Problem mounting slider to tripod

M

MattyP

Member
So a few weeks ago I got my 3ft PB Pocket Dolly. It's been sitting around while I figure out what accessories I needed to start using it.

Anyway, I purchased this 75mm half ball off B&H which I figured (from reading many posts) is what I needed to install underneath the slider directly to put onto the tripod.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/553993-REG/Manfrotto_520BALL_520BALL_75mm_Half_Ball.html

Got delivery of the product to find it doesn't fit in any of my Manfrotto tripod legs (055XB and 055XPROB).

I looked at the 75mm half ball product description and it says it's to fit a 3283 tripod. However, it seems to be a discontinued item / no longer sold.

I am now absolutely stumped at how I'm now going to whack the slider on the tripod easily. I don't want to purchase a heavy duty tripod head to put the slider onto. If I have to buy a certain tripod to use the 75mm half ball, well at least I can flog off one of my legs to help fund it.

So what are my options?


Cheers

Matt
 
That is made for tripods that has a 75mm cup, which the 055 lacks. For an 055 you'd need this instead:

http://www.manfrotto.com/product/555B

Are you mounting it in the center of one tripod, or both at each end?
If it is in the center, I'd recommend a new tripod instead. I put a Glidetrack SD on an 055 once and wouldn't do it again, it had really hard supporting it (close to tipping over most of the time). If so, you can get a nice pair of sticks from E-Image (I use their tripod legs with my Sachtler head and it works great!).
 
Hi Matt,

So first, I don't know what the mounting options of the PB slider are (Kessler's site is low on detail), but the usual thing is to have 3 sets of holes under it tapped 1/4" and 3/8". This allows you to mount the slider on one or two tripods, using a standard 1/4" tripod QR plate or direct to a 3/8" stud.

For heavier cameras, 2 tripods is definitely best (or a tripod and monopod, or light stand, or 2 sawhorses...). With a big, solid tripod head, and a not-so-heavy camera, a single mounting point can work. This is just about OK with my tripod and FS100 camera.

There are 2 types of tripod legs in this world -- those with a flat top and a 3/8" mounting stud, and those with a bowl on top. Correspondingly, there are 2 types of tripod head -- flat-bottomed and bowl mounting. There are also various sizes of bowl -- 75mm, 100mm, ... The purpose of the bowl is to allow the head to be leveled without fiddling about with the leg lengths for hours at a time. (It's a real time-saver; that's why I upgraded.)

The item you linked to is an adapter allowing a flat-based tripod head (with a 3/8" mounting hole on the bottom) to be mounted on legs with a 75mm bowl. Because the bowl allows for a certain amount of adjustment for leveling, you can put the bowl straight on the slider and mount it on your tripod, thus eliminating the head and all the play it would add to the rig -- but you need a tripod with a bowl top. Your tripod, unfortunately, has a flat top.

So, your options:
  1. Mount the slider on to your existing tripod head. However, with (I'm assuming) a pretty lightweight head on those lightweight legs, a single mounting point probably won't work without sagging for a camera with any weight at all -- so use both your tripods, one at each end. Or maybe get a cheapo monopod to provide a second mounting point.
  2. Get a set of tripod legs with a bowl top, and preferably a head of equivalent heft.
The kit I bought is this:

http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-501HDV-546BK-Video-Tripod/dp/B003FGWKJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322580044&sr=8-1

It's basically a flat-bottomed 501 head, with the bowl adapter you linked to, on a set of legs with a 75mm bowl top. The kit is bulky and heavy, but solid, and comes in a nice soft case. The price seems pretty decent for what it is.

Hope this helps!
 
If you're not panning or tilting the slider itself, mounting it is fairly simple (and it's probably best to have your best head on top of the slider, doing any camera moves while sliding). I've found, with a DSLR, rails, FF, etc, I need two tripods under the slider (my Igus is 4' though). I tapped 3/8 holes every 10" or so in the slider base, and I use a half-ball adapter on one end, and I bring my stills tripod for the other end with one of my still camera QR plates.

The cool thing with tapping holes (or any sort of multiple mounting points on a slider) is suddenly you have a kickass mounting platform. I've screwed a 2x4 onto ceiling joists and mounted the slider to it (only 2 tiny holes to fill in the drywall), bolted it to wall spreaders, bolted it to dolly platforms for low dolly shots, laid it right on the floor with sandbags holding it down (no need for a high-hat), stuck it on dairy crates, benches, etc. Even if it's not "sliding" a shot, if you can put a good fluid head on it... you can use it static for many cool angles.

With threaded 3/8 holes on the slider, I have 1/4-20 threads installed on my dolly platoform - 1/4" t-handles or thumbscrews pass through the 3/8 holes, and you can
"dog down" the slider. Very cool.
 
I skimmed the postings and don't think anyone mentioned this: Put a tripod under one end and a lighting stand will work fine for the other. For sure, you need two sources of support.

Grant
 
ggrantly said:
I skimmed the postings and don't think anyone mentioned this: Put a tripod under one end and a lighting stand will work fine for the other. For sure, you need two sources of support.
Click to expand...

I've done it, but I think maybe once... the issue being I don't have any stands quite that short (since I usually use the slider with a Manfrotto bowl adapter under a decent sized head, my lens is about 7" higher than the slider plstform...)
 
ggrantly said:
I skimmed the postings and don't think anyone mentioned this: Put a tripod under one end and a lighting stand will work fine for the other. For sure, you need two sources of support.

Grant
Click to expand...

You really don't need to support a 3' slider from both ends....
attachment.php



attachment.php

I use one tripod all the time....but I would recommend adding a few sandbags to the spreader just for safety (in case someone bangs into it).
 
ZazaCast said:
You really don't need to support a 3' slider from both ends...
Click to expand...

I find mine is just too prone to shuddering when the adapter/head/camera rig makes it top heavy. It won't do it all the time, but it blows a take pretty badly when it does - though it would be great for a sci fi flick "shields are down - incoming - BOOM"... it's a nice shudder in that sense! (My Igus is 48" though, that may be part of the problem).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top