Locktite?

The tripod quick release plate on my d810, no matter how tightly I attach it, works loose in just a short time. Same thing happens to the Arca Swiss ball head where if attaches to the tripod.

I am afraid I will strip the tripod mount on the camera. Has anyone used blue Locktite to help secure it in place?

Blue Locktite should be OK, but isn't really designed for frequent installation/removal. I would give it a try if you don't frequently remove the plate from your camera or the ball head from your tripod. There may well be other solutions I'm not aware of that will help the screws resist loosening. Have you tried a star-type lock washer?

Try a section of bicycle inner tube (or similar) between the quick release plate and the camera body.

 

Not tried myself (I use a l-bracket that fits the camera body), but the president of my photo club swears by it on big DSLR cameras.

Ideally, a dedicate plate should fit the contour of the bottom of the camera body to prevent twisting, rather than depending on tightening the screw. How thin is a bicycle inner tube? I assume anything other than super thin maybe an issue???

Can you take a pic of the underside of the plate?

 

How thin is a bicycle inner tube?

0.5/0.75mm maybe?

Can you take a pic of the underside of the plate?

 

 

0.5/0.75mm maybe?

And can be squeezed thinner, of course. That's how it works: the elastic rubber provides friction between the parts it is sandwiched between. But also acts as a washer, pulling the screw, adding friction between screw and bushing.

the elastic rubber provides friction between the parts it is sandwiched between

Most of my QR plates are rubber coated already.....;)

 

I don't think the rubber will stop the screw unscrewing...?

 

Star washer between the underside of the plate and the plate's bolt, maybe.

Most of my QR plates are rubber coated already.....;)

 

I don't think the rubber will stop the screw unscrewing...?

 

Star washer between the underside of the plate and the plate's bolt, maybe.

Star washers work the same way: they flex when fastened and pull back on the screw, increasing friction between the thread flanges of screw and bushing. There's no reason why rubber will not work, except how soft it is. The rubber on your plates is much harder than that of an inner tube. That the rubber on your plates doesn't work, apart from preventing metal on metal scratches, says nothing about whether inner tube will work. It generally does. The suggestion made by that photo club president is a common one, because it indeed does work. Use it myself on a number of occassions.

I have used cork/rubber manifold gasket material to replace plastic tripod surfaces. It's hard but compressible due to the cork fragments. You can get it in sheets at any automotive supply store.

 

Star washers scar the surfaces, and add a significant space between the head and the tripod plate. You lose that contact which keeps the head from rocking or turning.

A neoprene jar opener, cut appropriately, should work. If the camera does not twist, the screw should not come lose.

If one is going to mount quick release plate on camera for longer time, and mounting screw tends to get loose, maybe tiny drop of soft lock glue on threads is good idea.

 

I have read of downhill ride bike inner tubes that were as thick as 1,2mm. Ordinary bike tubes are much thinner.

Thanks for all the suggestions. My plate has cork inserts and has worn smooth over time.

I am going to try the inner tube interface and see what happens--on the camera. On the tripod I am going to try some blue locktite.

I'll report back. My tripod plate is usually on the camera.

"be careful what you wish for"

 

I am always wary of witch's brews like Loctite®- Will they be more "permanent" than you really want?

"be careful what you wish for"

 

I am always wary of witch's brews like Loctite®- Will they be more "permanent" than you really want?

yes, caution for sure, that's why I am posting this. I've used blue locktite many times for various repairs and it works as advertised. Red locktite is the one that requires significant heat to break the seal. Blue, not so.

Instead of Loctite, I think i would try a little bit of teflon tape or the liquid teflon sealant. It's intended application is for sealing plumbing pipe threads. Not too much, just enough to fill the voids between the threads.

 

If you want to create tension between the plate and camera body, use a wave washer, not a lock or star washer. Wave washers are basically bent flat washers and won't scratch the base plate. However, it will still keep the quick release plate from sitting flat against the base plate which will cause other problems.

I finally had a chance to test out part of the issue.

D810 w 24-70/2.8

I changed base plates to one that had fresh rubber on it. It still could work loose. I put some blue Lock-Tite on the ball head and it stayed secure. I think I am going to try the blue locktite on it, the plate, tomorrow, and really test it with the 70-200 attached.

I think you're trying to re-invent the wheel here.

If you look at the base of your D810 you'll see a couple of small holes near the tripod Bush. These are for securing pins to prevent rotation of the camera while mounted to a plate. So all that's needed is to modify the QR plate by drilling and tapping it to take a small anti-rotation screw in the right place. Much neater and more convenient in the long run than Loktite.

I finally had a chance to test out part of the issue.

D810 w 24-70/2.8

I changed base plates to one that had fresh rubber on it. It still could work loose. I put some blue Lock-Tite on the ball head and it stayed secure. I think I am going to try the blue locktite on it, the plate, tomorrow, and really test it with the 70-200 attached.

Sounds as if you put a lot of rotational power on those baseplates, is the friction on your ballhead that tight that the power is on your baseplates and balklhead socket?

Sounds as if you put a lot of rotational power on those baseplates, is the friction on your ballhead that tight that the power is on your baseplates and balklhead socket?

I don't believe I did screw either down overly tight, but I had to tighten it enough to keep from moving. It would still work loose relatively quickly while working ( if I am reading your comment correctly?).

I tried to avoid really cranking it tight because I was afraid of stripping something.

I think it could be related to the tripod, a Benro Tripster-a light tripod. I have not noticed the problem on my larger tripod, a much heavier Bogen, though I do not use them for the same type work, but do use the same camera lens setup.

The ball head itself stays tight, it was the mounting to the Tripster that worked loose.

I may be asking the Tripster to do too much to hold a Nikon d810 with the 24-70/2.8, a heavy combo, and I did carry the camera/tripod as a unit when in the field.

So far, the locktite solution is successfully addressing the issue.

I think you're trying to re-invent the wheel here.

If you look at the base of your D810 you'll see a couple of small holes near the tripod Bush. These are for securing pins to prevent rotation of the camera while mounted to a plate. So all that's needed is to modify the QR plate by drilling and tapping it to take a small anti-rotation screw in the right place. Much neater and more convenient in the long run than Loktite.

I do not see the described holes in the footprint of the QR plate. There are a couple of holes > 1" away from the QR plate near the edges of the body~~ <1/8" diameter, but nothing under the QR plate, or near the female bushing. Maybe the bodies changed? Or if you have a picture?

 

Thanks to all for the responses, appreciated. I have removed and re-attached the QR plate a number of times now, and the single app of locktite seems to be working, no mess, and the feel of the tightening is better.

Look at the underside of your camera body......:)

 

Those are the anti-rotate 'holes'...

If you go the Loctite route, there is a product called Guntite designed to be secure but removable for sights on firearms.

May be this will end the agony?

 

The original Arca Swiss camera plate DID/DOES rotate occasionally because it has no flange/lip on its rear edge . Every inexpensive Chinese arca swiss clamp and all China-made ball heads come with flat (no rear lip)plates, which can rotate. The rear lip was devised by the founder of Really Right Stuff and he called it 'anti-rotation elevated edge plate' specifically for the rotation problem described. They are all arca-swiss style. The original design ( I still have that plate) was a 'universal' pattern that worked on most cameras, attaching via the tripod bush. He soon recognized that there was a demand for plates designed for specific cameras, which is what is now offered by RRS, Kirk, others. The "L" plate (with rear anti rotation lip) is also made for different camera bodies. I have anti rotation plates for every camera and large lens ( with a mounting attachment). Before I discovered RRS, I DID utilize very thin rubber under my flat plate to prevent rotation; it worked most of the time but the anti-rotation plates solved it permanently.

 

Stan

If your plate continues to twist and turn despite all efforts, take a look at the Peak Design Plate. It stays light and thin under the camera. I had been using L-brackets but decided I don't need it now as I mostly shoot landscape format, and a horizontal can crop to vertical if needed.