Sunwayfoto Leveling Base

trob_205 · Jun 29, 2018

Has anyone here played with one. Bison Tactical has them at a decent price. Wondered if they are half the product to RRS at that price or potentially a good buy. Been kinda set on universal RRS leveling base but just exploring all options. Maybe have some extra cash for a saddle or more mounts for my rifles, if it’s worth it

slkzic · Jun 30, 2018

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TheGerman · Jun 30, 2018

So what exactly is a leveling base? Is it just a lockable gimble that can interface between your tripod and head?

slkzic · Jun 30, 2018

I just ordered the Night Stalker tripod and ball head combo. Going to try it out with the included
ball head if I don't like it will upgrade to either a different ball head or a leveling base.

trob_205 · Jun 30, 2018

TheGerman said:
So what exactly is a leveling base? Is it just a lockable gimble that can interface between your tripod and head?

Use it instead of a ball head. Typically only 15 deg each way but supposed to be more stable than the standard ball head. I’m still learning but I think I’ve gotten that much so far.

Rynomar · Jul 2, 2018

I have been using one of these for a little over a year, mostly for glassing with 20x binoculars. I have been very happy with the amount of panning and tilt that the leveling head offers and don't feel like I gave up a lot going with this over the ball head for glassing. The leveling base provides all of the movement that I need and is very stable, but I am not impressed at all with the locking lever on it. I stripped out the locking knob the first week I had it and I cannot lock it tight enough to hold my rifle in position.

For glassing, I think it is decent, but I will be getting one of the RRS leveling heads as soon as funds allow.

MDT_Josh · Jul 3, 2018

I have been using one of these all season, not because it's better than the RRS, but because it's a hell of a lot cheaper and available this side of the line! So far it has worked great for me, hasn't loosened up and has worked great on some high angle shots we took at Jake's JC Steel PRS match in Colorado! You only get 15 degree or so of tilt either way our of the leveling head (more than enough for most matches IMO) but the stability over a ball head is what has me sold.

bang for the buck, I'd go with the SUNWAYFOTO, but if I had the money I would run an RRS hands down. Such is the life of being a cheap bugger lol.

trob_205 · Jul 3, 2018

MDT_Josh said:
I have been using one of these all season, not because it's better than the RRS, but because it's a hell of a lot cheaper and available this side of the line! So far it has worked great for me, hasn't loosened up and has worked great on some high angle shots we took at Jake's JC Steel PRS match in Colorado! You only get 15 degree or so of tilt either way our of the leveling head (more than enough for most matches IMO) but the stability over a ball head is what has me sold.

bang for the buck, I'd go with the SUNWAYFOTO, but if I had the money I would run an RRS hands down. Such is the life of being a cheap bugger lol.

Cool. What model of leveling base do you have?

MDT_Josh · Jul 3, 2018

trob_205 said:
Cool. What model of leveling base do you have?

The one I bought off amazon for a decent deal

https://www.amazon.com/SunwayFoto-D...9884&sr=8-1&keywords=sunwayfoto+leveling+base

trob_205 · Jul 3, 2018

MDT_Josh said:
The one I bought off amazon for a decent deal

https://www.amazon.com/SunwayFoto-D...9884&sr=8-1&keywords=sunwayfoto+leveling+base

Do the pan like RRS leveling base?

MDT_Josh · Jul 3, 2018

trob_205 said:
Do the pan like RRS leveling base?

Yes they do, however, one of the nicest things about running the RRS leveling bases is the quickness of drag feature. On the SUNWAYFOTO you have a little single-lobe knob that you can rotate ~225 degrees to fully lock and unlock the tilt/pan (however slight rotations allow you to have a little more drag), whereas on the RRS it is a conveniently placed stem that hangs underneath, allowing ~90 degrees of rotation to lock/unlock. It's really all about the little things when it comes to spending the money for the RRS gear. Again, I wish I could afford a full RRS tripod setup with leveling head because they are awesome and an industry standard, it's just not feasible for my current budget

canezach · Jul 3, 2018

Here's my only issue with the Sunway leveling base, and I'll admit I haven't used one. I have the RRS TA-U-LC on my Feisol and I can drop my rifle right into the clamp, which locks up tight. The RRS leveling base is basically one piece. The Sunway comes with what appears to be a 3/8" stud. If you want to use it for something like an MPA chassis that has the dovetail machined into the fore end, you have to attach a separate clamp. I'm not too keen on attachment points that are possible points of failure at the worst possible moments when I have a $3k+ rifle and optics combo sitting on top. Even if it doesn't fail, tightening the clamp to the stud means the clamp could come loose from the stud when I'm trying to pan with my rifle on top. Even if you use loctite, the rifle is basically acting like one big lever and you're applying significant amount of torque, depending on the tension of the leveling base. For glassing, I'd use it in a heartbeat. For rifle use, I'm not sure I'd trust it. Just something to consider.

trob_205 · Jul 3, 2018

canezach said:
Here's my only issue with the Sunway leveling base, and I'll admit I haven't used one. I have the RRS TA-U-LC on my Feisol and I can drop my rifle right into the clamp, which locks up tight. The RRS leveling base is basically one piece. The Sunway comes with what appears to be a 3/8" stud. If you want to use it for something like an MPA chassis that has the dovetail machined into the fore end, you have to attach a separate clamp. I'm not too keen on attachment points that are possible points of failure at the worst possible moments when I have a $3k+ rifle and optics combo sitting on top. Even if it doesn't fail, tightening the clamp to the stud means the clamp could come loose from the stud when I'm trying to pan with my rifle on top. Even if you use loctite, the rifle is basically acting like one big lever and you're applying significant amount of torque, depending on the tension of the leveling base. For glassing, I'd use it in a heartbeat. For rifle use, I'm not sure I'd trust it. Just something to consider.

With the tripod I have thats not an option for me and I’d have to use a RRS universal leveling base that attaches the same way as the sunwayfoto anyway.

sjbryan65 · Dec 8, 2018

trob_205 said:
Do the pan like RRS leveling base?

Do you think the 66 you bought is plenty, or go with the 90 that bison tactical sells?

trob_205 · Dec 8, 2018

sjbryan65 said:
Do you think the 66 you bought is plenty, or go with the 90 that bison tactical sells?

I like it. I have a 17.5 lbs plus ammo AX and it locks it up pretty tight. When standing, any instability I feel is coming from the tripod legs.

trob_205 · Dec 8, 2018

trob_205 said:
I like it. I have a 17.5 lbs plus ammo AX and it locks it up pretty tight. When standing, any instability I feel is coming from the tripod legs. kneeling or sitting it’s pretty damn solid.

sjbryan65 · Dec 8, 2018

trob_205 said:
I like it. I have a 17.5 lbs plus ammo AX and it locks it up pretty tight. When standing, any instability I feel is coming from the tripod legs.

What clamp did you go with?

trob_205 · Dec 9, 2018

I’m a dip shit. I have a 90. I just looked at the box it came with for clamp model number and realized it. DLC-60L
Here’s the link to what I bought.
https://www.adorama.com/sundyh9c60l.html

Trigger Monkey · Dec 9, 2018

I have the Sunwayfoto DYH-66 and it works well supporting my rifles, the heaviest is about 17 pounds and I've used it to get hits out at 800 yards without much issue, the base will support the weight no problem. If I was doing it all over again though I'd go with the DYH-90 only because the leveling bubble on the side can be removed. When I got my DYH-66 I quickly found that the integral bubble level on the side interfered with the tension knob on the clamp I ended up having to get a spacer to raise the clamp up. Eventually I just cut the bubble level off and now it's good to go.

skatz11 · Dec 9, 2018

I’m using a DYH-90 on a Slik 700 DX tripod. I found a killer deal on a used DYH-90 on Amazon. I’ve only used it a few times but it feels solid. I’m looking forward to getting more range time with this setup.

You can get put together of these setups for $225 through Amazon ($100 tripod + $125 leveling base)

I’m planning on a RRS setup eventually but this is seems like a great value to get into a shooting tripod.

sjbryan65 · Dec 9, 2018

Thanks for the info guys, going to pick up the 90B. Comes with the clamp. Should get the job done nicely on a pig0311.

JC0352 · Apr 24, 2019

Just got these in this week and can’t wait to try them out. I was fine with running my HOG Saddle direct mounted, but wanted to be able to use my cheap spotter for RO’ing off this tripod at local matches.

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