Locking Tiltall 4602 in portrait orientation

[fecaleagle]

Hi guys (and gals),

I am currently using a Marchioni Tiltall 4602 for all of my 4x5 work. I am very happy with it, but I have a question about locking the camera (a Crown Graphic) onto the rubber platform pad when the pan/tilt head is turned over to the side for portrait orientation shots. I am using the original rubber(?, looks more like leather to me) pad, and although it's not curled away from the platform and is perfectly flat, when I pull the tabs on the Graflock back away from the camera body to insert a film holder, the camera tends to rotate on the axis on which the camera screws into the column base thread. If I am very careful, I can prevent it, but I have been frustrated multiple times (setting up the camera, composing the shot, fine focusing, and then BAM!: the camera rotates as I'm loading the film holder).

I am thinking I should replace the pad with a new rubber or cork pad from the Tiltall blog, in the hopes that it will provide a better grip between the camera and the platform. Outside of that, does anybody have any tips for preventing this annoyance. The current pad is somewhat slick/firm from age...

Thanks!

[Bob Salomon]

1: get a tripod and head capable of supporting your camera.

or

2: use a camera with a revolving back

[fecaleagle]

1: get a tripod and head capable of supporting your camera.

or

2: use a camera with a revolving back

Should have seen that coming, lol. I appreciate your response, but I am not in a position to buy a new/used tripod or a different camera right now. The revolving back part reminded me that I have an additional tripod socket on the side of the camera under my hand strap... I completely forgot about that because it's hidden from view by the strap. Wow, sorry for another time-waster folks... Bob, your response was actually much more helpful than you could have imagined. *slaps forehead*

Just out of curiosity, has anybody constructed a block that would screw onto the platform and rest into the grooves on the bottom of a camera to prevent it from rotating on that one axis? Because I've experienced the same issue in landscape orientation as well, I just don't need to be as cautious to prevent it. Probably will just replace the pad and use the side tripod mount socket for portrait orientation shots. Thanks for humoring me one more time...

[cowanw]

I think you will find this is more likely to happen if the camera is mounted and tilted so that the thread unscrews forward. I think tilting to the left. If you tilt to the right the swing of the camera forward tightens the whole thing. I think this is true regardless of the capabilities of the tripod. Generally the backs are switched to landscape or portrait format with the camera straight up ish.

[Bill_1856]

I'm a great fan of the TILTALL, but suggest that flipping it onto its side isn't the right way to do portraits (except with very light cameras). Your Crown Graphic has a tripod mounting screw under the leather carrying strap for portrait orientation. Just unsnap your strap and mount it that way. It will work beautifully.

[fecaleagle]

Thanks to both Bills from another.

Bill_1856, using the side tripod mounting socket occurred to me after Bob responded and I wished I could delete the post out of embarrassment. I had honestly forgotten it was under there because the hand strap obscures it from view.

cowanw, that's a really good idea. I usually use the tripod with the lateral tilt handle oriented to the right, so tilting to the left has been the default. Thank you for pointing that out, but I think I will start by using the side tripod mounting socket, as the other Bill suggests. I'm not 100% positive which direction tightens or loosens the grip, but when I am tilted to the left in portrait orientation, I am pulling the camera up against gravity when I pull the Graflok open to load the film, and it is still rotating in the direction that I believe should be tightening it against the pad.

Regardless, this seems to be a closed case.

Thanks for all your help,
William/Bill

[John Koehrer]

drill a small hole in the top plate, tap it and install a knurled bolt/screw to act as an anti-twist lock.
You may need to grind a small point on the screw.

[lenser]

Every tripod and every head that I own (and it's several) I have replaced the manufacturer's pad material with deer skin leather using contact cement. In the dozen or so years that I've used the leather, I have yet to have to replace any and I've yet to have any camera slippage as long as I've reasonably tightened the mounting screw. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a second tripod screw hole under the leather handle on the Speed Graphic, allowing you to mount the camera in vertical orientation without changing the position of the tripod head?

[fecaleagle]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a second tripod screw hole under the leather handle on the Speed Graphic, allowing you to mount the camera in vertical orientation without changing the position of the tripod head?

Yeah, I recalled that after Bob's first response but couldn't delete the post. Bill_1856 also mentioned it. I can't believe it didn't occur to me, but with the strap in place, the tripod socket on the side is obscured from view, and I had honestly forgotten it was even there. I am going to replace the pad anyway, but using the side tripod socket should resolve the issue for me.

Thanks to John as well. I may implement something of that sort if I find I'm still having issues.

[E. von Hoegh]

I replaced the pad on my Marchioni with thick neoprene held on with Pliobond.