Stability of ULF camera on Reis tripod/head

Finally got my 12X20 camera from Wisner about 2 months ago, and have run ca 75 sheets thru it, mostly for Pt/Pd. Everything seems to be working fine, except that the camera rotates freely on the A250 Reis head, despite my best efforts to lock it down. I'm using a 3/8" screw, but there is so little resistance to rotation of the camera, even when I screw it in as tightly as I am able, that inserting a filmholder nearly always results in some movement unless EXTREME care is taken. Thus, where exact framing is important, I lose a % of images (painful to throw away a sheet of 12X20: that's 4-5 rolls of 35 mm film, or half a box of 4X5, gone up in smoke!) I'd like to shoot a few verticals occasionally as well, and I will leave you to guess how this has been going with this much play between camera and head! There must be some sort of rubber grip I can use to prevent this, as a number of quick release attachments come with out of the box. What's my best bet to stabilize this 25 pounder?

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Thanks as always,

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Nathan

Why not use two tripods...the 2nd can be rigged underneath the area

of the lens to both support that area better and prevent the 12x20

from spinning while loading or dipping with long exposures. I need

to always do this on my 12x20 Korona. Nathan , how do you like your

Wisner anyway? I've often thought of getting a 6x10 from him. Same

neat proportions as your big boy!

In order to prevent rotation on the head, you might try attaching

some material to the top of your Ries head so as to increase

friction with the bottom of the camera. What I did was to find

some thin leather and glue it to the top of my J250, suede side

up. This has pretty effectively kept my 8x10 from rotating when I

don't want it to. You could try something similar with your A250.

Aside from leather, a couple of other matierals come to mind.

You might try rubber cut from a large innertube, or possibly sheet

latex (avaiable from www.smallparts.com). The most extreme,

though possibly the most effective, solution to this problem I've

heard would be to glue carborundum paper, abrasive side up,

on your tripod head. Your camera wouldn't rotate, but then I

doubt you want to scratch the hell out of the bottom of your

camera. There are a number of rubber materials available that

are very "sticky," such as the rubber used for the soles of

climbing shoes. If you could find a source for that kind of rubber,

it might be ideal. You might actually try manufacturers of

climbing shoes (eg La Sportiva) to see if you could fenagle a 6"

square for your tripod head. Good luck. Let us know what

solution works for you.

An Answer and a SPECIAL NOTICE.

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That is a good idea, In the hardware stores there is a rubber mat

that looks like it is woven and is thin,about 1/16th", It is used to

hold wood by friction when a router is being used . the wood does not

slip. you may want to try that.

The idea of two tripods is good but maybe just attatching a strut

from one of the tripod legs to the focusing bed would do the same. I

am doing that for the long extentions on my F2 8x10. I use a monopod

and I rigged a clamp for the bottom so it clamps to one tripod leg. I

use a very strong box sectioned surveyors tripod.

I found that increasing he size of the tripod head made a big

difference in rotational stability. My favourite head is now the 4x6"

majestic. Of course you could just write to Ron W and ask him why he

didn't put two holes in the bottom so you could put two screws in.

But canyou put in both a 3/8th and a 1/4? I did that in my 8x10

traditional to kep it steady.

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ANOTHER POINT!!!!!

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I had to make adaptors to use the Wisner boards on the Sinar. In

doing that I took parts from another Wisner adaptor {Linhof to

Wisner} I was jsut shocked to find that the screws that held my heavy

and expensive lenses were tiny tiny brass self tapping!!! So I went

down to the hobbie shop and got some stainless steel screws of the

same diameter but longer, these were in the fling model airplane

section. I then replaced the tiny tiny screws with the much much

stronger and longer stainless steel screws. I spent abot tow bucks

for this piece of mind. I want you to do the same, don't even think

you should not. I replaced the two scres ws on the bottom btrss strip

and the two in the top diagionally sliding brass strip that hlds ALL

THE WEIGHT of the lenses. Whenyou take that one ut you will be amazed

that barely two treads hold the lense in place. If you were smarter

thn me you would want to use a fine stainless steel throught bolt

with double lock washers on these four screws!!!

Tiltall tripods have a soft ruberized cushion on the head which can

be purchased individually from B&H for a couple of bucks.

I have the Ries A250, your local hardware store(Home Depot etc.)

will have 5" and 6" sandpaper in circular disks which are designed for

random orbit sanders, and I think these could address your problem.

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You could attach this sandpaper to the bottom of your camera with

doublestick tape(adhesive on both sides) so the the backing side is

facing your camera, and the sandpaper side is facing the Ries head,

and since this sandpaper comes in a number of grits, you have a

selection to go through to find a disk that works.

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You gotta A250 then you know the sandpaper isn't going to hurt

the head which is built like a tank, and once you fasten the camera

down with the sanding disk attached, I don't believe your camera will

be going anywhere!

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Let me know if you try it, Double stick tape sticks like glue,

but is removable, which is why you might try it.

I don't have anything that big, but a thin piece of rubber works very

well here. It does not have to be glued down either, because of

its "stickiness". Rubber "wants" to hold on. That's all you need.

The glue just ensures you won't lose it. Try a few thicknesses. You

want it thick enough to last a while but thin enough that the tripod

screw can still reach the camera. Sandpaper works well too, but being

a klutz, there was a risk of getting "knuckle blood" on something.

That's my studied and highly scientific answer :)

The problem is that the Ries head is machined flat and needs a

perfectly planar mounting plate on the camera, or some padding to

compensate for a convex or concave surface on the camera. DO NOT USE

SANDPAPER! The grit will act like ball bearings.

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I use gaffer tape on the bottom of the camera. You could put the tape

on the tripod head surface instead. Either will work like a charm.

As for the second tripod/monopod bracket, Manfrotto (Bogen?) makes a

ready made device like this. Can't remember the number, but try the

Luminous Landscape site (www.luminouslandscape.com). I think that's

where I saw it.

Carl.....I've never heard of that happening, the grit on sandpaper

are shaped like 'chips' they not round, and it only happens if the

surface and sandpaper are wet. If the surface of the Ries is dry,

that shouldn't happen.

Hi.

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A good source of rubber interface pad is the flat rubber jar openers

that hardware stores sell or in my case, my realtor gave me as a

freebee. They're about 4 inches in diameter and about a 16th inch

thick and have a pattern cast in the surface. If you epoxie this stuff

to the top of your tripod it grips the bottom of the camera real good.

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HJ

THE solution to this problem is rubber impregnated cork

gasketing from http://www.mcmaster.com/. Use contact cement

to hold it to the head. I shoot a 12x20 Canham on a Ries tripod.

I have a bunch of this material and will send you a piece for the

cost of shipping.

John Richardson