gitzo tripod head 3/8" or 1/4"?

bugbear wrote:

> Assuming I don't want an auxilliary Q/R system,
> my questions remains - is this tripod/head
> directly usable (and how...) with a camera
> with a 1/4" mount?

Of course it's usable...put the stud through the head with the 1/4"
portion up, extend it appropriately, screw on the camera and lock it
in that position with the knurled plastic knob on the stud below the
head.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

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dadiOH wrote:
> bugbear wrote:
>
>
>>Assuming I don't want an auxilliary Q/R system,
>>my questions remains - is this tripod/head
>>directly usable (and how...) with a camera
>>with a 1/4" mount?
>
>
> Of course it's usable...put the stud through the head with the 1/4"
> portion up, extend it appropriately, screw on the camera and lock it
> in that position with the knurled plastic knob on the stud below the
> head.

Doesn't work - the bolt is threaded-and-screwed through the
plate. So as I rotate the bolt to turn the 1/4" portion
of the the thread into the camera, the bolt will
be extending itself from the plate,
so the camera to plate distance stays roughly
constant - the camera isn't pulled down onto the
plate.

BugBear

David J. Littleboy wrote:
> "bugbear" <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>
>>The head plate has multiple drillings that
>>are all tapped for 3/8".
>>
>>The camera fixing bolt is mainly 3/8", with a short
>>section of 1/4" at one end.
>
>
> Dumb question: What happens when you put the bolt through the head with the
> 1/4" end sticking up?

I can't turn the bolt to secure the camera,
since the 3/8" thread in the plate means
the bolt moves upwards w.r.t. plate
more or less as fast as the 1/4" thread moves
into the camera.

> Another dumb idea: chuck the head (it looks as though it's nicely made (the
> markings on the base are really pretty) but it's probably pretty poor as a
> head)

It appears that it's an earlier version of a 158 dollar head:

http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/c..._detail&p=1736

> and buy the smallest RRS head. I have one, and it's quite nice. You'll
> need a plate (since it comes with a Q/R clamp) for each of your cameras,
> though.

BugBear

Chris Loffredo wrote:
> It looks like the classic "Reporter" model: I have two of them (in
> separate locations).

Excellent. I have a name to google with.

>
> You use the screw for different sizes simply by turning it over.

But the bolt is threaded (and hence "captive") in the plate.

If it just passed though a hole in the plate, I would
understand.

My thoughts on a "fix" involves simply drilling
out the hole, so the 3/8 bolt simply clears
(so the 3/8 bolt has fere travel through the plate)

I could then fix the 1/4" end into my camera, and pull
the camera down on to the plate using the large plastic
nut.

But I just keep thinking I shouldn't have to...

BTW, the camera that will go on this (in the short
term) is a tiny light Canon A60, but I also
use a Canon A510.

Both digital compacts

BugBear

You have two options. They are not real great, but they're basically
free -- so you can't beat that.

1. You could drill out the threads so you just slide the rod through
the hole and thread into the camera. Then tighten with the know.

2. Put the camera on the heat slightly ajar and hold it into position.
Thread the rod through the mount and into the camera. Then when
you've got the threads into the camera, tighten down with the know.
Then rotate the camera to do the final tightening. There are two
issues here. First, it'll take a little playing with to get it tight
enough and still straight. Second. make sure you don't over do it and
drive the rod into the camera.

I suppose you could also grind the threads off the rod. But that
doesn't sound to exciting.

Finally, you could always hold the camera in place with duct tape )

Good luck with it.

bugbear wrote:
> Dear all;
>
> I recently lucked into a small Gitzo tripod
> at a car boot sale.
>
> It was cheap enough that I took a risk...
>
> The head plate has multiple drillings that
> are all tapped for 3/8".
>
> The camera fixing bolt is mainly 3/8", with a short
> section of 1/4" at one end.
>
> I believe 3/8" is the size of fixing used for larger
> cameras, even though the tripod is quite small.
>
> Here are a coupla' photos.
>
> http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...gitzo_main.jpg
> http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...gitzo_head.jpg
>
> Can anyone tell me how I fix a "normal" camera with a 1/4" socket
> onto this head? Do I need an adapter of some kind?
>
> And (secondarily) can anyone ID the tripod as a whole?
>
> BugBear

On Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:19:58 +0100, bugbear
<bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:

>
>I can't turn the bolt to secure the camera,
>since the 3/8" thread in the plate means
>the bolt moves upwards w.r.t. plate
>more or less as fast as the 1/4" thread moves
>into the camera.
>

I would screw the bolt into the plate until just the 1/4" piece is
sticking up. Then lock it with the knob from below. Then screw the
camera onto the bolt until snug, adjusting the amount of the bolt that
is sticking up as necessary by loosening the knob slightly.

I was also terrible at 3-D mechanical drawing.

Cheers,
DuncanC

"bugbear" <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote

> Here are a coupla' photos.
>
> http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...gitzo_main.jpg
> http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...gitzo_head.jpg
>
> Can anyone tell me how I fix a "normal" camera with a 1/4" socket
> [the plate is threaded for a 3/8" bolt?]

Well, the first thing is to throw whole head thing into the dustbin and get
the head and quick release plate _I_ use, I wouldn't use anything
other than the best so you can take my recommendation as gospel.
I recommend the PermaJam head and the SlipsOff QR plate. Last
week I recommended the BalloWax head and the ThreadStrppr plate but
that was before no.one@no.where set me straight and I now do what
he tells me to do and so should you.

ObSmileyOff

I think you have a non-standard bolt for the head.

http://www.saeki.co.kr/shop/shop_01_...code=UE0010016

is what the Gitzo bolt looks like. The threads in the plate only go
part way [or should] and the end set of 3/8 threads are threaded
past the plate threads. The bolt is then free with the smooth
unthreaded portion of the bolt going through the plate. The knob
is threaded to the bolt at the knurled head-end of the bolt.

The bolt is screwed into the camera and then the plastic knob
is turned to pull the bolt down into the head to clamp the camera
in place.

Gitzo sells replacement bolts/knobs/assemblies. For the mean-time
try a long-ish 1/4-20 bolt from the ironmonger.

I would wager you are number NNN in a long line of folks who have
bought that tripod, scratched their head mightily and sold it off.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation
http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:
>
> Well, the first thing is to throw whole head thing into the dustbin and get
> the head and quick release plate _I_ use, I wouldn't use anything
> other than the best so you can take my recommendation as gospel.
> I recommend the PermaJam head and the SlipsOff QR plate. Last
> week I recommended the BalloWax head and the ThreadStrppr plate but
> that was before no.one@no.where set me straight and I now do what
> he tells me to do and so should you.
>
> ObSmileyOff

(nice!)


> I think you have a non-standard bolt for the head.

(a friend looking over my shoulder has also
pointed out that while the head locking knobs are black
plastic, the plate locking knob is gray - perhaps
another non-original part?)

> http://www.saeki.co.kr/shop/shop_01_...code=UE0010016
>
> is what the Gitzo bolt looks like. The threads in the plate only go
> part way [or should] and the end set of 3/8 threads are threaded
> past the plate threads. The bolt is then free with the smooth
> unthreaded portion of the bolt going through the plate. The knob
> is threaded to the bolt at the knurled head-end of the bolt.
>
> The bolt is screwed into the camera and then the plastic knob
> is turned to pull the bolt down into the head to clamp the camera
> in place.
>
> Gitzo sells replacement bolts/knobs/assemblies. For the mean-time
> try a long-ish 1/4-20 bolt from the ironmonger.
>
> I would wager you are number NNN in a long line of folks who have
> bought that tripod, scratched their head mightily and sold it off.

That is excellent information. I suspect I can make such a bolt,
and it clearly solves the problem.

I don't think it's the whole answer to the question though,
since it doesn't explain why the plate is threaded.

Perhaps it's multi-functional?

But - yes - I think you've cracked it!

BugBear

"bugbear" <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote in message
news:450560cf$0$3589$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> dadiOH wrote:
>> bugbear wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Assuming I don't want an auxilliary Q/R system,
>>>my questions remains - is this tripod/head
>>>directly usable (and how...) with a camera
>>>with a 1/4" mount?
>>
>> Of course it's usable...put the stud through the head with the 1/4"
>> portion up, extend it appropriately, screw on the camera and lock it
>> in that position with the knurled plastic knob on the stud below the
>> head.
>
> Doesn't work - the bolt is threaded-and-screwed through the
> plate. So as I rotate the bolt to turn the 1/4" portion
> of the the thread into the camera, the bolt will
> be extending itself from the plate,
> so the camera to plate distance stays roughly
> constant - the camera isn't pulled down onto the
> plate.

OK. First point - it is the tripod head with which you have difficulty, not
the tripod itself. (The tripod also has the threaded 3/8" bolt with a 1/4"
thread on one end.) Correct?

Second point - DadiOH has the right solution. Your image of the head shows
three items: the head, the stud, and a "wheel" with a threaded (3/8", isn't
it?) hole in the center. Screw the stud, 1/4" portion up, into the tripod
head "appropriately"...one way is to measure the depth of the tripod
receptacles of both cameras and use the shorter depth of the two. Then
screw in this "wheel" from *under* the tripod head until it snugly fits
against the underside of that tripod head. You will find that the stud is
held fast and will not move. Then rotate your camera snugly onto the 1/4"
portion of the stud. If the camera does rotate under pressure (stud is not
held fast and does move), then tighten the "wheel" down more.

The point is that you don't thread the stud into the camera independent of
the tripod. You make the stud fast to the tripod such that you thread the
tripod into the camera...or thread the camera onto the tripod.

> I don't think it's the whole answer to the question though,
> since it doesn't explain why the plate is threaded.

The plate is threaded to hold the bolt captive. If the
hole in the plate was a through hole the bolt would fall
out. The top section of threads is threaded through the
plate and then the bolt is loose to slide up and down.

Other tripods place a 'C' ring around the top of the bolt
after it has been placed into the plate. However, this
keeps you from easily changing the bolt from 1/4 to 3/8.
With the Gitzo you just unscrew one and screw in the other.
The bolts used on the columns are reversible - that may
be what you have: a ground down center-post bolt.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation