Aargh! Bogen ball head does not fit Bogen Monopod!

[richard_arthur]

I ordered the Bogen Digi 676B monopod and the Bogen 486RC2 compact

ball head to go along with it. Well now that I have hauled it all

the way back to Bangkok I discover that the head's 3/8" hole does

not fit the monopod's 1/4" screw.

 

Is there any kind of adapter for a ball head with a 3/8" hole to

make it fit onto a monopod with a 1/4" screw? (Or an adapter to

screw onto the 1/4" screw to convert it into a 3/8" screw?)

 

On B&H's website I see that the 3232 and 3229 swivel tilt heads,

which are designed for monopods, both include a reversible 1/4"

screw. This is probably exactly what I need - anyone know where I

can order such a thing?

[Jochen_S]

there are 3/8 at the outside and 1/4 in the inside adapters, which you can tighten in the Wholes with a coin. Many of my Cameras have them screwed in. I suppose shiping should be much more expensive than one of these, so buy a few, you'll need them.

[carl smith]

some monopod heads have a reversible top plate so I don't know if you can flip a part over to get a 3/8" mount on the monopod. Otherwise get one of those adapters, they're rediculously cheap and a waste to order online unfortunately.

[marcin harla]

You can buy tripod bushing 1/4-3/8 for under 5 bucks (more likely $3). Any good camera store should have one, ordering online is a waste because the shiping would be more than the part itself.

[richard_arthur]

Thanks for the responses. I know of only one halfway decent camera store in Bangkok and will try them today to see if they've got a screw adaptor. But in case anyone knows where I can order one online, please post. I know the cost of the screw will be miniscule in comparison with the cost of having it shipped to me, but it's better than being stuck with a ball head I can't use.

[joel_blacher]

Before you buy anything, look carefully at the bottom of your 486. On other Bogen heads there is a retractable collar around the female connector that allows the head to be used on more than one size mounting screw. If you push on it with your finger you should feel what I'm talking about. When you screw the head onto the tripod or monopod, the outer collar retracts if the screw is of the larger variety. Unless the 486 is different than the others, this should work.

[kaiblanke]

I recently learned that there are more than one type of adaptor to fit 3/8 holes on 1/8 screws. There is of course the small and generic coin-screw type which you can get for about 1 USD or similar. But there is also one from Manfrotto on special order which is more solid and has a kind of baseplate which manfrotto recommends for adapting heads on tripods. I have the former on my classic cameras, but use the later to adopt the Manfrotto ballhead I have on my lighter Slik tripod. It should be somewhere in the Manfrotto catalog. I payed about USD 3 for it.

[klix]

You don't need an adapter... what you need is a screwdriver.

 

If I recall correctly, the 3/8" opening on the bottom of your ballhead is already fitted with a bushing. All you have to do is unscrew it, and you'll get a 1/4" opening.

[david_wombacher1]

Most of the time the 3/8 adapter unscrews and you flip it over and screw it back in and that makes it 1/4 inch. If not and you really need the bushing I have one here. An interesting note about these bushings. I got them with a lot of old equipment and they are in a prescription bottle from a Pharmacy and labeled as a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter. It looks like they were sold that way but I guess it could have been from a Doctor organizing his stuff at work.

[richard_arthur]

I found an adaptor at a camera store in Bangkok. I got the impression that this is indeed a standard item in camera shops as somebody mentioned, but after you've been here a while you don't take anything for granted. :-)

 

Thanks again for all the responses.