Manfrotto Plate Oddness

[Peter Rush]

Not wedding related but I think the collective knowledge here will help me out.

I've just bought a Manfrotto 234RC head and QR plate but the plate did not come with a locating pin. It does however have 3 holes for locating pins but they are not threaded. As cameras have holes for locating pins that are not threaded I am a little perplexed. It's to go on a monopod for the wife's CX730 (soon to be upgraded) and within a few minutes use it spins loose. I could glue a pin in there with epoxy resin I suppose but still - what am I missing?

Pete

[Dave Baker]

Now you mention it, I have several of these plates and I just checked, only one has a locating pin. It's a push-in plastic pin. I've never had a camera come loose while in use, I just lined the hole up with the camera hole and screwed the plate on good and (finger) tight. The odd thing is, I'd never realised!:-)

Dave

[Peter Rush]

Ah so basically i need to order this seperately - hmmmm

[Dave Baker]

I'm not sure about that Peter, I do know that one of my sets is not genuine Manfrotto, but I couldn't tell you if that's the one with the pin.

Dave

[Pete Cofrancesco]

The pins don't screw in, I believe they snap in place.

Manfrotto Video Pins for Select Quick-Release Plates R200.79 B&H

[Dave Baker]

The Manfrotto page shows the pin as part of the package https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/accessor...se-plate-200pl which begs the question, why don't I have them either?

Dave

[Peter Rush]

Well it's a genuine manfrotto head and plate set but unless i can buy a pin i'm not prepared to buy another plate just for that pin - i'll send it back and look for something else

[Dave Blackhurst]

Same general boat, I have a bunch of those QR plates, and matching heads on various things! Most of mine don't have the alignment pin either, and I've never run into a problem with a camera coming lose - the little fold out handle on my 1/4"-20 screw provides more than enough leverage to tighten adequately, in fact I'm afraid to tighten it TOO much.

Those plastic pins (found ONE plate with a pin in it...) are indeed the "solution", and just press fit in from the top. Once in, they'd be hard to lose.

None of my still cameras have a hole for the alignment pin, so I'd have to guess that they either don't include them at all (since still camera people would just lose or toss them), or they are in a tiny "parts" bag that gets lost somewhere before it gets to the end user...

[Jeff Pulera]

The plate for my older Bogen micro fluid head has the pin, while the newer (Manfrotto) head I bought recently does not have the pin, but the new plate has never come loose or turned on me during a shoot.

What's I've found though is that the plate says "Lens" with an arrow on the bottom and I have to orient it the right direction for it to lock into the base. Slightly annoying - I miss my pin since in dim lighting in can be hard to read the underside.

Thanks

Jeff

[Danny O'Neill]

They look like those little plastic connectors from Lego Technic. You know the ones which you had to use your teeth to remove.

[Peter Rush]

Yes but you can't seem to buy them?

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

Yes but you can't seem to buy them?

I posted a link a couple weeks ago

[Chris Soucy]

Hi guys..............

The basic problem here is the history of this type of head. Originally designed and marketed for cassette film SLR's, which do not use VHS pins, they are more and more being used by videographers who's cameras, in the main, do use VHS pin rotate restraints.

If you are shooting video using a DSLR you can most probably sort the problem using one of these plates:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554160-REG/Manfrotto_200PLARCH_14_200PLARCH_14_Architectural_Anti_Twist_Quick.html

though, as that anti twist plate is actually capable of sliding for and aft by about 2 centimeters or so you may be able to mount a "proper" video camera sideways, especially if using a mono-pod.

Note also that you can reverse the direction of the sliding plate through 180 degrees by simply prising off the attachment screw retaining circlip, removing the screw, sliding off the plate, rotating it 180 degrees and reversing the above procedure.

Do have a team of blood hounds standing by as the clip will most likely go into low earth orbit the moment it is flicked off (mine did!)

Regards,


CS

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

Yes but you can't seem to buy them?

Sorry yes - see that now - will order!