Gitzo PL5 - what is the purpose of this part ?

[stiganas]

I am the happy owner of a well used Gitzo P.L.5 head. I have no experience with this head and in general with tripod and heads so maybe this is a stupid question.

I don't know the purpose of the 2 small pieces on the handle.
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on a ebay picture it looks complete but still don't know for what is used:
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Could it be for a cable release?

The head is just for show now because I have to buy the 2 long 1/4" screws to hold the camera.

[jumanji]

I also use the same head and that's my concern too!

[neil poulsen]

It might be to hold a shutter release cable. :confused:

[John Olsen]

I have that head too, and have not seen these pieces. Beats me.

[Robert Opheim]

I have another gitzo head as well as the PL5 head. Neil Poulsen has it right. You clamp the cable release in the cylinder shaped piece with the cable release trigger resting toward the conical part. When you are ready to make an exposure you slide the conical part toward the clamped down cylinder piece and the shutter is triggered.

[stiganas]

Thank you for the info. It is all clear now. It seems that my Gitzo is very well used and this part is useless. Even more, the conical part is backward. I suppose this happened after some repair at the plastic handle.

Stefan