Mounting tripod head

[cnhoff]

Hi,

 

i have a rather sturdy old tripod, that has a not removable head.

Operating this head is a pain in the a**.

 

As i can't afford to buy a new tripod, is it possible to mount a new

tripop head (e.g. a Bogen 3-way) on top of the old one?

Can i simply screw it into the old head's camera mounting screw or do

modern heads use other means of attachment?

 

Thanks as always!

[bruce_kapla]

Sure, as long as the old head has a relatively flat mount surface and has the same size screw, either 1/4-20 or 3/8-16.

[miha_steinb_cher]

You can do it, but it isn't a wise thing to do.

[cnhoff]

So you think it won't work, causing more camera shake or what do you mean?

[Matthew Currie]

Bogen (Manfrotto) heads usually have a 3/8 inch thread, so you'll probably need an adapter (easily gotten for a couple of bucks if it isn't included with the head). Make sure that the tripod has a good flat surface on the top that is at least a couple of inches in diameter, or the head will not sit well on it, and it will tend to loosen in use, very annoying. I'm sure most people would advocate a whole new tripod, but since Bogens can be bought piece by piece, it might make sense to get a good head now (3030 is a pretty good bargain), and save up for better legs later. Those Bogen legs are very nice.

[miha_steinb_cher]

Vibrations would probably be a major problem, as torque on original head would be significntly larger. Lever arm would be at least double the original and load would also be heavier. It's a recipee for disaster IMHO.

Of course it may serve its purpose for non critical work and small magnification, but i'd get a new tripod/head combination if I were you.

 

What's wrong with your current head?

What cameras/lenses do you use?

[cnhoff]

I am not using heavy equipment which is a Elan 7E+BP-300, 70-200 f4 and 420EX flash.

 

The problem with my current tripod (actually my dad's old Cullmann from the 80's) is, that on the head, nothing stays where it is supposed to stay :) If i go to vertical e.g. it's not possible to get a 45 degree position, but the head tilts a little more, like 50 or 60 degrees, and the screw is too small to make it more stable. And it's a similar story with most of the other scres...The legs are decent, made of aluminium, 2 joints with levers.

[cnhoff]

i meant 90 degrees of course ;)

[miha_steinb_cher]

Christian,

 

You won't get rid of your current head instability problems by mounting another head on top of it. There may be some perceived improvement in handling , but actual picture quality will be worse. You can try it this way first, just as another poster recommends, but I'm sure you'll buy new set of legs soon.

 

It may be a slight exaggeration, but take a look at

http://www.bythom.com/support.htm before spending too much.

 

Best regards,

 

Miha

[bob_gentile]

<em>"... rather sturdy old tripod, that has a not removable head..."</em><p><p>

 

Are you sure? I mean, sure that the head isn't removeable? Most "serious" tripods (and Cullmans are certainly "serious") are manufactured without a head -- the head is usually added later.<p><p>

If it's been added, even during manufacturing, it can usually be subtracted. I'd bet if you were to study the head and its mounting, you could figure out how it was attached. Then, you could remove it and "properly" attach the new Bogen 3-way.