Details of Benbo ball head?

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bugbear - 12 May 2008 10:56 GMT

I just lucked into a Benbo 1 tripod at a car boot
sale, for a delightful price.

When I got it home, I discovered that the
tightening heads for the column and legs
didn't move smoothly; however since I also
enjoy tuning and restoring handtools,
I simply removed the knobs, which have a
simple 1/4" thread, ran a bottoming tap up
and down the hole, and ran a cleaning die
down the bolt, which removed some loose plastic
"flash" in 2 of the knobs. The tightening knobs now
run beautifully; 1/2 a turn from slack to solid.

I have found that other people have complained
of this stickiness, so I guess Benbo's QA could
do with improvement. Not a big task for me
and my workshop though :-)

The tripod has a ball head. This has a simple rectangular plate,
with a hole, partially threaded 3/8". There is no bolt
or tightener.

So - can anyone with a similar head give me details
or source for the camera holding bolt?

BugBear

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Chris Malcolm - 12 May 2008 12:29 GMT

In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:

> I just lucked into a Benbo 1 tripod at a car boot
> sale, for a delightful price.

> When I got it home, I discovered that the
> tightening heads for the column and legs
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> "flash" in 2 of the knobs. The tightening knobs now
> run beautifully; 1/2 a turn from slack to solid.

> I have found that other people have complained
> of this stickiness, so I guess Benbo's QA could
> do with improvement. Not a big task for me
> and my workshop though :-)

> The tripod has a ball head. This has a simple rectangular plate,
> with a hole, partially threaded 3/8". There is no bolt
> or tightener.

> So - can anyone with a similar head give me details
> or source for the camera holding bolt?

The spare bolts for many kinds of plate are interchangeable. It'll be
much easier to find one that will do rather than the very specific one
that's missing. Take the plate to a good camera shop.

Signature

Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

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bugbear - 12 May 2008 13:26 GMT

> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> much easier to find one that will do rather than the very specific one
> that's missing. Take the plate to a good camera shop.

I was hoping to get the job done cheaper than that ;-)

I've gone through a similar exercise for a bolt
for a Gitzo, and didn't much like the price
of a single bolt!!

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.photo.digital/browse_thread/thread/cd1f23bf89
e8735a/c8f512fb34edad03#c8f512fb34edad03

The Gitzo bolt I eventually got almost works in the Benbo;
but 3/8" section is a little too long.

But I have taps, dies and files in my workshop... (no lathe)

BugBear

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bugbear - 13 May 2008 10:00 GMT

>> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>> much easier to find one that will do rather than the very specific one
>> that's missing. Take the plate to a good camera shop.

I note (from searching) that "most" benbo ball
heads had/have a round plate that runs up-and-down
the main thread that emerges from the ball.

Mine is not like this; it has a proper plate:

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f234/bugbear33/photo_tech/?action=view&current
=benbo_head.jpg

BugBear

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bugbear - 13 May 2008 10:14 GMT

>>> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> heads had/have a round plate that runs up-and-down
> the main thread that emerges from the ball.

http://www.patersonphotographic.com/benbo-ballsocketheads.html

BugBear

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Tzortzakakis Dimitrios - 13 May 2008 15:10 GMT

>>> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Mine is not like this; it has a proper plate:

And which tripod did you use to take the photo of that tripod? Isn't that a
bit of a paradox?

Signature

Tzortzakakis Dimitrios
major in electrical engineering
mechanized infantry reservist
hordad AT otenet DOT gr
NB:I killfile googlegroups.

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bugbear - 13 May 2008 15:26 GMT

>>>> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>>>>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>>
>> Mine is not like this; it has a proper plate:

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f234/bugbear33/photo_tech/?action=view&current
=benbo_head.jpg

> And which tripod did you use to take the photo of that tripod? Isn't that a
> bit of a paradox?

I think paradox may be overstating. In fact it's not even
a contradiction.

Here's the secret: I've got more than one tripod.
(although I suppose I could also have taken the photo
hand held ;-)

BugBear

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Jürgen Exner - 13 May 2008 15:37 GMT

>And which tripod did you use to take the photo of that tripod? Isn't that a
>bit of a paradox?

If you insist on taking a photo of the tripod while using the tripod you
could e.g. use mirrors.

jue

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bugbear - 14 May 2008 11:20 GMT

>> And which tripod did you use to take the photo of that tripod? Isn't that a
>> bit of a paradox?
>
> If you insist on taking a photo of the tripod while using the tripod you
> could e.g. use mirrors.

You mean like taking a photo of your camera
on a pano head, having only one camera?

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f234/bugbear33/pano_head.jpg

BugBear (1 camera, 1 panohead, several tripods)

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Allen - 13 May 2008 17:59 GMT

>>>> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>>>>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> And which tripod did you use to take the photo of that tripod? Isn't that a
> bit of a paradox?

Reminds of something funny I heard last night of the Tonight Show (a
popular night-time US TV show). The host read a story about a robbery
that failed. A man went into a small store with only two employees.
After several misfires including losing his mask when he drew his gun
and mistaking a file cabinet for a safe, he handed one of the employees
a roll of duct tape and told him to tie up the other one. Then he told
the freshly tied up one to do same to the other one. The man told him
that he would have to unbind him if he wanted him to do that. The
would-be robber then took off running. To me, that was an extreme paradox.
Allen

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bugbear - 16 May 2008 12:10 GMT

>> In rec.photo.digital bugbear <bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> But I have taps, dies and files in my workshop... (no lathe)

I finally did a cheap job; I'm using a
simple 1/4" bolt, with a large nut on the back for tightening.
The bolt is made captive in the tripod-head-plate
by a simple rubber 'O' ring, costing 5 pence (UK).

BugBear

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