View Full Version : Tripod mounts in the metric world


Boyd Ostroff
June 15th, 2005, 07:58 PM
OK, this may be a dumb question, but hopefully someone in a country that uses the metric system can provide a little guidance...

Tripod mounts on our prosumer cameras in the US have a 1/4 inch coarse thread which is sometimes refered to as 1/4-20 or 1/4 NC. I'm just assuming that the same size mount is used on the metric version of these same cameras and tripods.

So my question is, would it still be designated as 1/4 inch? Or would it be refered to with the nearest metric size equivalent? I need to spec a tripod to use in a metric country and want to be sure the terminology is recognizable since there's a language barrier as well. I also want to be sure their tripod will fit my US camera (Sony Z1).

Kyle Ringin
June 15th, 2005, 09:10 PM
We measure things the right way here in Australia (the metric way...) but all (consumer/prosumer) cameras have 1/4" internal threads on the bottom, and all (consumer/prosumer) tripods have 1/4" external threads on them - you should have no problems.

Cheers

Trond Saetre
June 16th, 2005, 03:21 AM
Same thing here in Norway. 1/4 inch threads.

And Boyd, there are no dumb questions, but there might be dumb answers. lol

Mathiu Zimmermann
June 16th, 2005, 06:09 AM
Actually I ran into the same question a couple of days ago trying to get me a certain tripod mount. I asked Sachtler.

They said, that there is an international standard almost anywhere using

1/4" 20-UNC
3/8" 16-UNC

Further specifications can be found on the web.

Ed Liew
June 16th, 2005, 10:25 AM
ok,this is not with regards to tripod mount but i did noticed that the magiqcam bearings are in inch and here in malaysia where metric is used, i can't find any replacement for bearing or screw. so my advice is, buy extra parts which you think need maintainance replacement in the near future when you buy from country using different measuring scale. my 2 cents.