bnsf

Purchased this new tripod from a major camera company out on the East coast. Within a few days received the tripod and decided to inspect it along with trying it out. This is a heavy tripod due to the weigh of the fluid head on the tripod. After opening and setting up the tripod the head was loose on the base when everything else was tight. The manual that came with the unit shows you how to install the head and tighten it up. Never tells you that when you are panning that the head will become loose when you unlock the panning screw and come off of the tripod when the head lock is tight. Have emailed Sirui and have not received no reply back from them yet on this problem.
I would like to know if this is a common problem with this tripod and if anyone else has had this problem with the tripod?
Thank you.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Have you called B&H?

ggenova64

[quote=bnsf]Purchased this new tripod from a major camera company out on the East coast. Within a few days received the tripod and decided to inspect it along with trying it out. This is a heavy tripod due to the weigh of the fluid head on the tripod. After opening and setting up the tripod the head was loose on the base when everything else was tight. The manual that came with the unit shows you how to install the head and tighten it up. Never tells you that when you are panning that the head will become loose when you unlock the panning screw and come off of the tripod when the head lock is tight. Have emailed Sirui and have not received no reply back from them yet on this problem.
I would like to know if this is a common problem with this tripod and if anyone else has had this problem with the tripod?
Thank you.[/quote

Sirui
(973) 415-8082

ggenova64

(866) 373-0829

User ID

As best I can follow what you’ve written, there’s no defect. Unless there’s locking grub screws for the center cullumn’s top plate (like on a manfrotto) any tripod head will start to remove itself from the mounting plate if you try to pan (to the left) when the panning control is locked.

If there are no grub screws, you may hafta add a friction pad as a 2nd best solution to resist unscrewing the head. (Or just adopt correct operator habits.)
..

Rubber friction pad. Various sizes available from Hardware store.

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

Op described it as unscrewing with pan screw unlocked. That would be an issue. It is normal removal procedure to have it come off if panning to left while screws locked.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Someone mentions "grub screws" and many tripods use them to prevent problems like you're seeing.

To explain a little further...

1. Raise the tripods center column a few inches.
2. Turn the tripod upside down.
3. Look at the underside of the platform to which the head attaches.
4. Are there one or more screws there? (Usually recessed... Might be slotted screws or hex or other.)

If you find those grub screws...
1. loosen the grub screws a little...
2. install the head as tightly as you can by hand...
3. re-tighten the grub screws to secure the head and prevent it from unscrewing when in use.

If you ever need to remove the head for any reason, don't forget about those screws. They'll need to be loosened first.

EDIT:

Wait a minute... that's a video tripod, isn't it? If so, does it have a "bowl" to allow the head to be leveled? Something you loosen so that it can be adjusted to level, then re-tightened? That would be separate from any panning axis and locking mechanisms. Are you sure you're loosening and tightening the right things?

All I could find online is a one-page instruction "manual"... in Chinese! Doesn't do me much good!

User ID

He also says it came off when the pan screw is tight. He is quite unclear, thus keeping with UHH tradition.

Perhaps it does come loose even with the pan unlocked. The drag could be set too snug and the mounting interface lacking in friction. Hard to say.

I generally assume user error, but there are occasionally those rare exceptions. When there are no pix of the culprits I’ll be especially inclined toward user error.