Is the Sinar pan/tilt head usable with a flatbed camera?

[David Lindquist]

Thanks Dave, Did it on mine and it works. On mine (black model without clutch locking handle), you only have to loosen the handle a little bit to be able to freely rotate the end cap. It was my understanding that Sinar made subtle changes in the manufacturing their equipment on a regular basis.
Greg

Oh good. I don't remember how I came to know this, I was reminded when I looked at some notes earlier today that I had made on the Sinar Pan Tilt heads a few years ago. There's certainly nothing intuitively obvious about this, not to me anyway. At one time I figured those peripheral holes were for a pin spanner but then why have six.

David

[Bernice Loui]

Locking lever position is adjustable on the ones with a series of holes drilled near the outer edge of the nut plate opposite of the locking handle.

*Loosen the locking lever until the nut plate moves away from the pan-tilt head body exposing the locating pin.

*Rotate the nut plate forward or backwards to aprox where the locking handle might be in the locked position.

*Make absolute sure the locating pin lines up with the hole on the nut plate BEFORE tightening the locking lever.

****Serious Damage WILL Occur if the locating pin is not properly located and seated with the matching hole on the nut plate.****



Repeat until the desired and functional location of the locking lever is achieved.


IMO, is one of the best camera support widgets made. Modest in weight, reliable, durable and does not slip at all and very rigid and stable once locked down. Used with a Cine-Video bowl to ease leveling of the Sinar Pan-Tilt head makes using this camera support widget easier, more efficient and stable.


Bernice

[Greg]

Checked mine (black model without clutch locking handle), there is no pin nor holes for the pin to seat into. Once the handle is loosened, the nut plate too easily rotates in either direction. Have the feeling that pin was added as a fix on later models.
Greg

[Plungefrog]

Thanks all for the replies, it looks like I will be able to use this head for my intended application. I'll be sure to check for the presence of either the repositionable handle or the pinned arrangement before purchase.

[David Lindquist]

Thank you very much Bernice for your detailed description of this procedure and in particular the caution on aligning the pins with the holes before tightening.

Wonder what's going on with your version of this head Greg. The earlier greenish-grey, (sometimes so-called Norma) version of this head had the holes and pins.

David

[ManWithManyHobbies]

Instead of starting a new thread I thought it might be appropriate to ask this question too. For starters I have the black model. How to you reverse or flip the 1/4 -20 thread IF you wanted to use it instead of the 3/8".

[Keith Pitman]

Instead of starting a new thread I thought it might be appropriate to ask this question too. For starters I have the black model. How to you reverse or flip the 1/4 -20 thread IF you wanted to use it instead of the 3/8".

Unscrew the screw from the base plate, remove nut from the 1/4 side (it has dual threads) and put it on the 3/8 side, then screw the 1/4 side onto the base plate.

[ManWithManyHobbies]

Unscrew the screw from the base plate, remove nut from the 1/4 side (it has dual threads) and put it on the 3/8 side, then screw the 1/4 side onto the base plate.

Thanks, I tried that but I wasn't able to unscrew the 3/8" (down through the bottom). It seems like it just started, maybe a half thread engagement but then wouldn't turn any further. Of course I didn't force it with pliers. That's the 1/4-20 in the pick that I want to flip.

[ManWithManyHobbies]

Keith, I got it. It was just super hard to turn. The threads in the bore are probably buggered up a touch. I'll run a tap through it and see. There's only like one and a half threads on the 1/4-20 end(meaning the 3/8 male thread).

Regards,
-JW: