I have been using a 410 for some time for LF (actually for quite some time pre-LF too ...). Never been happy with it, but never found anything better I can afford (eg. C1).
While in a store today going through a bunch of heads, I noticed theirs was considerably easier to adjust than mine. That would sure take care of one of the problems I have had with mine. Does anyone know of maintenance procedures for one? I certainly don't want to send it off, and am reasonably mechanically adept.
Paul, Did you try to turn the locking ring inside the adjusting screws? If you turn them clockwise they release the fine adjuster for more course adjustments. If these screws are turned to much counter clockwise they will make the adjusting screws go real tight. Hope you know what i am trying to say.
jan
i recently bought a 410 that was very used from another photographer for very cheap. it seemed very loose at some points and very tight at others. it is fixable though. if you dig under the circular stickers on the sides there is a allen bolt. if you undo this bolt the top comes and if you twist the quick release for the gear the whole gear will just fall out. i bet if you look you will see that the worm bolt for the micro-adjust has been wearing in the same 1 or 2 inches of thread since you bought it. if you take the gear, turn it 180˚ and put it back in, you are effectively giving it brand new threads to run on. if you trust yourself to get it back together i would completely dismantle, clean and (lightly) regrease the gears.
mine works smoother than new now.
Many thanks, Jan & aek.
Jan, indeed they do get wound up when you turn them a lot, but in this case even releasing them leaves it fairly stiff.
Aek, thanks. I don't think my gears are worn (I haven't used it *that* much), but I would not be surprised at all if the grease was in poor condition; the head is quite old and has spent a fair bit of time in wildly varying climates. I'll take it a apart, give it a good clean and grease and have a go. I'll probably reverse the gears just on principle, even if they don't look too worn. I wonder if I can get replacement stickers....
My stickers were still sticky enough to reuse. Mine was more like a thin foil plate than a plastic sticker.
Who services these heads ?
I have one, and the level has dried up. It has also gotten stiff over time. I'd like to send it for a CLA.
Bogen USA still lists the item as "3275" under their "Standard Repair Pricing," not 410.
http://www.bogenimaging.us/Jahia/sit...n_US/pid/14128
Service cost is $84.70 for a "Standard Repair" defined here: http://www.bogenimaging.us/Jahia/sit...n_US/pid/14095
Drew
https://www.flickr.com/photos/drew_saunders/
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