Been long enough for me to ask a dumb question again

I just ordered a Bogem/Manfrotto 625/3296 quick release adapter for one of my tripods. The big incentive was that the tripod has a 3/8 screw and none of my cameras do. Since this is the same hex plate (3049) that I have on my 3047 head, I thought it was a good solution...

Now that the order is placed, I'm sitting here looking at the 3047 and wondering just how strong that quick release is? Sure, two sides fit nicely into beveled grooves, but the release side has only that small rotating disk that contacts about 1/4 surface area. Now I'm worried if it can really handle a 16 pound camera at an angle, with a wind and bumped by a clumsy photographer

Anyone out there have any real life disaster experience with this? Any comments on how strong you think this thing is? Ever use it for something more than 20 pounds and live to tell the story? Or should I retap the holes in my camera for 3/8?

We've been hanging the old all-metal Calumet view cameras at school on those at all sorts of odd angles for years with no problems, and a freshman college class is about as clumsy as you can get. They've plugged a sync cord into a flashmeter* and the wall outlet (rather spectacular result, from what I hear), but haven't mananged to knock over the view cameras.

Once somebody took the RB67 off the tripod and didn't know how to put it back on, so they just set it on top of the mount without locking it in :eek:. Luckily, somebody noticed and fixed it before anybody touched it.


*we still use that meter. Something rattles inside, and it obviously won't fire the flash anymore, but it still works n non-cord mode.

I use an old 3047 to hold my 8x10 Orbit - the black version of the Calumet C-1. My 3047 is different than most, in that the quick release is not spring loaded - it has a screw to attach it.

The camera and lens weigh 23-24 pounds, and the head holds the weight - no problems, although the head appears spindly for such a huge camera.
j.e.simmons

First off, what kind of flashmeter? I may buy one just to have something indestructible!

The 3047 seems to be border-line in comments. Although I've never heard of one breaking, some people do recommend something stronger for the large 8x10's and up. Some people use the 3047 for just about everything up to 12x20 as I remember.

That old Calumet is a considerable camera. I sometimes think I should have bought one myself. I like them. But I ran into an inexpensive Burke & James Commercial View and bought it without much thought. 16+ pounds without a lens or holder and quite unwieldy. I've used it on the 3047 but never at an angle. With a bit of luck & work, I'll be moving to a much lighter Century Universal 8x10 very soon. Oddly enough, there I worry more about the camera. All that lost weight makes the camera itself seem a bit fragile. Hopefully I'll get used to that though... And it doesn't have the tripod mount slide like the B&J so I can't center the weight.

I suppose I'll have these concerns until I break something myself... And it probably has a lot to do with perceptions. I had similar thoughts when I got my first 4x5's. Now they look small & light to me and I don't worry about them at all. Maybe what I should do is buy a 12x20 or 20x24? Using that a few times would make my 8x10's seem like 4x5's

Or maybe I'll take a photo class at the local college? Seems like that would provide some nice entertainment