Stability on tripod head

[DrPablo]

I know this has been asked many ways, but I can't seem to find the answer I need.

I have a massive Bogen/Manfrotto tripod that could probably hold up a car. It takes the large hexagonal quick release plates.

The problem with my 4x5 Cambo Legend and equally heavy 8x10 Agfa is that the slightest perturbation causes the camera to pivot about the quick release plate. No amount of tightening can prevent it.

I think the only way to avoid it would be with a tripod head or quick-release mechanism that affixes to the camera in two separate places. But with a single screw being the only point of contact, it's just too easy for the camera to swivel and rotate around.

I can't find anything that seems to address this problem.

[Walter Calahan]

I avoid quick release plates all together above medium format. I'm not moving fast with 4x5 or above.

That said, have you should looked at Really Right Stuff? Perhaps they make a plate that will work with your plans? http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/index.html

[Gordon Moat]

Do you have the hex plates with the small screws in the base? All the ones I have include two or three recessed screws, which can be turned with a small flathead screwdriver. What I do is tighten these after tightening the centre 1/4-20 screw. On my Shen-Hao, only two of those small screws contact the metal tripod mount plate on the camera, though these are enough to prevent the swivelling you describe. The downside is that you must loosen those any time you want to remove the hex plate from the camera.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Ed Richards]

I finally gave up on the hex plates and got a different head. If you want to use them, I think the best bet would be drill a second 3/8 hole near the edge of the plate and tap a matching hole into the camera baseplate so you can really tie the hex plate to the camera.

Bogen does make a large, square camera plate that goes in the same clamp as the hex plates. My bet is that would let you keep it from shifting.

[Jack Flesher]

Frankly, this is a problem with the Bogen plates in general and is why I moved to Arca style plates and clamps a long time ago. You can find Arca QR plates made by Really Right Stuff or Kirk that fit exactly to many cameras (and lenses). These two companies and Wimberley also offer longer plates that allow multiple screw points to attach to the base of larger cameras. Both of these solutions for different cameras have worked very well for me. Of course if you shoot an Arca camera, then the standard base is already machined for the Arca clamp

Cheers,

[reellis67]

My cameras are made of wood, so I used the other holes in the release plate to stop the rotation problem. I drilled two small holes through the baseboard and then slipped machine screws through them and through the extra holes in the release plate. I used washers under the screw heads and above the nuts for added piece of mind and to prevent scarring of the wood. I have not had any problems since doing this with either 4x5 or 8x10, and as an added bonus, I no longer worry about the tripod mount breaking and dropping my camera.

- Randy

[Greg Dejanovic]

Bogen does make a large, square camera plate that goes in the same clamp as the hex plates. My bet is that would let you keep it from shifting.

I use a 4"X4" Bogen plate that fits into a hexagon quick release. It works 90% of the time and usually is my fault that camera pivots around the screw.( I have 14lbs C1)

Cheers Greg

[George E. Sheils]

Dr P,

Don't jettison your Bogen / Manfrotto until you have replaced the q/r plate with one of their anti-twist versions!

I have just ordered a q/r plate (code 030HAS in the UK) for an old MF136 Fluid Tripod Head which can be screwed to the baseplate of a Hasselblad (tightly with a screwdriver) rather than the admittedly poor original RC0 quick release plates which just have a screw which you turn by hand and which never seem to get tight enough not to twist. They do similar plates for other cameras which have a raised edge on one side to prevent twisting.

Resist the potentially very expensive move to RRS or any of that gear.

[JW Dewdney]

I have a massive Bogen/Manfrotto tripod that could probably hold up a car. It takes the large hexagonal quick release plates.

The problem with my 4x5 Cambo Legend and equally heavy 8x10 Agfa is that the slightest perturbation causes the camera to pivot about the quick release plate. No amount of tightening can prevent it.

I have two things to say about this... they're just suggestions... so you don't have to take them at face value...

why on earth are you using a quick release plate? It seems like a pretty good way to ensure that you DON'T get stability - you're supporting your camera on a spring (talking about the spring that pushes the q-r lever into place. It's the ONLY thing that's holding your camera in place.

I briefly tried a large manfrotto, many many years ago - also had the Q-R plate on it. I came to the conclusion that they make great small tripods... but that they use small tripod parts to make their big ones. I didn't find them very stable... I thought they were a bit 'rickety'. I'd much sooner go with a Gitzo 5.

Another thing influencing my opinions on the Manfrotto quick releases... I lost my first camera, an arca swiss (very light weight camera!) over the side of a building by trying to shoot down (that's when I started thinking seriously about NOT using a quick release plate!). So watch out!

[Henry Ambrose]

Go back and read what Gordon wrote about the plates with the little screws. Your camera will not come loose. Even a huge Calumet C1 8x10 can be adequately subdued by one of these.