Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]George Lottermoser <imagist@concentric.net> asked: >Are you having these difficulties with the Leitz Table Top Tripod and the Leitz Ball Head or some other brand? Your description seems so far afield from my experience. Both are new Leica (not Leitz) items - which probably explains why a bit fell off the B&S head when it was unpacked on Xmas morning (grin). While John Collier <jbcollier@home.com> provided the suggestion: >As to your problem with the camera slipping on the head, I loosely screw on the head, lock the body of the tripod head at 90 degrees (parallel to the camera body) and use that as a "lever" to tighten on the head. Thanks for the ‘Tripods 101’ lesson John - it sounds like a good idea, and I’ll give it a try. Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com> commented that: >I've had a very different experience...The ball is solid as a rock when tightened down. >Some people don't like the fact the there is no friction in the ball head, that it's either locked or loose. I'm one of those people who prefers it that way. No Arca-Swiss friction for this guy. The ball indeed locks solid - that’s not the problem. But when it’s free, I’ve got the weight of a Leicaflex flopping around. Instead of feeling like the camera is mounted on a tripod, it feels like the tripod is an appendage of the camera. (It’s like the joke about the guy who fitted a Noctilux to his CL - when he tried to focus, the camera turned!). I’m worried that one fumble could result in a crash. I think I’ll look for a small B&S with adjustable friction in the hopes that I can get into a situation where the tripod is always supporting the camera while the ball is free. That way I could move the camera against the friction until it’s in the right location, then lock the ball. Is that how the ‘Arca-Swiss’ works? Regards, Doug Richardson