How to replace tripod mount?

ryan brown

ryan brown

lOwEr CaSe Member
It broke, and I got a new one shipped to me... but now I can't see how to get in there and replace it. The only way I see is to take the whole damn underbody apart! That's kinda scary...

anyone done this before?
 
It's no big deal... first you need a mini-screwdriver set... like eyeglass repair type. You can get a set like this for .87 at WalMart (yeah, eightyseven cents)...

Remove the bottom "skid plate" which is held at 4 corners with the tiny philips screws. That bottom plate is nothing more then the thin piece of plastic that it appears to be. Once that plate is off you will see another screw holding the little mount piece like the new one that was sent to you... I can't remember now if it was an allen screw or whatever... but honestly it's NO BIG DEAL... don't overthink it. I know it's intimidating to do "surgery" on your prized possession... but you can handle it... this whole job will take you about 10 minutes at the very most.

If you have any problem send me a PM and I'll take mine apart to walk you through it. I was on a shoot a year ago and mine broke while trying to get my cam on a monopod that had the combo 3/8 and 1/4 screw mount... like Bogen/Manfrotto uses... I ordered the tiny part and when it finally came I did the job in no time flat.

No sweat my brother. Mainly just don't be an idiot and overtighten the screws when you put it back together... with stuff like this that's usually the biggest risk... is hamfisting the thing back together.
 
I got a PM from another member last night with detailed instructions and got it fixed. It wasn't bad at all... but I was a still a little worried.

MattinSTL, thanks for the advice. The way you described it is exactly how it went, and it went smoothly.

Must be more careful with monopods from now on. Argggg!


p.s. these boards kick arse.
 
Just out of curiosity, where did you order the spare part from, and how much was it? Did it take long to ship? I'm thinking of ordering a spare for myself to keep with me in my kit in case it breaks on location.
 
PDX_DVX said:
Just out of curiosity, where did you order the spare part from, and how much was it? Did it take long to ship? I'm thinking of ordering a spare for myself to keep with me in my kit in case it breaks on location.
Click to expand...

From Panasonic : Call 1-800-833-9626 and order part number "VMD3345", for $11.57.

From another company that ships quicker:

Andrew Hoffman
Senior Operations Manager
Specialized Communications Corp.
20940 Twin Springs Dr.
Smithsburg, MD 21783-1510 USA
800-359-1858
Fax: 301-790-0173
$11.57
 
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