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Manfrotto tripod and head are they compatible? (1 Viewer)

u9jzp6

Well-known member
Hi,

I recently bought a manfrotto 290 xtra aluminum tripod legs with a 128RC head, they came together in the same box. The head does not stay attached properly.

I think the attached photo shows what the problem is.

Is that how the head should attach to the legs? Shouldn't the screw go into the goove rather than be part of the way in and part out? (In the photo there is a gap between the head and legs so you can see how the screw seems to be misplaced.)



Thanks
 

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Might be a silly observation, but you must loosen the screw close to the edge so that it doesn't protrude.

After doing that, tighten the head around the central screw. Once it's properly seated, tighten the edge screw so that it makes pressure over the base of the head. That edge screw prevents the head from rotating on the tripod base.
 
Might be a silly observation, but you must loosen the screw close to the edge so that it doesn't protrude.

After doing that, tighten the head around the central screw. Once it's properly seated, tighten the edge screw so that it makes pressure over the base of the head. That edge screw prevents the head from rotating on the tripod base.

That is what I do. But it doesn't hold. I think that is because the screw is supposed to go into the groove around the perimeter which has depressions that would seem to be meant for the screw to go into. As it is, the screw does not go into the groove and I think that is why it doesn't hold the head securely.

If the screw was a few millimeters to the right in the photo then I think it would go into the groove and hold correctly.

I left that gap between the head and the legs just so people can see what I am referring to in the photo.
 
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Those grub screws are there to stop the head from loosening.

For what it's worth, when I had Manfrotto tripods, I removed those grub screws and put them back in the box the tripod came in - never had an issue with the head loosening. My Gitzo tripods have similar grub screws - never use them - heads never come loose. Just take it/them out, screw the head down firmly and forget about them.
 
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