Customer Reviews

Celestron Tabletop Tripod for the C65 Mini Mak Spotting Scope

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, the technical details are wrong for this entry which seem to be for a full size Celestron tripod. This unit actually measures 14 inches folded, 10.5 inches with the legs opened and stretches up to 14 inches high with the center column raised. The legs themselves do not telescope. A plastic collar can be tightened to lock the column height and still allow it to turn for panning. The collar can be tightened further to completely lock the column from panning. A knob can be tightened to lock the tilting. A 1/4-20 screw with locking nut allows the attachment of a camera or spotting scope though the rubber used to keep the scope from twisting seems to allow some unwanted vibration. The unit is constructed of plastic and aluminum. The legs are extruded aluminum channel but fairly rigid and connect to an hard plastic base. The fine motion controls do not allow full rotation or tilting but this is not a major drawback and is to be expected for something in this price range.

As a mini camera tripod, the Celestron provides good support and is much more solid than other mini tripods in this price range. It was able to support my 35mm SLR with battery grip and 1.5 pound 24-200mm Tokina lens with ease. The tripod, however, isn't designed to allowed rotating the camera for portrait orientation.

As a spotting scope tripod, the Celestron leaves something to be desired. While the tripod can support the weight of a C90 spotting scope, it just isn't quite solid enough to allow fine adjustments or focusing without causing vibrations that disrupt viewing for up to 10 seconds or more. I would guess this to be a problem for any tripod this small but it does limit the usefulness of the Celestron, particularly with a camera mounted to the scope. The fine controls do work well enough and the Celestron is sturdy enough to hold a spotting scope without danger of it toppling over.

All in all, this is a sturdy mini tripod with useful fine motion controls but it may not be all that useful for high power scopes or those heavier than the C65 or for through-the-scope photography.

This item is terrible. Shoddy shoddy shoddy. Cheap cheap cheap. In another review, somebody claimed this item was completely made of plastic. While that person is not 100% correct, I can totally understand why you might think it's entirely plastic because this tripod IS 90% plastic. Indeed, the others reviews that respond are correct in saying it's NOT 100% plastic. Indeed the legs ARE made of thin aluminum but seriously, ALL of the important parts (you know, the parts that move, the knobs you turn, the gearbox or even the locking mechanism) are 100% PLASTIC.

The knobs are tight and difficult to turn at all, let alone smoothly, which defeats the entire purpose of this tripod. Honestly, I don't know how this item is useful for spotting anything. It's so difficult to even get it to turn or angle up at all. Everything that E. Villegas "photograframer" says in his review is spot on, except I wouldn't even give this thing the 2-stars that he did.

If you've ever seen those $1-store 6" tall mini tabletop tripods that are mass produced in Hong Kong and given away in ebay auctions as part of a "photo package", you'll understand exactly what the quality of this item is. This is just a bunch of poorly molded plastic that's been screwed together around three aluminum legs.

I rarely post reviews on Amazon, but this item is so cheap and poorly made and has SO many 5-star and 4-star reviews that I had to come post a reality check. I wish I hadn't given so much creedence to the high praise it gets in other reviews here. I sent this thing back the day after I got it. If you want a small tabletop tripod to hold something steady, I guess this would suit you fine, but if you actually wanted to put a scope or camera on this and look though a lens to try and sight something, look somewhere else.

If you have a small camera, this one is adequate. The all-plastic design makes it difficult to adjust the height and the tilt because plastic tends to stick together when tightened. Loosening the knobs is a big pain and the legs tend to "give" a little bit when you use it with a bigger camera.

The tripod is very light and portable. I'm using it mainly with a Leupold Golden Ring 27X spotting scope while shooting prone. In that application it is wonderful. The tripod I had before was similar in size and capability but was three pounds heavier. But because of it's light weight, the Celestron is not as stable if you bump it but overall a great buy and it is one of my goto pieces of kit in my drag bag.

This is for a spotting scope, but as I suspected the screw threads are the same as most SLR cameras such as the Nikon D series 40 50 60 70 80 90 and Canons. This is great for nature photos because it has the micro adjustment knobs. Just set it down, tighten the height to mid and do your fine height and side to side with the rotation knobs. Pick it up, collapse the legs and it is light enough to walk around on the camera.

Nice finish, a very good adjust system, you can move it just millimeters easy to handle, very efficient for spotting, good quality. NO complains!

This tripod is made almost entirely of plastic (except for the legs and a few other parts). I would not mind that so much as long as its price was below $10. It is a simple product.

First, I have to deal with some nonsense from other reviews:
- this tripod is not all plastic. The legs and center column are aluminum and the mounting hardware is metal. It's a mostly metal tripod with some plastic fittings.
- it is explicitly designed for the C65 and C70 spotting scopes, both of which weigh 2lbs or less. One reviewer knocked it for not supporting his C90, which weighs _more than twice as much_. This is like being disappointed when an Indy car goes faster than your sedan.

I have used this tripod for astronomical viewing with my C70. It vibrates when bumped, but the vibrations die out in 2-3 seconds, which is acceptable for an inexpensive tabletop tripod and better than some cheap full-size tripods I've used. Surprisingly, it is no less sturdy with the center column extended. The slo-mo controls actually work and with zero slop or backlash, which is almost unbelievable at this price point.

The tripod has elevation limits, which probably won't matter for photography or daytime spotting but might for stargazing. The limits are 45 degrees if the scope is mounted as typically shown, in which case the head bumps into the altitude control, or 60 degrees if you turn the scope around, in which case the head bumps into the center column. You can exceed these limits somewhat by moving one leg inward and tilting the tripod, although this makes the tripod less stable.

For travel this thing is crazy compact. I have flown with the C70, tripod, laptop, power cord, digital camera, and several paperbacks in a small carry-on backpack.

In conclusion, this is a great little tripod for the job it was designed to do--holding spotting scopes, binoculars, and cameras that weigh less than 2lbs. If your gear weighs more, or if you can't be bothered to weigh it, find something else. As for me, I'm going to buy a second one just to use with my digital camera; it's far and away the best tabletop tripod I've found so far.