Can I put Sachtler head on Vinten legs?

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I want to pair my Sachtler 75mm ball head with Vinten 75mm legs.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Should be no problem.

For instance, I use a 75mm Vinten head in a generic 75mm to 100mm adapter in a 100mm Kessler Pocket Jib. It's plug and play.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I bought this expensive Sachtler tripod and have had nothing but trouble with the legs from day one.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/412239-REG/Sachtler_4588_4588_Speed_Lock_75.html
First, one of the legs stuck so I sent it back. Then same leg started slipping. I nearly lost my camera while filming a live performance when the leg gave out. I tried to tighten it myself and now one of the other legs is starting to slip. I only use the tripod 8 times a year and there are two 1 star reviews describing the same thing. I can't even sell the dam thing in good conscience. The legs are carbon fiber, light and strong but all that means nothing if you can't count on the legs locking.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Ouch! Glad you just *almost* lost your camera.

Some time ago, I shopped for a monopod at a local camera store with many options in stock. I wasn't shy on my budget and expected to get a carbon fiber model. To my surprise, they weren't much (if any) lighter than the aluminum models. In all cases but one, the connectors on the aluminum models were superior.

I don't know about your Sachtler tripod, but with the monopods, the sections were circular on the CF models. The connectors often screw to tighten and loosen and on all but one model, they wobbled. The aluminum sections, by contrast, are formed and you can click a tab on or off. The tolerances are better, so you get about 1/10th the wobble. I ended up getting a $60 aluminum monopod. The only one that was as sturdy and beat it by a few grams was a $250-ish CF version. The value proposition was obvious.

So, when it comes to sticks, be choosy about the connectors on CF models. They can be done very well, but not all are.

[Richard D. George]

I have several Sachtler fluid heads and use them with two sets of Gitzo CF legs with 75mm bowls. Others have done the same. Yet others have had success with Really Right Stuff CF legs with 75mm bowls.

[Alan Craven]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

I bought this expensive Sachtler tripod and have had nothing but trouble with the legs from day one.
Sachtler 4588 Speed Lock 75 CF Tripod w/ 75mm Bowl 4588 B&H

First, one of the legs stuck so I sent it back. Then same leg started slipping. I nearly lost my camera while filming a live performance when the leg gave out. I tried to tighten it myself and now one of the other legs is starting to slip. I only use the tripod 8 times a year and there are two 1 star reviews describing the same thing. I can't even sell the dam thing in good conscience. The legs are carbon fiber, light and strong but all that means nothing if you can't count on the legs locking.

I have had just the same problem with one leg of my hardly used Speedlock75. Amazingly I was told that they were not user adjustable! This strikes me as an appalling piece of "design" work.

I had to send the tripod back to Vinten In Bury St Edmunds. This cost me £13 carriage. the sole saving grace for Sachtler is that they got the repaired tripod back to me in 49 hours!

As the tripod had had very little use, I am now waiting for the next time with the next leg. An internal Sachtler e-mail that was copied to me mentioned that there seemed to be quite a few of these failures.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

The leg at issue is the second stage. When I first bought it stuck. I sent it back to the manufacturer expecting a replacement but they only adjusted loosening it which lead to it slipping.

I reexamined the tripod. It's a one lock system (the first stage locks both stages). The first stage lever lock is attached to rod with an oval cam at the end that goes to the second stage. As the rod turns, the cam presses against a screw which presses against the leg, locking it.

The adjustments are made with the screw. Unscrewing it backs the head out causing the cam to contact it sooner. In my case the screw was all the way out so I shimmed it with a couple pieces of aluminum flashing. The second stage leg locks but doesn't fully unlock so you have to pull the leg down. It's not right but it's working for now.

[Alan Craven]

Thanks for that. The problem occurred for me during my annual migration to New Zealand, so repair was not really an option.

I took the cover off the clamping mechanism at the time, but missed the adjustment screw. Merely tightening the four screws which fix the cover reduced the slippage for me.

I had thought of adding steel shim between the cam and the head, but the legs are still well within the warranty period..

I it happens again, which I expect it will, I will go looking for the screw.

[Zexun Tan]

Didn't read through the thread but I thought I can give my comments.

Sachtler head on Vinten leg, yes.

Vinten 75mm head on Sachtler 75mm head... likely no. My old Vinten VB couldn't pair with my Sachtler Speedlock 75. Tie-down knob was larger than the leg spread.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Thx good to know. I was planning Sachtler head on Vinten legs.

We're discussing a design flaw in Sachtler speed lock legs that can cause them to slip.

[Mark OConnell]

This problem with the legs is apparently a new development, manufacturing problem. I've been using the fibre speed lock legs that came with my FSB8 for four years now, almost daily, without a problem.