O'Connor Model C?

T

timmygyu

New member
Hi,

Has anyone here ever heard of or used the O'Connor Model C fluid head? It's definitely an oldie, but I think it's along the same line as the Model 30, or the 50d, but for smaller cameras. I'm sure it can't compare to the modern O'Connors(or can it?), but I imagine it would be better than a cheap Manfrotto. If anyone with any knowledge of this head could chime in, I would be eternally grateful. Well, semi-eternally anyway.

Thanks
Tim Hamilton
 
I'm not sure about that particular model, but the problem I had with a similar O'Conner head, (meant for heavy film cameras) was that the tension spring on the tilt was so stiff that a light camera couldn't put enough pressure on it to get smooth tilting once you get angled off center. Boy is the pan smooth though!
I tried to remove the spring but couldn't figure it out without having all the fluid leak out. I'm very unhappy with the cheapo manfrotto head so I might have to put some weights on that thing after all.

Hope this helps.
 
It is rated for cameras up to 15 lbs so the springs shouldn't be too stiff. It is an improvement over Manfrotto. The O'Connor's where built like tanks and smooth.
 
Tim Joy:

Yeah, I've heard of that problem. I'm using an hv40 right now, which weighs very little indeed. I figure once it's fully accessorized--lenses, mic, bigger battery, monitor, rails, etc.--it'll weigh somewhere between 5 to 7 pounds.

I'd pretty much ruled out the model 50 and 30, but this model C is supposed to only weigh 5 pounds, which makes it a good bit smaller than either of those two. Also, I wouldn't mind putting a little extra weight on there, say 5 or 6 pounds, assuming it's for a 10 to 20 pound camera.

The one nice thing about the older O'Connors is that, to some degree, they are self-serviceable. Have you ever read John Beale's article about reconditioning an old model 30? It's very instructive and useful, especially in regards to his source for refill fluid. I put the link below.

www.bealecorner.org/fx1/OConnor30/index.htm

phudsontx:

I read somewhere that it supported between 10 and 20 pounds, though I forget exactly where. Thanks for the confirmation. Strange how these old O'Connor heads, which were once such a mainstay of the industry, are now next to impossible to find out about. Someone should create an in depth wiki about these tripods.

Thanks for the input,
Tim
 
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