KDC tripod questions

[ChrisAU]

If you end up not liking the KD, check this option out. I couldn't deal with the play in the metal KD poles so I went back to carbon with this set up. Slightly less than 1 lb for the legs and ball head (I don't use the vertical center column extender) and it's plenty tall to glass in the seated position on a hillside. The ball head works okay but I will be replacing mine with a RRS BPC-16.

How am I just now seeing this...know how much it weighs without the ballhead?

 

[Steve O]

Don’t knock it till you try it, how well does that balancer plate allow you to pan while the ball is locked in place?

TD, I apologize if it came across as knocking your system. That was not my intent. I was trying to point out to Trial that when you use the KDC components, the silver adjustment knob on the ball head is the largest component and it is much easier to manipulate than with extra heads on top of it. Getting things “tight” I don’t get either. I lock the bino tower into the head (or KDC Q/D plate or balance rail) and it has never moved. The KDC stud and bino tower ARE ingenious.

The KDC, imo, shines when you are an “active participant” with it. You want to get it into your body and lean on it when glassing. You keep your hands on the binocular and adjust the tension on the ball head. It just doesn’t work as well with a “hands off” approach.

So, it is a lot harder to use to grid an area where you lock in elevation and pan back and forth, then adjust elevation, lock in and pan. Over and over.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

How am I just now seeing this...know how much it weighs without the ballhead?

 

[ChrisAU]

Wow. Thanks!

 

[307]

@AkMtnRunner

How is the component quality? Do the legs stay locked? Pretty rigid?

Seems like a great find. Thanks for posting it!

 

[AkMtnRunner]

@AkMtnRunner

How is the component quality? Do the legs stay locked? Pretty rigid?

Seems like a great find. Thanks for posting it!

It seems rigid and durable enough for any light weight spotter or binos. The way I see it, the smaller it is and less weight is put on it, it should last. Though I am sure if it’s loaded down with a full size spotter, it will be worn down. I’ve only used it a few trips though.

It was someone on this site that turned me onto it a couple years ago. Happy to pass it on!

 

[corncob]

Has anyone tried to take the ballhead off the KDC Tripod? It looks like it would come off similar to the legs (the instructions say you can take them off to tighten and loosen them), but I haven't given it a shot yet. If the ballhead come off and you could mount a small Outdoorsman Panner on there, that might be an option without adding a bunch of weight up above the current ballhead.

 

[Trial153]

Nope, run it on the ball head alone, then you can lock the ball head down better. That ball head doesn’t like having the optic too far away and I had the same issue with my pistol grip head when I tried it, didn’t like it at all that way.

Leave the micro head at home, the item I linked will allow you to use your qr plates and keep everything low to the ball head yet still mount. Then you just use the ball to adjust elevation and lock it down, the panner will let you do the bulk of the work.

Update one this. I been using it quite a bit to try out. This seems like a usable system, especially for this hunt. I am liking it more and more.
Saves about a pound and half total for me. Just as important its working as intended.

Thank you

 

[tdhanses]

Update one this. I been using it quite a bit to try out. This seems like a usable system, especially for this hunt. I am liking it more and more.
Saves about a pound and half total for me. Just as important its working as intended.

Thank you

No problem, I know it isn’t perfect but it’s great for what it is.