Tripod fluid heads leaking or other problems?

Federico Dib · January 25th, 2004, 12:14 PM

Hey Lorinda,
Thanx for you answer..

I did check with my Tripod Dealer since It´s still is under warranty, but since no leak is visible.. they just say it´s the normal friction it has, so they won´t change it or repair it...

I´m almost sure it wasn´t that hard before...

Anyway I´ll check to see if there´s a Manfrotto repair department closer to me than New Jersey (I´m in Spain :-)).

If they charge more than those 24$ I just try to sell the thing and try to get a used Liebec or just a better manfrotto head...

But just out of curiosity
Anyone knows the exact "Grease" they use?

Mike Rehmus · January 25th, 2004, 05:48 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Federico Dib :

But I feel that panning is getting harder... And it was a hard panner to start with.

Can this "grease" solidify? and if so Why? Could cold, or water change it´s performance?

Can I "Lubricate it" myself? I opened the Head and saw it´s mechanism.. very simple thing... and very easy to lubricate... but I don´t want to screw the thing.

How can I make it pan like it used to? -->>>

The grease does indeed dry out because it isn't sealed inside. The thickners are usually a type of soap.

I've seen self-lubricated fluid-friction heads. They usually never work correctly again.

Send it in and they should reload it with fresh grease.

Lorinda Norton · February 13th, 2004, 03:22 PM

Well, Jeff was right. He told me to expect Bogen to find that nothing is wrong with my 516.

They wiped off the grease and sent it back.

I still don't know where the grease came from, but will just make the best of this purchase while I save up for something else. :)

Mike Rehmus · February 13th, 2004, 07:09 PM

Hey Frederico. You aren't all that far from where the tripod head was manufactured. Just slightly south in Italy. Take a trip and drop by their plant?

Federico Dib · February 13th, 2004, 09:00 PM

I´d take the trip just for the fun of it... but I don´t think they´d be much help...
Iv´e been bothering them lately by e-mail to get answers about the lube and all that... and they bounced my messages to the Madrid Distributor. and here is what they say (quote):

-->>>>"Regarding your head 700RC2, the lubricant or grease this head has, is a grease that does not dissapear.
It may solidify a little with the cold and time out of use, but with new movements it comes back to it´s normal state.
But If you like, you can send it to our tech service to check it and "tune" it."<<<<<------

Of course this tech service is in Madrid, and they charge for it. Just sending it will be way too much money for a 90€ head.

And now a basic economics question:
If they made these stuff in Italy... and Italy is not far from Spain, and both are from Europe Community (free commerce or whatever)... WHY ARE MANFROTTO STUFF SO MUCH CHEAPER IN THE USA, across the Athlantic, whith much likely a lot of taxes, etc.?

Steven Digges · February 18th, 2004, 10:22 AM

I have a 516 head also. When it first arrived it had the stiction problem on pan being discussed in a thread near this one. It also leaked and popped like Rice Crispies. I sent it back and they sent me a new head. The new one is not leaking yet or sticking but it does pop. When I inquired about this Bogen said the popping is normal. Normal? Of all the things a head should be, noisy is not one of them. Between head, half ball, sticks and case I have well over $1,000.00 invested. I used to be a fan of Bogen products, I’m not now. Anyone with Manfrotto products that stick, leak or pop should send them back or at least let them know about the unacceptable issues.

Also, the Bogen hard case I have (made by Bagley with a Bogen sticker on it) is not made well enough for air travel. It has a single latch that comes pops open and the overall construction is not strong enough to survive much baggage handling.

Steve

David Ho · March 8th, 2004, 03:54 AM

I just checked my Velbon Videomate 607 tripod... it seems that in the cranks/knobs that you turn or roll, there is a sticky substance. Now I believe it would be grease to even up/smooth out the cranking substances in which you have to turn (on the knobs or cranks).... or it MIGHT be leaking pan fluid (?). I dunno.

Frank Granovski · March 8th, 2004, 04:09 AM

David, you have a small cam, right? Consider a fluid-action head, like a Manfrotto 128RC or 136. They won't leak. Trust me. :-))

David Ho · March 8th, 2004, 04:17 AM

I have a GL2... dunno if you consider that small or not. I would say medium midsize :)

But, I dunno ... I JUST got this tripod too, it only has the greasy substance around the inside of the knobs, but no fluid on the actual panhead itself.

Frank Granovski · March 8th, 2004, 05:47 AM

Wipe it clean, and the see if you get more. If you do, and it's a cheap tripod, just junk it.

Jeff Donald · March 8th, 2004, 06:05 AM

The Velbon 607 is a friction head style tripod. It is not a fluid head. The grease is just that, grease. It is used to smooth the friction and give a more fluid effect to the friction movements. The grease may stain your clothing, but unless your very messy it would be hard to get into the camera. Try to avoid any optical surfaces coming in contact with the grease (lens, LCD screen, view finder). Grease can be difficult to remove, but won't cause any real long lasting damage.

Frank is right, wipe it up and if the tripod gives you problems or doesn't meet your performance expectations then junk it.

David Ho · March 8th, 2004, 01:08 PM

Bah! Wasted $80 for nothing.... I will wipe it.. I never notice it on the "head" itself, but like I said before, mostly in between the knobs... I guess it is just grease. However, I would hate if somehow the camcorder would get the grease on it. The thing is that the camcorder itself is hooked onto a plate which attaches to the top of the tripod, so I guess it shouldn't cause any problems. But do you think the Bogens or Libec M20s... or something similar that costs maybe $150 or more = greaseless and worth it?

I am getting the $250 Canon GL2 rebate soon and most likely will buy some more accessories..

I am disappointed at myself and regret buying ...as they say, "junk" ! :-(

January 25th, 2004, 12:14 PM	#16
Federico Dib Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Barcelona Posts: 312	Hey Lorinda, Thanx for you answer.. I did check with my Tripod Dealer since It´s still is under warranty, but since no leak is visible.. they just say it´s the normal friction it has, so they won´t change it or repair it... I´m almost sure it wasn´t that hard before... Anyway I´ll check to see if there´s a Manfrotto repair department closer to me than New Jersey (I´m in Spain :-)). If they charge more than those 24$ I just try to sell the thing and try to get a used Liebec or just a better manfrotto head... But just out of curiosity Anyone knows the exact "Grease" they use? __________________ Messenger Boy : The Thessalonian you're fighting, he's the biggest man I've ever seen. I wouldn't want to fight him. Achilles : That is why no one will remember your name.

January 25th, 2004, 05:48 PM	#17
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	<<<-- Originally posted by Federico Dib : But I feel that panning is getting harder... And it was a hard panner to start with. Can this "grease" solidify? and if so Why? Could cold, or water change it´s performance? Can I "Lubricate it" myself? I opened the Head and saw it´s mechanism.. very simple thing... and very easy to lubricate... but I don´t want to screw the thing. How can I make it pan like it used to? -->>> The grease does indeed dry out because it isn't sealed inside. The thickners are usually a type of soap. I've seen self-lubricated fluid-friction heads. They usually never work correctly again. Send it in and they should reload it with fresh grease. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

February 13th, 2004, 03:22 PM	#18
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	"unit checks ok" Well, Jeff was right. He told me to expect Bogen to find that nothing is wrong with my 516. They wiped off the grease and sent it back. I still don't know where the grease came from, but will just make the best of this purchase while I save up for something else. :)

February 13th, 2004, 07:09 PM	#19
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Hey Frederico. You aren't all that far from where the tripod head was manufactured. Just slightly south in Italy. Take a trip and drop by their plant? __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

February 13th, 2004, 09:00 PM	#20
Federico Dib Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Barcelona Posts: 312	I´d take the trip just for the fun of it... but I don´t think they´d be much help... Iv´e been bothering them lately by e-mail to get answers about the lube and all that... and they bounced my messages to the Madrid Distributor. and here is what they say (quote): -->>>>"Regarding your head 700RC2, the lubricant or grease this head has, is a grease that does not dissapear. It may solidify a little with the cold and time out of use, but with new movements it comes back to it´s normal state. But If you like, you can send it to our tech service to check it and "tune" it."<<<<<------ Of course this tech service is in Madrid, and they charge for it. Just sending it will be way too much money for a 90€ head. And now a basic economics question: If they made these stuff in Italy... and Italy is not far from Spain, and both are from Europe Community (free commerce or whatever)... WHY ARE MANFROTTO STUFF SO MUCH CHEAPER IN THE USA, across the Athlantic, whith much likely a lot of taxes, etc.? __________________ Messenger Boy : The Thessalonian you're fighting, he's the biggest man I've ever seen. I wouldn't want to fight him. Achilles : That is why no one will remember your name.

February 18th, 2004, 10:22 AM	#21
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	I have a 516 head also. When it first arrived it had the stiction problem on pan being discussed in a thread near this one. It also leaked and popped like Rice Crispies. I sent it back and they sent me a new head. The new one is not leaking yet or sticking but it does pop. When I inquired about this Bogen said the popping is normal. Normal? Of all the things a head should be, noisy is not one of them. Between head, half ball, sticks and case I have well over $1,000.00 invested. I used to be a fan of Bogen products, I’m not now. Anyone with Manfrotto products that stick, leak or pop should send them back or at least let them know about the unacceptable issues. Also, the Bogen hard case I have (made by Bagley with a Bogen sticker on it) is not made well enough for air travel. It has a single latch that comes pops open and the overall construction is not strong enough to survive much baggage handling. Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!

March 8th, 2004, 03:54 AM	#22
David Ho Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 354	I just checked my Velbon Videomate 607 tripod... it seems that in the cranks/knobs that you turn or roll, there is a sticky substance. Now I believe it would be grease to even up/smooth out the cranking substances in which you have to turn (on the knobs or cranks).... or it MIGHT be leaking pan fluid (?). I dunno. __________________ "Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film."

March 8th, 2004, 04:09 AM	#23
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	David, you have a small cam, right? Consider a fluid-action head, like a Manfrotto 128RC or 136. They won't leak. Trust me. :-))

March 8th, 2004, 04:17 AM	#24
David Ho Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 354	I have a GL2... dunno if you consider that small or not. I would say medium midsize :) But, I dunno ... I JUST got this tripod too, it only has the greasy substance around the inside of the knobs, but no fluid on the actual panhead itself. __________________ "Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film."

March 8th, 2004, 05:47 AM	#25
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Wipe it clean, and the see if you get more. If you do, and it's a cheap tripod, just junk it.

March 8th, 2004, 06:05 AM	#26
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	The Velbon 607 is a friction head style tripod. It is not a fluid head. The grease is just that, grease. It is used to smooth the friction and give a more fluid effect to the friction movements. The grease may stain your clothing, but unless your very messy it would be hard to get into the camera. Try to avoid any optical surfaces coming in contact with the grease (lens, LCD screen, view finder). Grease can be difficult to remove, but won't cause any real long lasting damage. Frank is right, wipe it up and if the tripod gives you problems or doesn't meet your performance expectations then junk it. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

March 8th, 2004, 01:08 PM	#27
David Ho Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 354	Bah! Wasted $80 for nothing.... I will wipe it.. I never notice it on the "head" itself, but like I said before, mostly in between the knobs... I guess it is just grease. However, I would hate if somehow the camcorder would get the grease on it. The thing is that the camcorder itself is hooked onto a plate which attaches to the top of the tripod, so I guess it shouldn't cause any problems. But do you think the Bogens or Libec M20s... or something similar that costs maybe $150 or more = greaseless and worth it? I am getting the $250 Canon GL2 rebate soon and most likely will buy some more accessories.. I am disappointed at myself and regret buying ...as they say, "junk" ! :-( __________________ "Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film."