Update on best replacement foot for Nikon 500 5.6?

ricardo00 wrote:    Even though I had the RRS replacement foot (bought it before I knew about problems of accidentally releasing the foot and didn't know about the Hejnar foot), I also ended up buying the Hejnar foot.  I find it much more comfortable than the RRS replacement foot where I found that my hand would almost always end up hitting the release button when I was hand holding the lens.  This made me always worry about dropping the lens as well as being uncomfortable.  I also prefer not having the knob on the foot.
  It does worry me that you found the screw holding the foot onto the lens collar coming loose.  I haven't noticed this yet but haven't taken it out on a long hike.  Most likely will put the Loctite on it thought will consider the Teflon tape.  But all-in-all, for me it is nicer hand holding the lens with the Hejnar replacement foot.  So for those of you who will be getting the lens over the next few months, I would think the Hejnar is the way to go unless you want the option to remove the foot occasionally.

Ricardo, how did the safety/stop screws work for you? (If you are using them). I suppose if Loctite is appropriate, I guess it could be used on those screws.

ricardo00 wrote: I actually have been using the blue, medium strength one (recommended to me a number of years ago) for different things (including my camera gear) which is supposed to be removable though have never had to do that.  Looks like the purple is weaker? 

Yes. It holds small screws in place, but allows easier removal with less chance of shearing the bolt or stripping the hex of a setscrew.

Joe

Cynthia Crawford wrote: Ricardo, how did the safety/stop screws work for you? (If you are using them). I suppose if Loctite is appropriate, I guess it could be used on those screws.

Hi Cindy,
  Yep, like yours, they do seem loose when screwed out enough to stop the lens from sliding off the tripod.  However I haven't played with them that much.  Have mostly been using the lens hand held and use the Arca foot to attach to the plate on my Black Rapid strap where I am mostly holding onto the foot.
Ricardo

I would suggest using the loctite, chemical smell won't be a problem, the way it works is it is anaerobic setting polymer, which means when it is confined in the threads and there is no oxygen present it sets, you only need a drop on the tip of the screw as you insert it. The only time you smell it is when you actually apply it and you can always do that outdoors.

Teflon tape is not really a thread locker it is designed to make threads watertight for plumbing and just takes up loose space in the threads. Because it's slippery it can be prone to undoing under load unless the screw is tight enough, Loctite on the other hand adheres to the threads and prevents them moving with respect to each other

The screw shown in the photo on the webpage in a button head socket screw, they can be hard to tighten as the hex socket is shallow. A socket head cap screw would be better as the socket is deeper. see this page: http://www.unbrako.com.au/socket-screws If you replace the screw get a flat and a spring washer to place under the head of the cap screw. The place you get the cap screw from should have suitable flat washers that will fit in the hole.

As there is a fair bit of leverage on the joint you do need to lean on the wrench a little particularly if it's short. What reason do you have for thinking you might strip the thread? In my experience this is hard to do unless you have cross threaded the hole in the past. You also say:

"The stop/safety screws, however, have to be set /unscrewed a *lot* for this head. I am afraid they will fall out-not sure I would trust them."

I'm not sure what you mean by this, are you saying they don't stick out enough to stop the foot sliding out? If this is the case place a few washers under the head until it's tall enough to work. You may need longer screws to achieve this.

ChrisRoss wrote:I would suggest using the loctite, chemical smell won't be a problem, the way it works is it is anaerobic setting polymer, which means when it is confined in the threads and there is no oxygen present it sets, you only need a drop on the tip of the screw as you insert it.  The only time you smell it is when you actually apply it and you can always do that outdoors.

Teflon tape is not really a thread locker it is designed to make threads watertight for plumbing and just takes up loose space in the threads.  Because it's slippery it can be prone to undoing under load unless the screw is tight enough,  Loctite on the other hand adheres to  the threads and prevents them moving with respect to each other

The screw shown in the photo on the webpage in a button head socket screw, they can be hard to tighten as the hex socket is shallow.  A socket head cap screw would be better as the socket is deeper.  see this page:  http://www.unbrako.com.au/socket-screws  If you replace the screw get a flat and a spring washer to place under the head of the cap screw.  The place you get the cap screw from should have suitable flat washers that will fit in the hole.

As there is a fair bit of leverage on the joint you do need to lean on the wrench a little particularly if it's short.  What reason do you have for thinking you might strip the thread?  In my experience this is hard to do unless you have cross threaded the hole in the past.  You also say:

"The stop/safety screws, however, have to be set /unscrewed a *lot* for this head. I am afraid they will fall out-not sure I would trust them."

I'm not sure what you mean by this, are you saying they don't stick out enough to stop the foot sliding out?  If this is the case place a few washers under the head until it's tall enough to work.  You may need longer screws to achieve this.

Hi Chris

I'm glad to hear Loctite is not a problem, odor-wise. it's certainly cheap enough to buy some to test . Thanks for the reference to the screw types. I'm not sure a washer can go in the hole- there is a protruding piece that just fits the screw. I suspect Loctite is the answer-they even suggest using it on their site-though they suggest "Blue". I could see replacing the little stop screws, perhaps, though having longer screws  sticking way out isn't ideal either. 

What I mean about "stripping the screw", is actually a concern about stripping the hex head socket for the wrench. I think that's pretty easy to do with over-enthusiastic tightening.

As to your question about the safety screws-they are essentially too short, in the sense that unscrewing them enough to actually prevent the camera from sliding off the foot makes them very loose, as they are close to the end of their length. Bumping one, I fear, would make it come loose. They feel like loose teeth-I can wiggle them, when unscrewed. Since I am going to mostly hand-hold this lens, my main concern is keeping the foot tightly attached to the camera. I like it there to hang onto at times, and as a handle to carry the lens.

HEY-looks like Wimberly makes the same type of foot:

https://www.tripodhead.com/products/rep ... t-main.cfm
https://www.tripodhead.com/products/ins ... ap-500.pdf

Their instructions explain why the safety screws on the Hejnar might not (don't) work on my Induro Gimbal head.

Same price. Wonder if it is any better. There would still,most likely, for my gimbal, be the issue of stop screws not working....... 

OOPS! I take it all back about the stop screws. They DO work, screwed in all the way, on my gimbal clamp. It has indents that stop the plate from sliding. I was expecting the screws to stop the slide at the very edge of the clamp. I hope this makes sense! In any case, bottom line, I don't think these little stop screws are what I want to depend on. Granted they are supposed to be for emergency slippage, but I think it best to just keep checking that the clamp is good and tight!