Celestron Hummingbird Fast Action Pan Tilt Head Tripod - Excellent Choice for a Spotting Scope, Binocular or Camera, Black (82051)

Purchased the tripod for use with Celestron spotting scope as well as with a standard 35 mm DSLR camera. I needed a tripod that's sturdy enough to support the large scope, but also economical. I think this scope fits the need. It has a good height for both applications. When opened fully, its sturdy enough to support the large scope. The tilt and pan head functions smoothly and is capable of locking in place. Head components are mainly plastic. The crank handle that adjusts height seems flimsy and I'll need to be careful not to snap it. There can be some very slight movement in the tripod head when locked, but this can be managed with some careful setup. Since the head unit threads onto the tripod base, it can un-screw itself when panned counterclockwise, leading to some wobbling. I have tried to tighten the connection as much as possible and this has helped. If it loosens again I will try to tape the connection. The quick release plate is very handy. It's larger than quick release plates on many other scopes, and I think this helps with the mounting of the large scope. I wanted 2 plates so that one could be mounted to each device (camera and scope), facilitating quick changes. Because its larger, its very difficult to find and purchase a spare plate that fits this tripod. I have contacted Celestron customer service and they have been very responsive and offered to provide a spare plate for $15. It's apparently necessary to special request this item, as it doesn't appear as a spare part on their website, or anywhere else online. Finally, a caution regarding online purchase of this tripod. Amazon ships it in the original manufacturers box with no overwrap. Mine arrived damaged. Inside the box, the tripod is packaged in its carry case in a thin plastic bag, there's no styrofoam packing. My box arrived with a hole in it and the carry case had 3-4 small holes in it where the tripod wore through it from movement during shipping. The tripod itself wasn't damaged, only the case. Since Amazon return process is so easy, I attempted to return/replace the tripod, however the replacement was damaged during shipping so severely that it was returned to sender by the Fedex and never delivered to me. I ended up keeping the original with the holes in the case because I needed it for a trip and couldn't wait for another attempt at replacement. Overall his is a nice tripod for the money, but I wish Celestron packaged it better so that it could survive shipping without damage.

Lo utilice para binoculares Celestron, el trípode es perfecto.

I bought this tripod just shy of 4 years ago. About 6 months ago the mount started getting wobbly in a way that couldn't be tightened. And just now, the locking control knob has failed entirely--it won't lock at all.There is no reason for these failures other than cheap construction and poor materials. The tripod was not heavily used or abused. It should have lasted much longer.I like the single-adjustment control knob that locks in tilt and rotate at once. It very useful, as you can point exactly where you want and lock it in at once, rather than fiddling sequentially with tilt and rotate, as is the case with other tripods. But it's no good if it stops working. Makes the tripod useless. From a name brand like Celestron, I had expected better quality.

Im happy with this product, it’s sturdy, professional looking + strong + does the job

I am new to this stuff. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. Based off a few bad reviews, I was expecting it to feel cheaper and be more complicated. But it works well enough for my high powered binoculars.Instruction sheet is very brief, but a decent summary.

Just came today (on time) and I unpacked and assembled it (had to attach the Pan-Tilt handle).Excellent tripod, very stable with my Celestron Regal 100 ED spotter in top, fits like a glove and I'm not sure if I need the 100 ED balance rail at all....Fit and finish is excellent, adjustments are excellent and the fluid pan and til is extremely smooth and very adjustable.The only downside is, it'a a tad heavy, but then so is the Regal 100 ED. The tripod and spotter together weigh just under 11 pounds or about as much as a full on long range rifle.A comparable Carbon Fiber tripod kit with the weight capacity to handle a big spotter like the Regal 100 ED would cost you upwards of 350 bucks. The regal Tripod kit is actually a very good deal.Comes with a nicely made case and shoulder strap plus adjustment hex keys (not sure I need them), everything seems quite well adjusted.One thing that's not mentioned anywhere is you can flip the center column over and spread the legs and use the head upside down in a prone position. Nice feature for shooting on a shooting mat. No having to stand up to use a spotter.Never posted a review on the Regal 100 ED but it's suffice to say, it's also a bargain. I also own a Vortex 80mm spotter and the Regal is every bit as good, or better than the Vortex at a much better price point.The Regal Tripod Kit and the regal 100 ED is a hard to beat combination for medium to long range spotting, bird watching and spying on the neighbors....lol

I am 6 feet tall, so I bought the tallest high-quality tripod in this price range to hold Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 binoculars. But I can only see objects within about 20 degrees of the horizon. Otherwise, I must bend my legs and crane my neck upwards! Less tall people like the full height setting for objects high in the sky but must lower the tripod for objects near the horizon. Sometimes, we set up the tripod but did not use it. For astronomy, consider a parallelogram mount. This tripod may be good to view wildlife using binoculars.The tripod seems to be well-made and I have taken it on a road trip. Easy to set up. The controls work well. If I collapse two of the four sections on each leg, the tripod can fit in the trunk of a family sedan. It can also fit behind the passenger seats. If you put it on the back seat, use the seatbelts to secure it in case of a crash.I do not see the advantage of having a black tripod for astronomy trips. Plain aluminum color would work better so that I can see pan, tilt, and quick release screws and levers by starlight.We lost the quick release plate and called Celestron support. After a few days of phone tag, they kindly sent us a new plate free of charge.

I have been lugging around an old (heavy) tripod for a few years now, envying many other twitchers with their expensive equipment. As the body is not getting any younger I decided to splash out on a new lightweight tripod. Having, taken some advice for some experts at a wildlife trust centre we frequent, I got the chance to see, feel and hold a Celestron trail seeker and was amazed with how sturdy and light it was. After checking around I found that the best deal for me was with Amazon and within a few days my tripod arrived. It was easy to set up and even with my spotting scope attached it felt far more comfortable and lightweight than before. I already had a carrying harness and my new tripod fitted it perfectly. It’s so comfortable to carry around now. I have used it both outdoors and inside various different bird hides and it was so easy to set up and use. It’s a stable platform enabling easy clear spotting. I also found it a good base for a webcam that I use for social on-line get togethers with friends who are still home-bound due to health, care and children issues. Top notch I thoroughly recommend this reasonably priced scope.

This is a lightweight tripod best used as a quick grab and go instrument. It’s easy to set up; it has a bubble level, the legs extend with ease and are locked in place with snap connectors. The rising centre column does give you a little more height but as a trade off with stability. I have use this tripod for my 10 x 50 binoculars and it holds them steady as you’d expect. The feel of this product is at best average. My own fault for expecting more, at the price I paid I knew it was too good to be true. If I could be bothered I’d return it, but I really can’t be arsed. Would I recommend this tripod, no!

Spent a long time researching as for someone 6ft 4 tall & wanted for use on all terrain . He is very pleased with it, esp with the height it extends to & the ease of putting up & being so lightweight with a carry bag . Price is worth it for the quality...

As described by the company. Only issue is that once the scope is attached via the plate there is more movement than I expected. I am still getting used to it as it’s my first scope but in the main I’m satisfied.

The problem is that you cannot arrest the tilting angle while panning the camera 360 degrees. There's only one pan/tilt tension knob which works fine, but when you pan the tilting angle doesn't stay stable. I needed a tripot for 360 panorama photo series (equirectangular projections) and for this I've definitely chosen the wrong tripod.