We noticed some slight droop on the tilt axis, but nothing serious.
The Benro GoPlus Travel FGP18A doesn’t come with a head – but that may be a plus, because most heads bundled with tripods tend to be ball heads, which not all spotting scope users like. With your own head of choice in situ, the GoPlus Travel FGP18A is as versatile as they come, with bubble levels for easy leveling, interchangeable rubber feet, and spikes.
Two rather unusual features on a travel-friendly tripod are its pivoting center column (which gives locking angles through 180º) and the chance to use one leg as a monopod; neither is much use with spotting scopes, but if you’re after one tripod to rule them all, these options should work well for other kinds of photography. However, it’s the GoPlus Travel FGP18A’s ability to hold steady with a load of up to 10kg/22lbs that makes it ideal for larger spotting scopes.
The AD-01 3751 isn’t the strongest tripod around, but if you’re packing a relatively lightweight spotting scope then its affordability, ease of use, and precision movements make it a good choice. It may weigh just 2.86g/6.3 lbs and come with a shoulder bag, but it’s got a lot of girth; this is not the easiest tripod to travel with. Nor is it manufactured with the finest quality materials; it looks a little flimsy. However, its three-section double-shaft leg design and three-pronged spreader between the first and second stages add some extra stabilization, and its maximum height is a generous 186cm.
Crucially, it comes with a fluid two-way ball head (complete with leveling bowl base) and a detachable pan handle that makes precision movements possible. It’s compatible with DJI RS 2 and Manfrotto quick-release plates. There’s even a hidden magnetic hex key to make it easy to attach to the bottom of a sitting scope while you’re out in the field.
Given the outdoorsy nature of spotting scopes, it’s tempting to use a travel tripod, but their reliance on an extendable center column can make them unstable. Not so the Manfrotto Befree Advanced Twist, whose center column adds an extra 23cm/9” while retaining stability. That’s largely thanks to a twisting lock at its base – hence the name – though we also loved its M-lock four-section legs. With a maximum height of 150cm, the tripod folds down to a convenient 40cm, making it easy to pack for a trip.
The included ball head is excellent, though it’s one area that may need upgrading if you’re after more precision.
The pricier material is carbon fiber, which adds incredible strength to a lightweight design. Despite that, most spotting scope owners will go for aluminum, which is both much more affordable and light enough for serious mobility.
How much height do I need?
Spotting scopes are much easier to use at head height or thereabouts, although the best travel tripods usually achieve that by using a retractable center column, which can introduce some instability. Also, look for rubber feet and spikes for coping with different surfaces (you’ll typically need physically swap out one for the other).
Check the folded length
The weight of a tripod is important if you’re going to carry it any distance, but so is its folded length. If it’s too long to strap to your bag, and it’s unwieldy in trains or climbing over stiles, then it’s going to put you off taking it anywhere. Many so-called ‘travel’ tripods have legs that fold upwards for storage and completely enclose the head. This makes them smaller and neater when folded and easier to carry around.
How many leg sections?
Tripod legs may have three, four, or five sections. A larger number of sections means the tripod is shorter and more portable when it’s folded, but it will usually take a little longer to set up and may well not be quite as stable.
What type of leg locks?
These come in two main types: twist locks and flip locks. Twist locks take up less space and are generally a little quicker to use – you can often unlock all the leg sections in a single movement when you’re setting the tripod up. Flip locks are operated individually and may be a bit slower. Try both types to see which you prefer.
Leg angles
Most tripods have legs that can be angled independently – which is particularly useful when working on sloping sites or in cramped areas. The standard leg angle will be fine for regular use, but it’s often useful to splay one or more legs outwards on uneven surfaces or to rest them on walls, say. Splaying out all three legs will allow you to shoot from a much lower angle.
What type of head should I get?
The most suitable tripods for spotting scopes tend to have a pan-and-tilt or three-way head, which will help you lock the pan axis or the tilt axis and move the other independently. They make it easy to make small adjustments to get a subject perfectly into the spotting scope’s field of view. That’s also true of slower but smoother fluid heads, which are aimed at video creators. Pistol grip tripod heads are even easier to use.
Some spotting scope owners will be happy with ball heads – but while they do make it quicker to get your spotting scope roughly lined up with your subject, it can be tricky to then get that subject precisely into the field of view.
Attaching your camera
Most tripods are sold with heads, and most heads have a quick-release plate so that you can detach the camera in moments for handheld shots. The Arca Swiss-compatible plate is by far the most common, meaning you can swap between different tripod heads, even if they're made by different manufacturers. However some makers, notably Manfrotto, make their own bespoke QR plates, which can be a nuisance if you have two or more tripods from different makers.
Extra features
Detachable monopod legs: These sound really useful – a detachable leg you can then screw into the center column to make a monopod. In practice, we find these often lack the rigidity of a 'real' monopod unless you're starting with a particularly substantial tripod.
Center column: Not all tripods come with a center column, but most do. You can extend this upwards to increase the height of the camera, although this introduces extra wobble. On some tripods, the center column can be rotated to produce an angled boom, which is perfect for overhead shots, macro work, and tabletop photography. Using the center column does reduce the stability of the tripod, however, so is best avoided with long exposures.
Bowl base: This is a video-specific feature that allows you to get the base level without having to make a whole series of tiny adjustments to the leg length. A level base is essential for a video where you want to make panning movements, and the best video tripods come with bowl or leveling bases as standard.
Types of feet: Rubber feet are fine on most surfaces but best on carpets and wooden floors, where you don’t want to cause damage. Metal spikes are good for soft and uneven ground. Some tripods have rubber feet, which can be screwed back to reveal spikes.
We measure the maximum operating height of each tripod and its folded height for carrying, complete with head attached. We also measure the combined weight of each set of tripod legs and head, using electronic scales, and measure the diameter of all leg sections, from the widest to the thinnest, using digital calipers.
We check the ease of use, smoothness and precision of all available adjustments in each set of tripod legs and heads. This ranges from adjusting leg sections and pivot facilities (where available), to the locking mechanisms of the head, as well as independent pan and friction damping adjustments, where fitted.
To check overall stability, we shoot with a range of camera bodies fitted with wide-angle, standard, telephoto and macro lenses. We look for good resistance to flexing and vibrations throughout the whole range of operating heights, including the tallest available settings with the legs and center column fully extended.
Jamie has been writing about all aspects of technology for over 14 years, producing content for sites like TechRadar, T3, Forbes, Mashable, MSN, South China Morning Post, and BBC Wildlife, BBC Focus and BBC Sky At Night magazines.
As the editor for www.WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com, he has a wealth of enthusiasm and expertise for all things astrophotography, from capturing the Perseid Meteor Shower, lunar eclipses and ring of fire eclipses, photographing the moon and blood moon and more.
He also brings a great deal of knowledge on action cameras, 360 cameras, AI cameras, camera backpacks, telescopes, gimbals, tripods and all manner of photography equipment.
