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

These are in stock in small quantities and ready to ship:

http://www.naturescapes.net/store/produ ... ductid=453

Thanks Greg. I just put an order in. Cheers !

I have happily placed my order as well. Thanks.

That looks pretty nice so I'll be ordering pretty soon. How much does it weigh?

I weighed them but now forget. I want to say under 6 oz for the small and around 8 for the large. I am in Canada right now but will check when I get back.

Do note that we are already sold the first small batch...BUT you can order one at the same page and be guaranteed one from the next batch which is expected in about 3 weeks. After that they will be readily available as we will be stocking decent quantities.

Great news and ideas to fix the base plate problem.
I have m own design and it will sort soon from my lathe.

Now for another thing:
Do you have an idea or system to prevent the very same problem when you use the Gitzo leveling base?
I have spent already some hours looking at it and trying to sort a solution. Any help would be apprecated.

Pedro: Regarding the leveling base: You and me both!

Greg, I think I found a solution. Not the pretties but I think it will work well, and it could be worked on in the field.
After some tests I'll post it.

Full stock available now and ready to ship (for Free) :

http://www.naturescapes.net/store/produ ... ductid=453

I just now registered....first post. I ordered (and JUST received) a GT3541XLS and THEN found reference to the base plate issue and your comprehensive review of the problem and solution (presumably interim until Gitzo does something responsible). I'm thankful for the info the collective forum has provided.

I am very hesitant to go forward with this tripod as is. Trying to decide, I thought to investigate how tight the plate is on my brand new tripod. Mine came with 3 tork wrenches (unlike the one shown in the sparse directions provided), a smaller one for the set(?) screw to tension the ballhead's base (I assume, NO directions included) and 2 larger ones. I noted that both are of obviously inferior quality...cheap, cheap. Whoever fastened the base plate retaining bolt at the factory must be a gorilla! I couldn't budge it. I finally got a small box end wrench, put it over the tork wrench as additional leverage, took care to ensure that the tork wrench stayed in the bolt head, and forced it open. The poor fit of the supplied tork wrench caused the bolt head to mash out a bit.....if the whole tripod doesn't go back then at least the bolt will need to be replaced after I purchase a well made, well fitting tork wrench. There also was a considerable burr on the underside of the casting where the retainer bolt.....not encouraging evidence of premium "fit & finish" I'd expect for this kind of money.

I called Bogen Imaging support. The ballhead tension set screw seemed tight and had "red stuff" around it, presumably a thread tightener akin to Loc-Tite. The Bogen rep initially thought not, then conceded it might be. He further indicated that the vast majority of users do NOT use the tensioning screw, relying solely on the main head-to-tripod bolt only???? He acknowledged that the tork wrenches were "so so" quality and pressed metal. He assured me that a replacement bolt was readily available under warranty.

I asked the rep further about all of the news I was hearing about base plates falling off or coming loose. I'd guess that there is an internal memo "advising" Bogen/Gitzo how to spin the situation, relating it to "wheels on a car" etc and that "checking once a year" should be adequate. He also assured me that "even finger tight you can't knock the plate out, even with a rubber mallet"....then why was mine over-wrenched from the factory?

I think your solution is admirable but I'm hesitant to go that direction (why can't Gitzo get it right???) for concern on both weight and price "creep"......its ONLY 6 more oz and $70 but........the 3541XLS was at or past the upper end of both weight and cost already. Still thinking!!!

But I did want to express my gratitude for everyone's contributions earlier.

I just received my order. It's a very solid, secure and puts to rest worrying about the bolt/nut tightness for top plate.

Russ wrote:(why can't Gitzo get it right???)

Welcome to NSN Russ, the whole issue has been blown out of proportion, I like Greg's take on the matter.
I carry my Gitzo 1325 & 500L IS with a Wimberly II head and hike everywhere with it with absolutely no reservations.

Greg Downing wrote: 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...

Greg and others, I am thankful that you all have stepped up to address this.

Being the scapegoat for "blowing this issue way out of proportion", if nothing...I am good at scaring lots of folks into spending money for no reason

On a more serious note, I still sorely disagree with folks' mention of this being a "common sense" check, both out of the box and as part regular maintenance.

You can drum up similar sounding risk examples all day long, but others don't align like this. The quick release platforms are perfect example of user error. Horror stories involving loose QR plates are abound. Each comes with the recognition that they should have taken the time to check the connection and lift the rig by the lens to test.

To level the playing field (as in the gitzo situation), a business like Wimberley would need to start shipping their QR mechanisms with a loose metal screw. The QR mechanism appears function, receives normal pre-use tightening check, yet backs out while the setup is over your shoulder. Not only is this internal screw loose @ time of purchase, it now needs to be continually tightened and monitored before every use.

This would be a product failure!

If for some reason you see ever see that happen, I have confidence that a business like Wimberley would address the issue immediately- be it by checking all outgoing orders from that point, offering a fix for any affected models, updating to a working QR screw, posting a notice on their website, including educational card in their shipments informing buyer of potential risk, etc.

My 600IS rig was at risk from a gitzo tripod failure. I've contacted gitzo three times to address the issue and I get zero response, whatsoever. Instead, one of their reps logs on to the message board to post an announcement, highlighting statistics showing that they've historically got a great line of products, with an influx of inquiries on the new issue. Meanwhile, others are quick to jump in and say..."Shoulda checked your tripod base bolt...dumb@$$!"

But hey, at least half of my $1350 tripod rig is solid!

--
P.S. I would have been the first in line to get an NSN plate, but I had a more expensive piece fabricated to address the issue before it was available!