Quick release plate tightening?

beyond the blue

beyond the blue

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Neil
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Father Christmas has just gave me a Manfrotto ball head with quick release system. I am having difficulty getting the plate sufficiently tight enough to the base of my D90 to overcome the weight of a 70-300 lens in portrait orientation, I have checked the depth of the screw and its way off bottoming in the camera base, it just appears that I need to screw it tighter than I can with my hand to get the friction neccessary, it doesn't help that the base of the camera is plastic and not rubber I'm frightened of damaging the camera if I use anymore force. Has anyone any tips before I do some damage?
 
If its a D ring and also a screw slot you may well have to give it a 1/4 turn with a screw driver .

You should be able to feel the resistance get stronger so as not to over do it .
Its impossible to tell you how tight it should be as its more of a feel .
Rob.
 
If it's the type that has a thin washer between the plate and the screw, make sure that the washer is not catching on the edge of the hole as it'll slip in operation and everything will go slack. Took me a while to realise that was happening.
 
gad-westy said:
If it's the type that has a thin washer between the plate and the screw, make sure that the washer is not catching on the edge of the hole as it'll slip in operation and everything will go slack. Took me a while to realise that was happening.
Click to expand...

^^^ This ^^^

(y)
 
sounds like you need a tripod mount ring on the lens so its mounted nearer the center of balance.dont go overtightening it you could strip the thread or pull the insert out.
 
I have a canon 70-300mm lens and I'm afraid the weight of the lens is just too great for my tripod. It slowly droops! I do use a coin to tighten my plate onto my camera.

As Chris954 said, I think we need a tripod mount ring to more evenly distribute the weight and stop the lens moving. They are ridiculously expensive for the Canon for what they are :| and no cheap copies are available as far as I know. Perhaps Nikon are better value?
 
gad-westy said:
If it's the type that has a thin washer between the plate and the screw, make sure that the washer is not catching on the edge of the hole as it'll slip in operation and everything will go slack. Took me a while to realise that was happening.
Click to expand...

Yes I noticed that this morning it's a very thin washer and serving no purpose really so I removed it as it had distorted. I've just had a play with it again tonight and it seems to have improved slightly as the rubber on the plate has indented to the shape of the camera base more than it had this morning.
 
Bebop said:
I emailed someone supplying them on eBay and they said it didn't fit. I know the Canon 70-200 ones don't fit :( I think I was quoted £150 for a Canon one. :eek:
Click to expand...

Guess there's probably not such a market. Measured the diameter? Must be one that'll fit?
 
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