Gitzo Plate Issue revisited (i.e. the fix)

[Joe Bleau]

"It probably ties around the bolt like the first one but he was just showing an alternate way to route the wire??" - correct.

Come-on guys, I can't spend all day threading wires in all the possible configurations.

[peterkes]

"you probably can't tighten the plate enough with the wire in there" - why not? The wire runs under the plate. I have been using a steel wire to suspend weight under the tripod since a year and a half:

Question: was your safety mechanism ever put to the test, i.e. did your plate come loose, did the wire hold your rig ?

I have serious doubts if a 2mm wire with two loose ends will hold a 25lbs photogear on its way down. Creative as your solution looks, I don't believe it will work.

[Joe Bleau]

Well the first thing to do is to check regularly the tightness of the bolt on the spider.

Maybe you missed it but I posted a photo of a concrete block suspended to that wire, now here is a photo with two concrete blocks, on my bathroom scale it weighs 41 lbs (19 kg) together . I removed the circular plate so you can see that there is only one wire across the spider:



Now nothing prevents you from using an even bigger wire gauge, besides, the idea is to have enough tension on the wire to prevent the disc from sliding out of the spider in the first place so unless you hold the tripod upside-down with the spider totally loose, you will never have a 25 lbs tension on it but it can easily hold-it anyway.

I just used pliers to join the ends pigtail style & tension the wire. You could also use 3 separate wires, for example: 30 lbs divided by 3 that's only 10 lbs per wire. In my blocks photo, one wire held 41 lbs so three could hold 123 lbs, way over the 39 lbs max load of my GT3540LS.

[Porsche917]

Dear Greg:

Thank you very much for your reply to my e-mail of yesterday's date (Wednesday, June 3, 2009). As an addendum to my e-mail of June 3, 2009, could you inform me of what you know or are aware of regarding Gitzo's efforts to address the base plate issue? Although I have called the office of Kevin Lackey and left voice-mail messages for him concerning the base plate issue, I have never received a response from him. Similarly, the e-mail I left for technical personnel on the Gitzo website on the base plate issue hasn't been answered. Thus, my question of you as to what, if anything, you know or are aware of that Gitzo is doing to address this issue -- the base plate issue -- outside of relying on Naturescapes.net to find a solution? Gitzo's lack of responsiveness is disappointing and regrettably provides no information or guidance regarding the actions that Gitzmo may, in fact, be taking.

Best regards,

Roman

[Greg Downing]

I can't comment on what actions, if any, Gitzo may be taking. I am unaware of any plans to change or supplement the original design. I personally don't think there is a major design flaw necessarily.

[Woodswalker]

Well if there isn't a major design flaw, there sure are a lot of people who are willing to part with another $50-$100 for a fix and more again trying to come up with home-made solutions.

[Greg Downing]

I don't really care to spend a lot of time debating whether or not there is a design flaw. I don't think there is but that is just my opinion. This is not a "fix" but peace of mind and a insurance should you fail to check the tightness of all your fasteners.

There are so many examples, in manufacturing as a whole, where valuable merchandise is fastened using a single bolt. A couple examples specifically in the photography area are:

The Wimberley head; When thrown over your shoulder the entire weight of the lens is attached to the wimberley head by the tension on one small thumb screw that holds the cradle to the arm of the head - and this is something that gets tightened with your bare hand and very easily could come loose and slip right off if not tight. It is flawed?

Same thing goes for a quick release clamp on any arca swiss style system - comes loose and the whole rig is gone. Folks have designed safety stops on AS plates but that does not guarantee anything nor does it mean that the original arca swiss style pates were flawed in their design. These stops simply lower the risk of use, as does the part we are discussing.

These examples do not necessarily mean there are design flaws - but they are things that need to be checked before use...

[Woodswalker]

Essentially then you are saying (in your opinion) that it's user error for not checking to see if the bolt is tight. I think the weight of the lens is a factor as well. Have people had their rigs topple to the ground from Wimberley heads coming apart?

[Greg Downing]

What I am saying is that it is the user's responsibility to know their equipment and perform whatever steps they need to ensure that everything is tight and secure before throwing that big lens over their shoulder. I am sure you can find folks in all sorts of situations where cameras and lenses have been dropped because something wasn't tight. It happens all the time and it doesn't necessarily mean the equipment manufacturer is at fault.

[peterkes]

Well the first thing to do is to check regularly the tightness of the bolt on the spider. .....

Thanks for your explanation Joe.

[Greg Downing]

I have these in my hands....NOW and they look great!

These will be IN THE STORE for sale next week - in VERY limited quantities. Fully stocked by early July.

These are all the details I have right now....you will have to wait until then.

[Porsche917]

Dear Greg:

That is great news. Please set one of the plates aside for me. I have a Gitzo 5541LS carbon fiber tripod.

Best regards,

Roman

[DarrenMcKenna]

I have not suffered the same fate as others with their tripod heads falling off. I have hauled my 500mm on a Wimberly head for 3 years on a Gitzo 1325. After reading about possible insurance to possible failure I went with the 25 cent fix, that was a 3 inch washer and a longer bolt with approximately 8-9 washers underneath the 3 inch washer. It is just wide enough to catch the outside of the base.

[Jim Zipp]

Pretty slick Darren. While I've used Gitzo for more than 35 years and like most others have never had a problem, it can't be denied that some have had an issue. If I ever decide to add the washer as you've done, I'd probably go one step further and substitute an eye bolt with a nut as a stop so that I'd have a place to hang things when in the field like a photo vest or anything else I might want to keep off the ground or for weight and added stability.

[c.w. moynihan]

Nice Darren. I thought a solution like that would be available at the hardware store.

[OntPhoto]

I have not suffered the same fate as others with their tripod heads falling off. I have hauled my 500mm on a Wimberly head for 3 years on a Gitzo 1325. After reading about possible insurance to possible failure I went with the 25 cent fix, that was a 3 inch washer and a longer bolt with approximately 8-9 washers underneath the 3 inch washer. It is just wide enough to catch the outside of the base.

Very neat idea. Sometimes a solution is just that simple

[DarrenMcKenna]

If I ever decide to add the washer as you've done, I'd probably go one step further and substitute an eye bolt with a nut as a stop so that I'd have a place to hang things when in the field like a photo vest or anything else I might want to keep off the ground or for weight and added stability.

I too thought of that, I found the 3 inch washer and bolt in my wood shop so I didn't have to venture the 2 blocks to "Home Hardware"

[Porsche917]

Dear Greg:

When are the bottom plates for the Gitzo systematic tripods going to be available from Naturescapes.net? From your post of June 19, 2009, I thought they were going to be available at the Naturescapes. net store last week.

By the way, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Lackey at Gitzo last Friday. Mr. Lackey was very open and cordial, and stated that he was unaware of what, if anything, Gitzo might be doing to address the base plate issue. Additionally, Mr. Lackey agreed with my thought -- and I believe yours also -- that the base plate issue is more of a user issue than a product defect issue. Just as one checks tire pressures on his car periodically, it seems to me that one should periodically check the tightness of bolts and screws on a tripod that is going to hold gear worth several thousands of dollars. It is simply a matter of prudence. That stated, I feel that the new bottom plate about which you have written provides an added measure of security, and as a matter of prudence I would like to purchase one.

Best regards,

Roman

[Greg Downing]

Roman,

These are sitting on my desk at home as I ran out of time to get them in the store before I headed to BC for a loon shoot. When I return next week they will be added in the store as I have to put together the instructions etc. If you email me I can tell get you one beforehand...

The price for these are as follows: $69.95 for the smaller plate which fits the 35 series and old 13 series (kitted with the proper SS bolts for each) and $84.95 for the 35 series and old 15 series. These are precision made and will not move or slip as they fit snugly into the recess of the underside of the tripod. They are very lightweight and made from solid 6061 aluminum CNC machined to reduce weight and ensure a good fit. They also look good

Right now I have exactly 18 of the smaller ones and 8 of the large.

[Porsche917]

Dear Greg:

Do the larger bottom plates fit the Gitzo 5541LS carbon fiber tripod? Since this is the Gitzo systematic tripod I have, I will need to get a bottom plate that will definitely fit it.

Best regards,

Roman