Vanguard's VEO PH-26 2-way pan head is the perfect choice for using a spotting scope on a travel tripod.

This 2-way pan head CNC machined from lightweight aluminium alloy that delivers a maximum load capacity of up to 6kg, more that enough for any spotting scope.

All the movement is controlled by the one telescopic handle. Turning the handle anti-clockwise releases the lock, allowing the head to pan 360° and tilt from -90° to 30°. This delivers a smooth, intuitive movement and allows you to use one hand to follow a bird in flight, then lock off the movement when the bird has landed, while your other hand is free to control the focus and zoom on your spotting scope.

The head includes a long, slim Arca compatible quick shoe with a non-twist spring pin that is designed for the foot of a spotting scope or long camera lens. The position of the 1/4" thread can be adjusted to ensure that the spring pin can slot into the non-twist hole on the base of any spotting scope.  Fitted properly, this ensures that the quick release plate doesn't come lose in use.

Many manufacturers are designing the foot of their spotting scopes to be Arca compatible,  This means you can attach the spotting scope directly to this tripod head without the need for the quick release plate for the most secure hold.

You can also use this head for your binoculars, with a suitable adaptor, such as the . 

It can also be used for a camera. To make it a 3-way pan head, we'd recommend using a quick shoe, as this has 4-sides that fit into the clamp and allow the camera to be positioned in the clamp in a position that allows landscape photographs

To attach to a tripod, there is a 3/8" thread hole in the base, with a 1/4" adaptor, allowing it to fit any tripod. That said, with a 50mm base, this head is designed for smaller, travel sized tripods.  For larger tripods we'd recommend the which has a 58mm base.

All in all, this is a great tripod head to make the most of your spotting scope in the field.