Good afternoon birders,

I have a Kowa TSN-883 Prominar scope with a Manfrotto 3 section and 3W head tripod. I hike and travel with this set up in addition to birding locally.

The tripod is very sturdy, which I like. What I don't like is how heavy it is (5.5 pounds!) and the 3-way head would be great for a camera but I find it fussy and unnecessary for my scope. Having 3 wand adjustments often makes it difficult to get on a bird quickly. And it really kills the shoulder after lugging around for a few miles.

My only concern with finding a lighter weight tripod is that it won't withstand the wind as well and I fear it will tip over.

I saw Really Right Stuff makes good quality, lightweight carbon fiber tripods but is a tripod really worth $1500+? Maybe. But I'm tempted to try the Manfrotto 290 Light Alu that weighs just under 4 pounds and costs a more reasonable $200.

Has anyone out there used a tripod lighter than 4 pounds and found it sturdy enough in light to moderate winds?

Cheers and good birding!

Amy Powell
Renton, WA