Tripod quick release plates

Charles B

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I have several of these plates but I’m blowed if I can get them to remain tight in the camera thread. I always screw them in as tightly as I can, mindful of overdoing it and causing damage, but once mounted and in use it will work loose. Just wondering if there are any tricks to preventing this.
 
Don't hold/ use the camera to adjust the camera position . Use a video tripod head such as the Manfrotto befree live head (MVH400AH) with a handle
something like this. Then you can move vertically/horizontally without having to touch whatever you put on the head . Shown with my camcorder on it
jljOY90l.jpg


Never had one work loose . Look on ebay seen from about £70 upwards (used)
 
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Thank you. Having just a ball head I have been using the camera to position itself so your suggestion makes perfect sense.
 
Thank you. Having just a ball head I have been using the camera to position itself so your suggestion makes perfect sense.

I much prefer pan and tilt heads, you can probably buy just a head to fit on your existing tripod.
 
Thank you. Having just a ball head I have been using the camera to position itself so your suggestion makes perfect sense.
It sounds like you are not loosening the ball head when adjusting the camera so the plate loosens. If you are happy with the ball head try loosening it off when you want to move then retighten the ball head
 
Don't think I've ever had a plate come loose - and I only tighten them with the D-ring (Manfrotto 200PL). If the screw on your plate isn't an original, it MIGHT be a 1/4" Whitworth screw rather than the correct 1/4" UNC (the diameter and pitch are the same so the screws will fit but the angle of the threads is different so they won't hold as well.)
 
Just to add that picture has a Moman base - a Sirui extendable bar and the Mvh400ah head. I also have one on the Manfrotto befree live tripod. the one in the photo I got dirt cheap because it had a fault on the vertical movement, so I stripped it down greased up inside and re-assembled (so easiy to fix). On the bar is clamped a wired remote switch so again no need to touch the camera
 
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I have several of these plates but I’m blowed if I can get them to remain tight in the camera thread. I always screw them in as tightly as I can, mindful of overdoing it and causing damage, but once mounted and in use it will work loose. Just wondering if there are any tricks to preventing this.
I don't ever recall having a tripod QR plate (i.e. Manfrotto, Slik, Sirui and a few makes of Arca Swiss style plates) of not fitting to the camera well and as for loosening, never.

However, I do recall reading of either camera tripod point having a shallower hole compared to all others and/or some plates having slightly longer screws than the considered standard length. Either of these situations, if overtightened, could physically damage the tripod socket!

What camera is it that you are using ?

PS one mitigation would be to use (an extra) layer of thin self adhesive rubber cork to aid the plate to body 'grip' and potentially more importantly shorten the insertion length of the threaded screw.
 
Different manufacturers put different materials on the baseplate platform that the camera sits on, and these have varying degrees of success in keeping the camera from twisting on the plate. One way that twist can be virtually eliminated is when the plate has an upturned lip that rests against one side of the camera body (or lens tripod mount).
 
Buy yourself some rubber fender washers. These need to be flexible rubber with a 1/4" center hole and about 1" or slightly larger outside diameter. Install one between your camera and tripod mount, tightening the attachment screw as tight as you can. I get the ones that I use from Amazon. You will still need to get the attachment screw as tight as you can, but one of these should solve your problem. These will get lost easily, so keep the rest as spares.

https://www.amazon.com/Anwenk-Anti-...W9L5BET&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zoR6Zj_uernus_tyUb_w

Charley
 
I don’t experience this issue as I use a dedicated camera L bracket which has a front lip and locating pin as well as the screw. You get the benefit of having a portrait orientation without turning the ball head sideways.
 
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