Folders on tripod

[Craig Swensson]

They are not very well designed for tripods really are they. After a bit of conversion work in the garage my moskva still flops around a little, not too bad, but certainly not good enough for a windy day. Any clever solutions?
The problem is the protruding mount on the base of the camera.There is just not enough ` camera' sitting flush on the tripod mount.

 

[Uncle Goose]

you could use a large thick rubber washer between the camera and the tripod, in that way it would make contact with the body of the camera. You have to check of course how thick exactly it has to be.

 

[Craig Swensson]

Tried rubber, but you got me thinking that what I need is some really firm rubber that will go all the way along the base of the camera, at least as far as the edge of the tripod removable mount.Of course folders are a lot longer than the mount.

 

[250swb]

What about some bicycle inner tube cut to cover the whole base, if its not thick enough to glue on directly glue it first to some card or thin plastic sheet to make it up to the correct thickness? Or you could just use plastic sheet, various thicknesses of black polystyrene can be got from model shops and its easy to cut with a sharp knife.

Steve

 

[DWThomas]

You could use a rubber 'O' ring large enough to go around the protruding mount. I have also cut a piece of a waffle-textured closed cell foam exercise mat, sized about equal to the top of the tripod, with a hole to match the protruding mount. Some quick release plates are available with an adjustable angle piece that can be used to reduce rotation between the plate and camera also.

 

[Craig Swensson]

aha, got a draw full of bike tubes, the children will not miss a few.. good idea, that way i can make a template from the card/plastic.

Thanks also Dave, the exercise mat idea is a good one, I know exactly what you mean.

 

[PentaxBronica]

You could also try using the Arca Swiss-type QR plates and clamp.

My RedSnapper ball head has a copy of this, so I've got a small handful of different length plates to suit different lenses and cameras (long ones are especially useful with a ball head as you can tweak the camera fore and aft to help the balance).

In your scenario you could easily adapt a plate specifically for the camera, that way you wouldn't have to fiddle with adding the rubber spacer or glue anything to camera or tripod.

 

[jeff.blackwell]

The issue is also very camera specific. I've had relatively little trouble using either my Bessa Perkeo II or my Certo 6 on tripods, but I had to find a head that used quick release plates that fit the cameras appropriately.

 

[elekm]

You could use one of those older L-shaped flash brackets. Attach the camera to the bracket. Then, attach the bracket to the tripod.

 

[Kevin Kehler]

I built a base for my camera to sit on while in the tripod - since the tripod holes were located at the front 1/3 or back 1/3 of the camera when unfolded, there was always 2/3 of the camera hanging over one side of the tripod. I took a piece of cherry wood (the camera is cherry and I wanted it to match) and drilled three holes - one for each tripod hole and one for the tripod itself (in between the two camera holes). A trip to the hardware store gave me the correct threaded inserts and some thumbscrews. Now the base sits balanced on the tripod, the camera is screwed into the base via both of it's tripod sockets and the thumbscrews and it is very secure. Looks like part of the camera as well.

It was a lot easier than bringing a second tripod along and only added about 1lb of weight.

 

[georg16nik]

I use plates that look like these 2

 

[Ian Grant]

I have some German cameras that came with their original tripods. They are all ball-head and the head only has mimimal contact area with the camera, in practice theyt work OK.

In Turkey Ihave a modern Slik tripod (sold for Digital) that's similar but qiuite a bit better in terms of rigidity, it's fine with a 5x4 camera I use it with my Speed Graphic or Crown Graphic, also my 6x17 camera.

Ian

 

[Peltigera]

As it happens, I was using my Nettar 515/2 this week and experienced the same problem. I decided in the end it was not a problem as although the camera was not entirely rigid on the tripod, it was firm enough once I let go to take slow exposures with out the camera significantly moving.

If you are in a situation where absolute rigidity is required, perhaps you should not be using an ancient folder.

 

[PentaxBronica]

Those plates look exactly like mine.

TBH the age of the tripod doesn't matter much, it's how well-built it is. I wouldn't put my Bronica on a cheap travel tripod as it'd probably bend the legs, but the RedSnapper shows no signs of strain.

 

[250swb]

Tripod plates are a great idea for a quick release, but they don't actually spread the surface area much more than a normal tripod head does. On a Moskva you put a plate on and the camera still sits high on its own little pimple, and given that it is of a certain manufacturing quality not necessarilly a very secure pimple. You need to spread the clamping patch over as large an area as possible.

Steve

 

[Craig Swensson]

Tripod plates are a great idea for a quick release, but they don't actually spread the surface area much more than a normal tripod head does. On a Moskva you put a plate on and the camera still sits high on its own little pimple, and given that it is of a certain manufacturing quality not necessarilly a very secure pimple. You need to spread the clamping patch over as large an area as possible.

Steve

Exactly Steve, that `pimple' is the problem, and yes it is the one area of manufacturing quality I am having trouble with.The `pimple' is loose.

Thanks for all replies, there will be an acceptable solution here somewhere

Peltigera
"If you are in a situation where absolute rigidity is required, perhaps you should not be using an ancient folder."

But they are so enjoyable to use, besides culturally, we always look for a solution down here

elekm .
Thanks, I had an old L bracket spare.5 minutes in garage and problem solved. Cut 2 16mm holes in the rubber to accomadate the protrusions on the base of the camera.Screwed the whole lot on and camera is now as study as any others I use.
regards

 

[shortstop]

I have the same problem with my perkeo II. The solution may be a head large enough to cover the entire distance between the two small feet on the baseplate of the camera. I don't see any alternative. May be the tripod's head of fifty's were different from the current models?

Antonio

 

[Renato Tonelli]

I use a thin layer of cork between the camera and the tripod head/plate; I replace the cork after it looses its 'sponginess'. Some Manfrotto heads have cork as their top surface.
Folders are fun to use and the portability and quality is excellent - a small tripod or monopod is usually sufficient for steady shots.

 

[desertrat]

I have some '30s vintage German folders that have a second tripod socket on the 'door' (can't remember the correct term). Made a plate from 1/4" plywood with a piece of aluminum angle attached. There is a hole in the angle piece, and it is mounted to line up with the tripod hole in the camera door. A cap screw is threaded into this second tripod hole, and together with the camera attached to the plywood piece using the tripod hole on the body, it holds the camera securely.

Don't know if a Moskva has tripod hole on the door.