# Outdoorsman Tripod vs.???



## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

I love these tripods...all except their crazy price tag! Does anyone have experience with this tripod and any other tripod that is comparable? If so, i'd really love to hear it. My Cullman Nanomax just isn't stable enough anymore.

FYI - I have a 65mm angled Swarovski HD spotter and I would also like to use my Zeiss 12x50 binos on the tripod as well (with an adapter of course). That should give context to what the tripod needs to handle.


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## Mike Honcho (Oct 15, 2008)

I understand your plight. I considered purchasing an Outdoorsmans's tripod, but the price seemed too high given the materials and weight. I scoured the Interweb and found a Slik and ProMaster that I liked (I preferred the Slik), but then I lucked out and found a sweet deal on a Gitzo on eBay. I bought the Gitzo and put an Outdoorsmans's Pan Head on it. The combination is fantastic. I love the Outdoorsmans's Pan Head, and the Gitzo tripod is light, strong, versatile, and stable. I use it for my 95mm and 65mm and have no complaints. 

New, Gitzos make Outdoorsmans's tripods look like a bargain. However, I bought my Gitzo for less than half its retail price (it was used, hardly) and similar deals can be found on eBay and elsewhere (thank you hobbyist photographers).

Outdoorsmans makes great products, which have excellent reputations and very loyal fans. Nevertheless, there are many excellent tripod options available today. I would suggest determining what specs you want (material, height, weight, number of extensions, etc.) and then check out the offerings from Gitzo, Slik, Manfrotto, ProMaster, and others. After you find the tripod(s) you want, look for these tripods on KSL, eBay, and other online retailers for the best deals. You may find, like I did, that you can get an outstanding tripod for a decent price.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Thanks Mike - I appreciate the input. I did some research this weekend (you're right, the Gitzo's are pricey), and found a tripod by a newer company called Sirui (1204XL) that looks promising. Carbon fiber with 63" top height, 18" folded length, 26 lb capacity (more than any binos or spotter I own!), weighing in at 2.2 lbs. Price tag is $370 (tripod only). Now if I can just find a place around here that carries them so that I can put eyes on it!

This compares to the Outdoorsman's tall tripod coming in at 62.5" top height, 21" folded length, and 3 lbs weight. Price tag...$479.

The carbon fiber, in addition to being lighter weight is also supposed to be more rigid than aluminum. I'm all about saving that extra $100, and could use that to put an Outdoorsman's pistol grip head on the Sirui tripod. Decisions, decisions...


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