John Russell
Well-known member
Earlier this year I purchased a Zeiss Diascope 65, straight version.
The dealer sold me a Manfrotto quick-release adaptor with 3/8" threads top and bottom. I should be very reluctant to secure my scope to a tripod head with 1/4" thread via the Zeiss 1/4" adaptor with a mere two thread spirals!
While not a fan of Manfrotto gear in general, the quick-release adaptor does its job very well and is moderately priced.
I attached everything to a 20 year-old Gitzo No. 4 tripod and 3D head. This was all something of a mismatch as the tripod and head weighed about 5,5kg. While the tripod is not bad for the purpose - it goes high (I am 190cm) for straight viewing - the head alone accounted for 1750g. Moreover the pan function was either on or off, while the tilt function was very stiff. It was, after all, designed for heavy large-format cameras.
It seemed to me that a ball head might be a better and lighter solution but it would need to have a tension adjustment. This link http://www.wohlberg.net/public/photo/ballheads.html gives a good overview of what is available. I tried out FLM heads with 32mm and 38mm balls at my local camera dealer and found the 32mm version to be quite adequate and purchased a CB32F-0 for €80. This has no top plate, just a 3/8" stud, to which I attached the Manfrotto quick-release. It has the advantage of being cheaper and keeping the centre of gravity of the scope as low as possible.
For use with a scope this is a vast improvement on the old 3D head. It is very well made and, with a weight of only 240g, it has saved me 1,5kg! Having adjusted the friction one just points the scope and it stays there without needing to be locked. It allows 30° of tilt up or down. If more is required then one would have to drop the ball spindle into the "vertical format" notch and loosen the centre column of the tripod to pan but this would be a rare requirement.
For those with heavy or poorly balanced scopes there is a version of the 38mm FLM Centerball which can be locked to provide tilt only and there are, of course, excellent alternatives from Arca-Swiss, Foba, Markins and Really Right Stuff, among others.
The dealer sold me a Manfrotto quick-release adaptor with 3/8" threads top and bottom. I should be very reluctant to secure my scope to a tripod head with 1/4" thread via the Zeiss 1/4" adaptor with a mere two thread spirals!
While not a fan of Manfrotto gear in general, the quick-release adaptor does its job very well and is moderately priced.
I attached everything to a 20 year-old Gitzo No. 4 tripod and 3D head. This was all something of a mismatch as the tripod and head weighed about 5,5kg. While the tripod is not bad for the purpose - it goes high (I am 190cm) for straight viewing - the head alone accounted for 1750g. Moreover the pan function was either on or off, while the tilt function was very stiff. It was, after all, designed for heavy large-format cameras.
It seemed to me that a ball head might be a better and lighter solution but it would need to have a tension adjustment. This link http://www.wohlberg.net/public/photo/ballheads.html gives a good overview of what is available. I tried out FLM heads with 32mm and 38mm balls at my local camera dealer and found the 32mm version to be quite adequate and purchased a CB32F-0 for €80. This has no top plate, just a 3/8" stud, to which I attached the Manfrotto quick-release. It has the advantage of being cheaper and keeping the centre of gravity of the scope as low as possible.
For use with a scope this is a vast improvement on the old 3D head. It is very well made and, with a weight of only 240g, it has saved me 1,5kg! Having adjusted the friction one just points the scope and it stays there without needing to be locked. It allows 30° of tilt up or down. If more is required then one would have to drop the ball spindle into the "vertical format" notch and loosen the centre column of the tripod to pan but this would be a rare requirement.
For those with heavy or poorly balanced scopes there is a version of the 38mm FLM Centerball which can be locked to provide tilt only and there are, of course, excellent alternatives from Arca-Swiss, Foba, Markins and Really Right Stuff, among others.
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