Heavy-Duty Alt-Azimuth Tripod for Spotting Scopes & Telescopes | Heavy-Duty Mount, Precision Slow-Motion Controls in Altitude and Azimuth, Built for Large Optics, Smooth Tracking

I got this Tripod to go under an Orion Apex 90 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope as an upgrade from the camera tripod I was previously using. It's gotten a fair amount of use since I got it and believe its a 5 star tripod for what it's built for but definitely not for everything. Pro's 1 It's very solid compared to other tripods at this price point. A light breeze or nudge doesn't make you totally loose whatever you're looking at. It's heavier than my camera tripod but I don't feel wary about slapping a big telephoto or actual telescope on my DSLR when using this. That being said... 2 It's surprisingly light. It's pretty much my grab and go tripod now. It's not a chore to pick the whole setup up and reposition for a different view. 3 It's fine controls work well. For sky viewing or photo's at a distance having micro adjustments really help. You manhandle it to get close and then dial it in. Con's 1 They use a nut and screw mechanism for the fine adjustments. So trying to track an object moving across the sky for extended viewing you will find yourself running out of fine adjustment. Then you have to twist the knobs to get everything in the center (or a little bit the other way), and then find whatever you were looking at again by manhandling the scope. This was most likely done to keep the costs down as it's cheaper and easier to do this robustly than for a worm and wheel type adjustment seen on more expensive mounts. 2 Virtually no declination. This scope has a hard stop that prevents you from pointing it more than a few degrees below the horizon when orientated correctly. Now you can always take a rotary tool to the offending lip to free up some more play but as is, no "top of mountain looking down into valleys" action. Not a deal breaker but 10-15 extra degrees would have been nice as I don't like setting anything expensive on a not balanced and level mount. 3 It's a bit short for some applications. This is both a pro and a con but unless you have a 90 degree star diagonal and a shorter scope (like a Maksutov-Cassegrain) looking at things near apex (or straight up and down) will have you about sitting on the ground. Even with the diagonal when I tried out a friends 60mmx700mm refractor there was a limited range of things I could look at "comfortably" . 4 The cheap plastic cover that hides the side to side adjust screw has already broken off. It is just there to hide the mechanism and not worth me taking a star off. Actually this with a little glow in the dark paint made it easier for me to eyeball how much more travel I had left before I need to reset so if it hadn't broke I probably would have taken it off eventually. Overall this is a good deal if you have a compact scope with a decent star diagonal or want to strap a really beefy telephoto lens on your camera and take LONG distance photos. Not so much if you have a longer scope or need something that can track accurately over long sweeps of travel. Still it has a place in my camping kit or when I want to check out the moon or planets and don't feel the urge to drag my much larger and bulkier telescopes out. Also at this price point and with the Apex 90 I don't have a problem letting somebody I don't know handle the scope and tripod (e.g. kids the next campsite over wants to look at Jupiter). Something I can't say for some of my more expensive setups.

Very strong, stable, rigid, yet Lightweight. Vibrations damp quickly. Great for telescopes or optics up to about 15# (if well balanced). Slow motion altitude and azimuth controls work smoothly and have little slop or backlash. Great for small astronomical telescopes, spotting scopes, and long telephoto lenses. Mount anything with a 1/4" x 20 thread with the included large thumbscrew.

Update: I've decided to change my review of this tripod as of 8/27/2025 Excellent tripod for my 6.8lb telescope plus diagonal and eyepieces. Very good stability. Slow motion controls are smooth albeit a bit firm. Can stably hold up to approximately 12lbs so my scope with any additional attachments are safe. I give this well built tripod 4 stars! Why 4 stars and not 5... see below. When using the altitude control knob and you're limited to how high it goes before it stops, just slightly loosen the nut on the left side of the tripod (in relation to the alt-az control knobs facing you). That will give you the freedom to tilt the altitude much higher/lower - then re-tighten the nut to make it secure. One point though, Celestron should have made it possible for the design of this tripod to have much greater altitude adjustment in the first place. It seems to me they decided to make this more of a terrestrial tripod than a hybrid terrestrial/astronomical one. I get that most people that want to do astronomical observing would probably get an equatorial mount, but for those of us that want the simplicity of an alt-az mount, the limitations to this otherwise excellent tripod make things more "inconvenient". Yes, the nut-loosening instructions I mentioned above is a workaround, but it's extra steps that are basically unnecessary had it been designed a bit better.

A very good tripod. I have a 104mm refractor mounted on it. After slightly loosening the tension on both axis it works great. You can easily slew it to position then the slow motion controls make it easy to follow the moon or planets.

This tripod does a decent job for basic use, but it’s not perfect. The aluminum build feels fairly sturdy, and it can support lightweight to mid-sized equipment without too much trouble. For casual observing, it gets the job done. However, I expected a bit more stability from Celestron given the “heavy duty” description. There’s some noticeable vibration when adjusting or in light wind, which can be frustrating when trying to get a steady view. The height adjustment is easy to use, but the locking mechanisms don’t feel as solid as they could be. It works, but doesn’t inspire full confidence for long-term durability. Overall, it’s an okay option if you’re on a budget or just starting out, but more experienced users might want something sturdier and more refined.

I'll get right to the point. This is a great tripod for the price. It didn't come with instructions; however, it only took me about fifteen minutes to figure it out once the box was opened. I can see where there may be some potential issues using this tripod with binoculars, but it works great for a refractor telescope. This tripod is not hard to figure out! I don't understand why some reviews state that it's difficult, or impossible, to get vertical alignment. All you do is put your hands on the telescope and point it at your desired target, even if the target is straight up, then let the fine tune vertical and horizonal adjustment do the rest. EASY! My first outing with this tripod, mounted with a Orion 102 mm refractor telescope, involved bird watching and viewing the moon. The vertical and horizonal hand controls made my viewing experience an utter joy. If you're dealing with a tripod that wobbles and shakes, and your tired of trying to stay locked in on a target because you don't have vertical and horizonal fine tune adjustments, I strongly recommend this tripod. As stated earlier, it's easy to figure out and use. Enjoy!

Works well. Heavy duty build and micro adjustment is nice. We have large heavy spotting binoculars we use it with.

This tripod is no good for what it is designed for. Poor quality, aluminum casing cracked on first try adjusting azimuth. Had to use epoxy glue to fix it. I specifically purchased it for my Dwarf 3 telescope for equatorial use, and it will be ok to use as the tripod is lightweight and quite steady. I would not use this tripod for binoculars or any other telescope as it would be ultimate pain to adjust/use. There is no bag coming with telescope so need to figure out something. Also, due to poor packaging, one screw came loose and scratched one leg pretty seriously.

I was surprised of the quality of this tripod... it's well made, and adjustable to a good height. Just right for a small telescope or heavy camera.

I am satisfied with this device's stability, that is the reason I purchased it. Ordinary camera tripods is not capable. I mounted my Celestron C90 scope on it. The images were stable. The movements up and down and left a d right is slow enough that you don't loose the planets or stars. The third, smaller control knop disengages the upright axle to enable rapid movement to the left or right or I lift everything and point it to the right direction. I welded a smal steel rod to the back of a metric 19mm impact socket, and now I have a handy tool to disengage the large nut, to enable rapid up and down movement. This is not an equatorial mount, mut light enough to carry, but stable. I will recommend as a good purchase for a small telescope, for stargazing.

Worth the 110.00 and I got it quick. After reading lots of reviews on Amazon.com, I thought I would give an honest assessment. PROS: - Full range of altitude and azimuth - strong large movement friction clutches - Decent gauge aluminum construction - solid alloy cast mount with large balance plate surface - fine alt-azimuth adjustment flex rod handles - locking free spin azimuth - very simple and easy to use - Overall a very sturdy tripod CONS: - Center piece hinges are flimsy and weak - Eyepiece tray too thin and fragile - should be 60" total height - could have large adjustment handles as well FINAL THOUGHTS Other than moving the mounted scope to the object by hand, the fine adjustment handles work well keeping it in view. It should be taller. Either have another section or have solid adjustable feet extensions with the screw in type for different surface applications. The flex rod handles work well with a scope, but apparently not for binoculars. Could have removable flex rods or just the handles. Some plastic parts on the tripod may wear out or break, but for the money, it's a great altazimuth tripod. Can't go wrong. Very happy with the purchase. No regrets.

La verdad quedé muy contento con la montura, necesitaba una montura mas estable y precisa para mi telescopio pequeño y no me defraudó. La montura es robusta y con las perillas de ajuste milimetrico pude seguir el movimiento de la luna de manera muy estable. Nada más creo le haría falta un dial de ajuste de azimut vertical, porque ahi si lo tuve que ajustar con las manos desde donde se enrosca el telescopio ya que la perilla del ajuste milimetrico vertical tiene un limite, de ahi en fuera todo genial

Lo compre de segunda mano y para mi telescopio en visual para iniciación y es impresionante puedes moverte por el cielo con mucha precisión y cuando le coges el truco tambien rápido.