Folding Camera: Tripod Mount

Darryl Roberts · Jun 1, 2023

Hi,

Do you know of a good way to mount a folding camera’s, off center thread, to an Arca Swiss tripod head?

Thank you.

Dan Daniel · Jun 2, 2023

Any reason not to just use the existing tripod hole? Even off-center, it should hold the camera fine.

If this is for your Welta shown in another thread, that tripod hole is a 3/8" diameter. You will need an adapter to reduce it to 1/4".

Donald Qualls · Jun 2, 2023

And you don't need an overpriced photographic adapter, either -- hardware stores will sell you a pack of five 1/4-20 to 3/8-16 adapters for less than half what photo stores charge for one.

Darryl Roberts · Jun 2, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
And you don't need an overpriced photographic adapter, either -- hardware stores will sell you a pack of five 1/4-20 to 3/8-16 adapters for less than half what photo stores charge for one.

Thank you

Darryl Roberts · Jun 2, 2023

Dan Daniel said:
Any reason not to just use the existing tripod hole? Even off-center, it should hold the camera fine.

If this is for your Welta shown in another thread, that tripod hole is a 3/8" diameter. You will need an adapter to reduce it to 1/4".

Thank you

4season · Jun 2, 2023

Short of designing your own custom camera plate, or modifying an existing one (tricky, if the tripod socket doesn't sit flush with the bottom of the camera), I'd just use a generic plate as needed. It will be off-center, and it will allow the camera to rotate much too easily, but you can blame the camera's designers for that.

MattKing · Jun 2, 2023

See if one of the "architectural" plates can be used on the camera - here is a Manfrotto version:

Alan9940 · Jun 2, 2023

The issue I had when trying to use my Zeiss folders on a tripod was 1) the mounting hole is within a "bulge" protruding off the bottom of the camera, and 2) no matter what Arca-style plate I tried to use, the screw was just slightly too long to allow secure tightening. Don't know what kind of tripods were around in the early 50's, but their mounting screws must have been pretty short!

Anyway, I solved both problems by cutting some cork mat to the size of plate, then cutting a round hole in the center of this cork spacer. Fit the cork spacer over the tripod contraption on the camera, then screw on a plate. The cork spacer allows you to tighten the plate right down and, also, helps keep the camera from rotating around. For my 6x9 folder I re-purposed an old plate that had a lip along one of the long edges. Using my cork spacer and ensuring the lip sits firmly against the bottom edge of the camera totally eliminates any rotation.

MattKing · Jun 2, 2023

Alan9940 said:
Don't know what kind of tripods were around in the early 50's, but their mounting screws must have been pretty short!

They are best suited to tripods that combine a mounting screw that is inserted fully, and a tightening nut that pulls down on the mounting screw and camera from below.
The last tripod I had that did that - from the 1970s - was an amateur level Velbon tripod.

Xylo · Jun 2, 2023

There's always 3D printing.
I'm now printing most of my Manfrotto plates, especially when it comes to my home built cameras as I can customize the plates to do things that the manufacturer never intended to.

Alan9940 · Jun 3, 2023

MattKing said:
They are best suited to tripods that combine a mounting screw that is inserted fully, and a tightening nut that pulls down on the mounting screw and camera from below.
The last tripod I had that did that - from the 1970s - was an amateur level Velbon tripod.

Yeah, my Gitzo G-1570M head and my Ries A-100 head both do that but the tripods these heads are attached to I use for 8x10. Probably approach the silly side to use one of these setups with a folder.

Willy T · Jun 3, 2023

MattKing said:
They are best suited to tripods that combine a mounting screw that is inserted fully, and a tightening nut that pulls down on the mounting screw and camera from below.
The last tripod I had that did that - from the 1970s - was an amateur level Velbon tripod.

I still have mine! Velbon "Victory 551"

Folding Camera: Tripod Mount

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