Help! I really need a screw ...

Naboo32

Naboo32

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Andy
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... for my ball head :naughty:.

I have a Giottos MH631 quick release plate ...

MH631.jpg


.. and I want to mount a lens to it, which has two 1/4" screw holes.

The plate comes with one 3/8" screw and one 1/4" screw, so I need to get a second 1/4" screw from somewhere :|.

The part number is MHA604 and it looks like this ...

MHA-604.jpg


So far, I haven't found anywhere online who stock them, but perhaps some of you know of a place that keeps these in stock :shrug:!? I could try and order one from a local camera shop, but it'll probably be a long and expensive job.

So, any other ideas please :)?
 
do you not have any bolts that size knocking around in your garage? i lost mine a while ago and was lucky enough to find a perfect fit on my garage floor lol
 
You'll want 1/4" British Standard Whitworth (BSW), which shouldn't be too hard to source online/in a machine shop.
 
dubstylz said:
do you not have any bolts that size knocking around in your garage? i lost mine a while ago and was lucky enough to find a perfect fit on my garage floor lol
Click to expand...

:lol: Garage! I live in a 5th floor apartment in the middle of a city where there isn't even room to park a car on the street, so I envy garage owners everywhere ;).

Mud said:
You'll want 1/4" British Standard Whitworth (BSW), which shouldn't be too hard to source online/in a machine shop.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I didn't know it was a Whitworth thread (also not easy to find over here in Germany, I suspect!?). The other thing is that it needs to have a very slim head, or it will foul the sliding mechanism of the plate. I'd also prefer to be able to tighten it up without carrying a spanner around, if possible.

I'll keep your suggestion in mind though, Mud, but will keep looking for the correct item in the meantime :).
 
:thinking: Actually, I wonder if I'm doing something wrong!?

I need two of these screws because the bracket on my longest lens has two, 1/4" threaded inserts on its foot (something like this one) ...

Kirklensfoot.jpg


... and if I only fix one screw in the hole, it twists round :shrug:.

I've tried using the 'video pin' (see below) through one hole to steady it, with a screw through the other, but even this is hardly ideal. The 3/8" screw is useless to me, as my lens foot does not use this thread. I really think that I need another one of the 1/4" screws to fix the foot securely, but I'm surprised that no QR plates seem to come supplied with two 1/4" screws!?

MH631.jpg


So, what do other 70-200mm, 300mm etc. users do to keep their lenses mounted to the ball head :shrug:!?
 
Naboo32 said:
I just have to find somewhere that will sell me one now.
Click to expand...

Address of a dealer/service centre from the website I found earlier for you

Title: Media TV Address: Video Systeme GmbH
Thuler Weg 15
30519
Hannover
Country:GermanyTel No: +49 511 642 120-0 Fax No: +49 511 642 120-99 Web: www.mediatv.de
 
Paulmack said:
Address of a dealer/service centre from the website I found earlier for you

Title: Media TV Address: Video Systeme GmbH
Thuler Weg 15
30519
Hannover
Country:GermanyTel No: +49 511 642 120-0 Fax No: +49 511 642 120-99 Web: www.mediatv.de
Click to expand...

Thank you Paul :). 30519 isn't too far from me, so I might even take a trip down there at some point.
 
Why not contact Giottos in Germany

Germany

DAYMEN GMBH & CO KG
ADD.:MOLLSFELD 2, D-40670 MEERBUSCH-OSTERATH GERMANY
TEL: +49-0-2159 / 6961-0, FAX: +49-0-2159 / 6961-269
E-mail: info@daymen.de
Website: www.daymen.de ; www.giottos.de

They should be able to supply another thread
 
bostin said:
Why not contact Giottos in Germany

Germany

DAYMEN GMBH & CO KG
ADD.:MOLLSFELD 2, D-40670 MEERBUSCH-OSTERATH GERMANY
TEL: +49-0-2159 / 6961-0, FAX: +49-0-2159 / 6961-269
E-mail: info@daymen.de
Website: www.daymen.de ; www.giottos.de

They should be able to supply another thread
Click to expand...

Yes, if it comes to it, I will go to a Giottos stockist and just try and order one by the part number (MHA-604).

I only started this thread because I thought that there might be an online store somewhere who listed these items and could just order a couple, but it seems that these are not such commonly requested items :shrug:.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who's contributed to the thread :thumbs:.
 
CT said:
Indeed. All you really need is one of these.

CLICKY
Click to expand...

Ah, I wish that it was that simple ;). Put simply; currently, the hole is small, the screw is big. This adapter works the wrong way around.

Also, I can't add a 'step-down' adapter (down to 1/4") onto the top of the 3/8" screw because it will then be too long and foul the QR plate :shrug:.

I went into my local (****) camera shop on the way home and asked about ordering the original part; they just looked at me like I was mad and said something like, "Ooh, we can't do all that just for one screw. You must go to B&Q"! (******s :razz:)

Anyway, I'm still waiting to hear from anyone who owns a lens with two 1/4" threaded holes in the foot, to see how they attach it to their tripod ... :shrug:!?
 
Chappers said:
OK found a stockist for you

Here's the web address to the part you want

http://www.f64.ro/accesorii-trepiede-huse-placute-spike.html

Pity it's in Romania

Seriously though You could try Johnsons Photopia the importers, they may be able to help
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Hi Chappers!

Thanks a lot for that, it was very kind of you to take the time. That store is actually the only place that I found (through Googling the part number), that claims to have one in stock. It's also one of only two places that list the item for sale (the other place is in Romania, too :thinking:))!? Google throws up no other mentions of this item at all.

I've just written an email to Giottos UK Customer Service and I'm going to see what they come up with first. After that, I could either buy another QR plate (for £17), approach the Romanian supplier and risk giving them my credit card details :D, or just 'make do' with the current system of using the video pin through the front hole and the one 1/4" screw in the back hole. Even the 1/4" screws from my other Giottos QR plate and the one from my old Hama tripod won't work, as the unthreaded part of the shank, which allows the screw to slide along in the groove, is too short on these other screws and mean that they won't slot into the groove at all because the thread gets in the way :shrug:.

This whole thing is becoming a bit farcical, really ;).
 
Well, after exploring several options and realising that only the original screw would fit into this plate, I decided to throw myself upon the mercy of the manufacturer themselves!

I wrote a grovelling email to Giottos Customer Service department in England, and their (very charming :naughty:) representitive told me that she would obtain the part I require and post it to me here in Germany :banana:.

Hurrah!

So, (assuming that it turns up) it would seem that my problem is solved and that I can now bolt my lens so securely to my tripod that it will never again come lose, or wobble around when focus it manually and then let go of it :D.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their suggestions to this thread, but I think that I can now safely declare it closed ;).

[/THREAD]
 
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