Stabilizing 4x5 on my tripod

I just bought a new 4x5 (Cambo 45NX) after renting a horseman. The

camera works great, but I'm having a little problem with the camrea

moving on the tripod quick-release plate. The area on the 45NX were

the tripod attaches is relatively small (about 1 1/2 inches square)

and only convers a small part of the rubber on the bogen quickrelease

plate, so much of any force will cause the rubber to flex an allow the

camera to move or vibrate. I've tightened the locking ring as far as

I dare (don't want to strip anything out).

 

I gues if the rubber was harder, or non existant and a thin layer of

something grippy was over the metal on the quick release plate it

might help. So before I try anything like taking the rubber out

entirely, I was wondering if anyone here had any ideas, or experience

with this (or a similar) problem. Thanks very much.

 

Peter

I don't use a quick plate on my tripod head, but one thing I've found is necessary with large format camera is extra 1/2 twist of the camera on the mounting bolt. Because the cameras are large, and your constantly doing swings and tilts that build up torque, you really have to over tighten your camera for it to stay in place. So what you do is this: when you tighten the mounting bolt, have the monorail pointed at the 10'oclock position- then once it fully tightened, mount the quick release plate onto the head, and give the monorail another turn to the normal 12'oclock position. I know this goes against the typical advice not to overtight tripod bolts, but I find that this extra 1/2 turn gives the extra tightness necessary to do swings without the camera yawing to the side.

Hi Peter

I have found that those thin rubber pads used to open jars and things work really well. When I have to use my quick release heads, I always have at least one that is the size of the plate. It doubles as protection for my Wisner.

Good Light

Peter

 

Which Head. I have same camera, I use a bogen tripod model #3221WN with a bogen head model #3030. Some might consider it a tad light for the Cambo 45NX but it works good so far. I am new to 4 x 5 myself. The quickrelease plate needs to be good and tight or it will move around a bit. But don't tighten it to the point of breaking.

 

Terry

I have used a 45NX on a Bogen quick release plate as well. My plate is about ten years old and has cork instead of soft rubber. Sounds like you need to remove the rubber and replace it with something thinner and firmer.

 

Small sheets of cork are available at hardware stores (plumbing dept) and auto parts stores for use as gasket material.

 

A quick release plate is a necessity for all Cambo cameras. They are excellent and I wouldn't have anything else. But that mounting block is made from relatively soft aluminum, the threads of which will wear away and strip with constant use. The plate prevents this.

I lost the rubber gasket from one of my Bogen quick release plates and had the same issue, what do you use? I decided on thin leather cut to fit the insert.

 

Buy some contact cement at a hardware store (small bottle is fine, comes with an acid brush in the cap) or Pliobond and a scrap of leather from a glove, shoe repair or wherever you can find it. Make a paper pattern first which fits well and is shaped properly, but slightly small. Use just enough glue to coat the leather and the surface you want to stick it to. Let it dry first, position exactly before pushing it in place and press firmly. Use two layers if one is too thin. Won't mar surfaces, grips and lasts a long time.

One more option to think about, Peter. Some of the Bogen plates allow the addition of a key pin - a small (3/16" or so) pin that extends 1/4" or so above the surface of the plate, and fits into a corresponding hole in the camera mounting plate. Using a pin will be far more positive than rubber, cork, or leather "friction" pads on the plate, even if it's a "custom" install.

Thanks for all the ideas. I do like John Cooks suggestion of using gasket material, I hadn't thought of that. Should be thinner, and provide some friction and a little bit of a buffer as opposed to metal on metal. I've got a smaller bogen with a QR head for my smaller cameras too, which has the locking pins Ralf Barker mentioned, but I never noticed that the plate for the 3047 head had the taped hole for them (just checked, it does) since it didn't come with the pins. I think I'll use that as a last resort though, since I'd have to make a (albeit small) hole for the pin in the camera. Not too big of a deal really, it's soft aluminum, and it'd be pretty risk free, but what calumet charges for a replacement is enough to make me a little nervous about any customisations. Thanks again to everyone who responded.

 

Peter

I've got QR plates for my Bogen head that have both rubber and cork surfaces. IMO, the rubber is a poor substitute, and replacing it with cork gasket material an excellent idea.

Let me reinforce Ralph Barker's recommendation of a plate with a provision for a key pin. I found the Bogen "universal" plate, which fits on the hex platform of my #3047 pan/tilt head and includes a main bolt (either 1/4" or 3/8") plus an additional, smaller bolt that can be screwed up into a secondary cavity in the base of my Plaubel monorail. Solved the problem.