Zeiss hit the serious-precision shooter scene hard back in 2022 with the launch of the LRP S5 riflescope. That scope represented a noble attempt for an optical company known for lenses, medical equipment, excellent binos and hunting scopes. The SR5 looked great on paper but struggled in its viability due to a series of quirks that made it a bit difficult to own and operate.
Zeiss made it right by launching the LRP S3 roughly a year later. This newer offering came with a better feature set than the S5. It was also more competitively priced without sacrificing quality.The Zeiss LRP S3 is one solid precision rifle optic. One, in fact, that I would highly recommend to anyone.
The S3 (and S5–don’t get me wrong) turned heads. And then Zeiss pulled another card by launching their LRP line of binos, the Zeiss Conquest HDX. Conquest HDX binos have 15x magnification and a reticle that matches the LPR S3 riflescope (among other features). The launch and development of these binos became more evidence that Zeiss found value in the precision shooting community.
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Zeiss subsequently launched the fantastic SFL 12x binos. 12x is the perfect magnification especially for precision shooting use. Whereas 15x is a tad much, 10x is not enough. On the other hand, 12x is just right.
Enter The Zeiss Pro Series Max Duty Tripod System
Now I stand in amazement at the launch of Zeiss’ latest precision shooting focused products: its new Pro Series Max Duty Tripod System (and kits, tripod accessories, etc).
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Yes, Zeiss. The optical glass people. This German manufacturer has fully embraced its desire to dominate specific segments in the higher echelon of precision riflery. And upon initial interaction with the Max Duty tripod system, I can tell you it’s good. Really good, actually.
I know a thing or two about tripods.
Maybe not from an engineering perspective, but most definitely from a user’s perspective.
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After starting my photography journey well over 25 years ago, I’ve owned a tripod or two (or three). I’ve handled everything. I’m no stranger to those fat, heavy-duty tripods that we had to deal with back in the day before all these carbon fiber options came to market.
Naturally, I’ve also handled several lightweight tripod variants from various brands, both big-names and the never-heard-of-ems. Let me put it this way, I’ve had and still have a sizable collection. Tripods are like wrenches to me, I’ll naturally have more than one.
Tripods Are Pillars Of Precision Shooting
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Tripods are now essential precision shooting tools. If you’re serious, tripods are a must-have item. It can and likely will pull double and triple duty especially if you commit to improving your shooting skills.
A tripod doesn’t just support the rifle itself. These gadgets support parts of the rifle at different times too. They also ease positional shooting. Not to mention, tripods hold an important role in supporting spotting scopes, binos, laser range finders and other things. And who can forget phones and cameras nowadays in the times of social media? Tripods help there too. Don’t be surprised to be looking for a second tripod after your first acquisition. There are many brands to choose from with overall quality levels and prices varying.
Quick Glance At The Zeiss Max Duty Tripod System
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The Zeiss Max Duty V and L models are built on the same basic tripod design. These models, the L and the V, vary only by the head/attachment they ship with. Zeiss Max Duty L models feature the Zeiss L-55 (low profile) head. The L-55 consists of a ballhead with more traditional pan and tilt controls. It also has a primary adjustment knob, pan adjustment control knob and a friction control knob. I found the knobs to be ergonomic, friendly and easy to use.
The Zeiss Max Duty V tripod uses the Zeiss V60 (versatile) ball head. V60s are equipped with an extendable control handle that you twist for fast adjustment of the rifle.This variant also features adjustable friction controls too. With the V60, you can adjust its head up to 115 degrees of angle. Both ball heads are machined aluminum. Both the V and L models are Arca-Swiss compatible, of course.
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A Secure Base
The tripod legs on these units themselves are something to behold. While inverted legs are not new, three-section inverted legs are. These legs measure 44, 40 and 36 mm diameter–and beefy. Yes, this means ending up with a heavier unit. But if I ain’t hunting, I don’t care. Once again, Zeiss markets these tripods to serious target or PRS competitors rather than hunters. In fact, even these tripods’ carbon-fiber material is reinforced and features a 10-layer matrix pattern for strength.
The beauty of these tripods is in their legs and deployment design. Called the FAST system, Zeiss Max Duty design inverts the legs open. They telescope downward with a single point adjustment, and true at 1/4 turn of twist. This allows them to easily fall from the apex of the tripod to the ground. It’s incredibly quick and easy.
Zeiss claims their users note 7-15 seconds faster deployment than other designs. It takes only a quarter turn off of the beefy adjustment knobs (which are more like grips) to deploy and lock back into place.
These tripods include scale references or markings so you can always achieve the correct or consistent height. There’s also press adjustment levers that let you adjust the angle of the legs to 24, 55, and 85 degrees.
Max Duty tripods feature a sturdy center column–something I find lacking in many shooting-focused tripods. You even get an adapter plate with ⅜ inch threading, just in case you don’t want to run the center column.
Panning Out
A robust design that offers excellent stability, quick deployment, complete ready to go kits and a 10 year warranty are just a few reasons to give the Zeiss Pro-Serious a hard look. The quality is excellent, with fit and finish to match what you think of when you use a Zeiss labeled product.
PS: There are other accessories to be had with the Zeiss MAX DUTY tripod kits:
- Tripod-to Binocular Adapter
- Binocular Clamp
- Rifle Saddle Clamp
- Multi-Device Rail
- Accessory Rock Bag
