Roland W Offline Upload & Sell: On
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For issues related to the column platform, I have used a technique to eliminate the platform on my smallish Gitzo series 2, and also for a friend on a Gitzo series 1. I also do the same on some of my Gitzo Series 3 columns. To make the change you take the platform and its screw hardware completely off. You prepare a 3/8 inch stainless set screw of about 1 inch or 1.25 inch length by adding a low profile self locking nut, the kind that has a plastic insert to cause it to self lock to threads. If you use an ordinary height one, it is too tall to work, but the low profile ones I purchased just fit. You assemble it so the flat side of the nut faces down, and the hex socket of the set screw it up. You then thread it in to the recess in the top of the column, and tighten it in place using a hex L wrench in the socket. The top of the nut goes just below the top face of the column, and you end up with a 3/8 inch stud sticking out of your column. You then can screw any 3/8 inch threaded ball head on to the column directly. You can also put other items on your column if you wish, including some versions of quick release clamps that have 3/8 inch threads.
From a support point of view, you do not have the wide bearing surface of the column platform mating against the ball head, but the original platform that you removed had the small bearing diameter of the column against the bottom of it, so the stiffness and bearing issues should be the same for this as they were for the original assembly. For some ball heads they may not have a nice smooth surface right at the smaller diameter of the column top fitting, but for all my Really Right Stuff ball heads from BH-30 to BH-55, they can be put on Series 1 and Series 2 columns and bear well. If you run in to a ball head that does not bear well, you could add a wide area washer between the column fitting and the ball head, as long as it diameter was the same or larger than the column fitting.
As far as locking the ball head on the column, that is an issue that you need to consider. The newer Gitzo Series 2 column plates have dual setscrews for locking, but the Series 1 plates do not have setscrews, and rely on tightening of the head to the column. With my adaption using a set screw and locking nut, you do need to rely on hand tightening of the head to the column. The stud is locked in place in the column fitting because of tightening the locking nut in to the column, so that part stays put, but good hand tightening of the head on to the assembly requires a fair amount of hand strength. For my friend that has less hand strength, I am in the process of making some wrenches out of nylon that will look like lens filter wrenches, and will allow easier tightening of the ball head base to the column with out any marring or damage.
With this approach the issues of the lever or knob on a clamp hitting the column platform goes away. You can choose to store or use the clamp with the lever or knob either up or down when the ball stem is in the slot. Since I almost always us an L plate, I very rarely end up with the stem down to the bottom of the side slot for shooting, but still for me clearance for storage is a consideration. And for storage I do like the lever downward tucked in beside the column for better protection if the tripod is miss handled or dropped.
And this technique does save just a little weight compared to the regular platform, which is a nice benefit for small tripods. The interference issues and the weight are both reasons I do this. I had been using this on Gitzo Series 3 tripod columns since before the platforms had setscrews for locking. Now that they have locking setscrews I am kind of mixed, and have one Series 3 column that I use the original platform with its locking setscrews. But on another column where I have a RRS lever clamp on it, I use the set screw stud approach for that. This method is not for everyone, but I though it may be of interest to some.
Here is a link to the low profile self locking nut I used. This company also has the stainless setscrews available in various lengths.
http://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Details.aspx?product=7723
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