Bogen/Manfrotto Telephoto Lens Support

Bogen/Manfrotto Telephoto Lens Support

The Equipment

This equipment is actually referred to as the Bogen/Manfrotto 3420 Telephoto Lens Support with a Quick Release Plate #3157n. The following image shows the lens support:

My Words

Here is a list of my very personal findings:

  1. This EagleEye 5X is way too expensive (i.e., $235). Added with a tripod mount for $50, the total cost is close to $290. See here for the details.
  2. We may expect a much higher optical quality to justify such a high cost. The EagleEye 5X is very good in the center portion as demonstrated in the above comparisons. It is also good in the corners with low chromatic aberration. On the other hand, it has visible light-off in the corners, which causes lower resolution and lower contrast. Consequently, in close range, the EagleEye 5X may not be as good as the CrystalVue 8X, although the latter has a significant presence of chromatic aberration.
  3. The minimum focus distance of the EagleEye 5X is about 11 feet, which is very large compared with the CrystalVue 8X and Kenko 6X.
  4. The EagleEye has a 5X magnification, which is relatively small in the current crop of higher power monoscopes (e.g., Kenko 8X, Keno 6X, Nikon TelescoMicro ED6 × 18D, and CrystalVue 8X).
Therefore, in general, the EagleEye 5X is a good monoscope. It is sharp with less chromatic aberration. But, it only has 5X and a very high price. Whether the optical quality and high price of this lens can be justified is entirely up to you.