Tripod Mounting

[Colin Doust]

Hi

Well i am still slowly gathering the pieces and setting up my first LF kit and i am hoping to find out a couple things here.

I contacted Manfrotto to find out the dimensions of the plate in this head (http://www.manfrotto.us/standard-3-way-head) before buying one and all i got from them was notified that my inquiry was redirected.

So can anyone tell me if the plate in that head will suit the rail clamp from a Sinar F4x5 81605



Also can someone explain how to check the cameras alignment please.

Regards
Colin

[erie patsellis]

Colin, in my opinion, and many others here, you'd be better served in the long run by buying a Sinar head.

[Captain_joe6]

Colin,

a) unless a larger hexagonal plate is available for that head, it will be too small.

b) any head plate that is larger than the diameter of the base of your rail clamp will work fine. Anything smaller will not.

c) looks like you have a 1/4-20 reducer bushing in there. Get rid of it and use the raw 3/8-16 threads.

d) do whatever it takes to find a Sinar head. Best thing you could ever do.

The other thing is this: the Sinar rail clamp is essentially its own quick release. Just unscrew the knob and lift the rail and rail bushing out of the the rail clamp. Why add a failure point to an otherwise robust system by attaching the rail clamp, arguably the strongest single point of the whole system, to a quick-release plate? And as for the movements the head might provide, don't worry about them. Horizontal level can be handled via the rail clamp. Pan can be handled by loosening the clamp from the tripod legs slightly and rotating the whole assembly, and tilt can be dealt with via the movements of the camera itself for small adjustments, and by adjusting the tripod legs for larger changes. The Sinar head only has tilt and pan, and combined with the rail clamp, is rock solid.

[Colin Doust]

Ok thanks for your input.

If i was able to find a Sinar head will it fit onto any tripod or do i then need to find one that it will fit onto.


Also should i presume that as the two responses to my initial post both did not make any mention of the question on checking the cameras alignment that it is not something to worry about ?

[Frank Petronio]

Yes the Sinar head will work with any normal photo tripod, it screws onto a 3/8-16 stud like all the other brands do. The Sinar head is worth hunting for and paying a premium for although it is not a general purpose head suitable for your non-Sinar cameras except in a pinch.

And yes it functions as a quick release, I leave the camera mounting block on the head/tripod, not with the camera. Then you just pop the rail bushing into place and go.

Sometimes German eBay has more selection than the USA. Also sometimes KEH.com has them. Any era, from the green Norma to the last P2 models are the same except for cosmetics.