Toyo monorail mounting, why freeplay?

[jvuokko]

Hi,

What is the purpose of freeplay in the old Toyo monorail (d45m) camera's tripod mount?

Is it to allow some horisontal corrections without touching the tripod's head?

Personally I don't like this, because I have every time align monorail + camera with the tripod. Actually it's quite annoying and I don't see any benefits of this kind of mounting. The same rotation can be done either with tripod head's tilt or by rotating GG.

Here's some photographs that explains perhaps better. First photographs shows the shape of the groove. It's has wedge shape.
Second shows monorail attached, there's free space in both sides of the track.
Third shows how the monorail can be rotated some degrees (horizontally).

[Gem Singer]

This is how Toyo explains it in their instruction books:

"The keyway in the tripod mounting lock allows the camera to rotate 10 degrees on the monorail to compensate for unevenness of the tripod and to help bring the horizon to the level point".

[Archphoto]

There is a way around this: just glue some cork at the arrow, the bottom of the mount and you are rid of the play.

Peter

[jvuokko]

Thank you

Have to find manual, perhaps it has some other explanations too.
The idea of glueing some cork is good.

[jwaddison]

I have the same setup and never found it a problem. Can't you just tighten it more?

[jvuokko]

I have the same setup and never found it a problem. Can't you just tighten it more?

Yes, I can tighten. The annoying part is that when I set up tripod, level it... Then I mount camera and have again level the camera. Kind a double work.

Have to say that if my tripod's head would not have good buble levels, then I would level the camera propably often using the freeplay.

[raucousimages]

It comes in handy in the studio when using a studio camera stand instead of a tripod. Some camera stand heads didn't have left-right tilt only forward-back tilt. So you use the movement in the rail to get the camera vertical. If you are using it on a tripod it is one more thing to mess with but a lifesaver on some studio camera stands.