Manfrotto 400/Bogen 3263 geared head: what's the ordering of the gears?

[ondebanks]

<p>Folks,<br>

I'm looking at the Manfrotto 400 as a multi-purpose, heavy duty geared head. The main thing I'd use it for is what astronomers describe as a "wedge", which precisely aligns a star tracking platform to the celestial pole for astrophotography. The cranked gearing should make this a lot less painful than the usual wedges with their little push-pull thumbscrews.</p>

<p>It's evident from photos of the 400 that the bottom-most axis is for vertical tilt. The horizontal swivel and lateral tilt axes "ride" atop this vertical motion. Here's my question. Which axis comes next in the pyramid? Does the horizontal swivel ride atop the lateral tilt, or vice versa? I'm hoping that the answer is lateral tilt comes next, and finally horizontal swivel up at the top. It's impossible to tell just by looking at photos of the 400, because those mechanisms are boxed away inside. </p>

<p>So if someone has a Manfrotto 400/Bogen 3263, could you please check? Set the lateral tilt as far as it goes in one direction, say 30 degrees over to the right. Then turn the horizontal axis by a good bit. Did the lateral tilt rotate with the horizontal axis? Or did the tilted plane stay pointing in the same direction even when the horizontal one turns by a lot? Thanks for any feedback on this.</p>

<p> </p>

[peter_mounier]

<p>I have that head. Starting at the bottom of the head, the lowest handle rotates the entire head. The next handle up is for vertical tilt. The vertical tilt adjustment doesn't cause any movement of the horizontal axis. The vertical tilt adjustment does move the lateral tilt mechanism. So when you rotate on the horizontal axis, everything moves. When you tilt forward and back, you also affect the lateral axis but the horizontal axis is stationary. When you tilt laterally, that's all that moves.</p>

<p>Peter</p>

[ondebanks]

<p>Hello Peter,</p>

<p>Thanks very much for responding to my query. But I am surprised that you say "Starting at the bottom of the head, the lowest handle rotates the entire head." I would have sworn, looking at a picture of it <a href="http://www.manfrotto.com/geared-head">like this one</a>, that the lowest gear is for vertical tilt? It's the only exposed, visible gear and it's oriented vertically, so I thought I had that one established, and was just wondering about the other two hidden on the inside. Hmm. </p>

[peter_mounier]

<p>The handle at the back tilts the head. The handle tilts with the head so as the head tilts forward the handle comes up, following the same arc. The foam handle adjusts the lateral tilt.</p>

<p>Peter</p>

 

[peter_mounier]

<p>Here's a rear view ...</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[ondebanks]

<p>Ah, I see now! I didn't realize there's a smaller horizontal gear hidden inside/below the large visible vertical gear. "Wheels within wheels", as the saying goes. Clever design. Thanks again, for helping me to perceive its workings.</p>

<p>Another question, if you don't mind. With a heavy load (up to the 10kg rating) and an upwards tilt as depicted in your photo, the unbalanced weight distribution would naturally try to rotate the head backwards. So can the axes be locked once they're set to the desired angles, or does the head just hold its position by gear tension?</p>

[peter_mounier]

<p>Ray<br>

The head doesn't lock down except for the crank to raise the head on the tripod column. Everything else stays put just by friction, and it does that very well. It's a heavy head but the adjustments are very fine, and it's rock solid.</p>

<p>Peter</p>