what's wrong with my tripod?

B

blazingoat

Carbonite Member
I'm having a problem with my tripod plate. I bought a manfrotto 501 head and some cheapy (055 PROB) legs a few months ago. The plate that attaches to the camera has some play in it, even when the screw is COMPLETELY tightned with a screwdriver.

What's wierd is that it only starting doing this last week. I'm pretty sure that the problem is the secondary pin. (Not the one that you screw in). It doesn't seem to be holding in the hole of the DVX very well. Here's some pics of the plate mounted, and the screw totally tightened up. Note that the plate is able to very freely move.

play1.JPG

play2.JPG



This is really annoying because the camera slides around left and right when mounted to the tripod.

I tried bending the metal that holds the secondary pin in, with some pliers to make it stay in more, but that didn't help. The only solution i've found so far is to put a thin piece of cork betwenn the plate and the camera. This stops it from moving.

cork.JPG



Anyone have a similar problem? What gives?

I bought this tripod with the intention of keeping the head and selling the sticks to upgrade to some better sticks. (Anyone have any recomendations). Is the 501 head worth keeping? I'm pretty happy with it, other than the plate problem.

tripod.JPG



thanks
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

Hmmm...perhaps you might have stripped the threads on your camera or on the pin itself so it's not screwing in correctly? I have the 503 head and just looked at my plate (same plate). The registration pin (secondary pin) sticks sticks out about 4mm when in the neutral position. I don't know if that measurement might help you.

In terms of sticks I have the Manfrotto 350MV legs. Super happy with them:

http://www.barrycheong.com/gear/cam04.html

You're in Toronto right? Talk to Mike @ Image Gear for a good price on a set. (www.imagegearinc.com)
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

It looks to me that either the rubber strips on you camera
plate went off, Or the bottom of your camera is some how damaged.

Some times if you are over tightening the camera screw, The whole threaded part at the bottom of the camera can go out
and "bulge" from the flat surface. It some times happen when
a tripod falls to the ground with the camera on it...

Also check the threads both on the screw and in the camera.

The registration pin has nothing to do with it, Even when brand new there is a slight movment.

You can post small Hi Rez photos of both surfaces and I will see if anything is wrong.

Danny.
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

I have this same problem with my Davis and Sanford Tripod and plate which is identical to your plate.

I have the second plate that works fine. I think the screw is a hair too long so that it will not tighten the plate all the way down. I have ground the screw down with a dremel (less than a Milimeter) and now it is fine. Be carefull not to nick the treads!  ;D

Try it. What can it hurt?
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

Or.. insert a thin washer between the screw head and the
bottom of the plate, And try if it helps.
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

[quote author=danny link=board=Links;num=1104804134;start=0#4 date=01/04/05 at 07:46:44]Or.. insert a thin washer between the screw head and the
bottom of the plate, And try if it helps.
[/quote]
That's what I do when I have screws too long to fit the plate. Cartoni Actionpro screws are very short, so if you want use the long Bogen screws in there, you have to use a washer under the camera plate. The person who sold you the pod may have a non-standard screw. Otherwise the springloaded pin should be capable of being adjusted properly into the hole by sliding the cam plate up and down until it "snaps" in. :)
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

I recently took my camera to have the power button replaced (it fell off) Anyways, they told me when i picked it up that they replaced the tripod receptical. They said that they have been getting a lot of DVX100a's in because of stripped recepticals. They told me that it's not deep enough, and is easily stripped. So they replaced it for me before it happened to me. Could that be it?
Vince
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

I actually have an old photo tripod that has a threaded disc under the plate to adjust the length of the screw. It has come in handy more than once. If it isn't stripped, I'd try the washer idea.
 
Re: what's wrong with my tripod?

Thanks for all the posts, guys!

I've been shooting with the cork in there, and it's working okay.

I'm going to try the washer idea.
 
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