Celestron Ultima Pan Tilt Head Tripod - Excellent Choice for a Spotting Scope, Binocular or Camera (93612)

I live near a large lake, and a spotting scope is necessary if one wants to identify waterfowl over miles of open water. This is my third tripod, and each of them has operated differently. My scope is a straight-through type rather than the ones with angled eyepieces. So I need a tall scope. The Celestron Regal fits my needs well with several inches to spare--the center post doesn't need to extend fully. I wasn't sure what a "fluid pan head" was, but I've been very pleased to learn that it makes scoping very easy. Once the adjustment knobs for pan and tilt are loosened a bit, I can scan as much as I want with no further knob adjustments. (The adjustment bar is used only for panning--doesn't tighten or loosen anything, and it doesn't need to.) Once my hands are removed, the scope remains pointed where I last looked. And the balance rail helps in my case. My scope is heavier toward the rear, and my last scope required tightening when I took a break from scoping in order to prevent the scope from tilting toward the sky. So on the Celestron I loosened the balance rail, and moved the scope forward in order to balance it a lot better. For the past two days I've scoped for waterfowl in pretty strong winds. The scope wobbled a bit with hands off but one hand on the adjustment bar and the other resting either on my scope or the tripod steadied the scope enough to identify ducks quite a ways out, an ability I didn't have with previous tripods. The scope is a bit heavier than others I've owned, but I think that helps make it more stable so I don't mind. The quality is top notch especially given its price range. A nice feature I discovered: if the adjustment knobs are in the way of anything, they can be pulled outward and rotated to a more convenient position. That's definitely not required, but is a very nice touch that the folks at Celestron added to this tripod. Highly recommended.

The Regal tripod is nice, sturdy, and fluid. Its solid, has good weight, and feels high quality. It looks professional and sleek. The carrying case is convenient and is useful. It operates and tilts based on your adjustment level and it’s the perfect size for the average person and has a wide range of adjustability. It’s a bit pricy but I feel like the quality is there, this is the nicest tripod I own next to my huge telescope one. I got this specifically for my spotting scope and sky master binoculars

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.

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