Tripod scew not long enough?

<p>I have a Hasselblad 500c that won't fit on my heavy duty tripod because the screw seems to be too short to catch. Seems odd because my lighter (and useless as you can imagine) tripod does screw into Hasselblad and it's screw doesn't seem perceptibly longer. And, yes, the heavy tripod does fit all my other cameras.<br>

<br />Any advice on fixing this? I don't want to buy another tripod just for this one camera. Any way to get a longer screw on this tripod?</p>

 

<p>Better tripods have an adjustment to allow the thread to extend farther out.<br>

Use caution since if extended too long it can ruin another camera. ie the thread breaks off something inside the camera and then you have a loose thing to jam the camera.</p>

<p>Another method is to just use a thinner pad on the tripod's head. </p>

<p>The "pad" on the top of some of my tripods is soft enough that if I press the camera down slightly it will allow the male tripod thread to engage the female thread on the cameras body.</p>

<p>Yeah, neither applies. I can't seem to adjust the screw and the padding is something that looks like cork. I wonder if a 1/4 to 3/8 converter would be best to take advantage of the larger hole.</p>

<p>Tripod threads are typically 1/4-20 or rarer 3/8-16, These are radically different in size.</p>

<p>Get a 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 screw at the hardware store and see which cameras have which threads and how deep the screw can enter before fouling anything inside. Be carefull and do not force anything at all.</p>

<p>Get a longer, but not too long, tripod mount screw.<br /> It used to be easy to find them in local camera stores, but they keep disappearing, so search on the Internet.<br /> I recovered few of them from old film camera leather cases, that nobody uses now. I used them to attach remote shoe mount flashes on tripods. flash clamps, or light stands.<br>

<br /> Manfrotto, Sachtel, Slick, Majestic, make them. There used to be a no brand name screws available.</p>

<p>I am certain that you will find one suitable, e.g.<br /> <a href="http://www.adorama.com/searchsite/default.aspx?searchinfo=Tripod+screw">http://www.adorama.com/searchsite/default.aspx?searchinfo=Tripod+screw</a><br /> or from B&H, Amazon, etc.</p>

<p>If you intend to leave the pad on the camera or to carry a tool to remove it, one solution might be to find a standard 1/4 or 3/8 inch screw that is the right length. You must be very careful that it is not too long, but if you get the right length, it will be good and snug. </p>

<p>One thing you must remember is that almost all tripod plates require that the head of the screw be completely recessed in the bottom of the plate. It cannot stick out or the pad won't seat in the tripod. That's why most such screws have a folding thumb handle. The difference between a screw that works and one that doesn't may be very small. Many old non-pad tripods had plenty of room below the pad, allowing for an adjustable screw with a threaded collar. Few newer ones have that luxury. The only modern tripods I know that allow any old screw are the RCO hex plate Manfrottos, which have a hole beneath the pad. Very handy for experimenters. </p>

<p>The old ASA specifications for tripod screws stated a minimum protrusion of .175 and maximum of .340 inches. If the screw on a tripod protrudes less than that minimum, perhaps the pad has been replaced by one too thick.</p>