Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

I’d send it to camera repair maybe even Nikon. Then I’d get either a l bracket or a cage and keep it on if you only ever shoot it from a tripod. You seem to be a wildlife shooter which should mean large heavy lens? If so you should be using a lens tripod ring to balance the weight.

Btw, where are you in central coast? I’m in Santa Barbara.

ddgm Loc: Hamilton, Ontario & Fort Myers, FL

If the thread is truly ruined then Heli Coil it.

Clapperboard

[quote=Dr. Joel Germond]Has anyone ever had a problem with the threads on the inside of the tripod mount? My Tripod attached just fine to all of my cameras except one so I know it's the camera, not the tripod. I think the threads inside the camera mount may have become stripped. Has anyone ever had something like this repaired?[/quote

The thread in the mount is 1/4 BSW.
If the original thread is stripped get a 1/4 BSW Helicoil kit to repair the thread. A Helicoil kit has a drill and a tap to enlarge the hole and the thread and a wire insert to restore the original thread size and form. Obviously you will need to take great care when attacking the camera with a drill and tap. The repaired thread with the hard metal coil insert is stronger than the original thread.
At a pinch a 1/4 UNC Helicoil kit would work as the thread is the same pitch and a very similar thread form.
Helicoil are the original maker of this type of repair kit there are other brand names for similar kits available.

Mr. B Loc: eastern Connecticut

Get a bottoming tap and not a plug or taper tap. The mounting hole of the camera is blind hole (it has a bottom). The bottoming tap will recondition the threads right down to 1 ½ threads. The other two types of taps have too much lead taper and will not do the job on a shallow hole.

home brewer Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana

use a bottoming tap

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I use quick-disconnect plates on all cameras and tripods. No screwing around for me.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Need to use a "bottom tap" ......otherwise a new 1/4-20 socket needs to be installed on the camera.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

[quote=Clapperboard][quote=Dr. Joel Germond]Has anyone ever had a problem with the threads on the inside of the tripod mount? My Tripod attached just fine to all of my cameras except one so I know it's the camera, not the tripod. I think the threads inside the camera mount may have become stripped. Has anyone ever had something like this repaired?[/quote

The thread in the mount is 1/4 BSW.
If the original thread is stripped get a 1/4 BSW Helicoil kit to repair the thread. A Helicoil kit has a drill and a tap to enlarge the hole and the thread and a wire insert to restore the original thread size and form. Obviously you will need to take great care when attacking the camera with a drill and tap. The repaired thread with the hard metal coil insert is stronger than the original thread.
At a pinch a 1/4 UNC Helicoil kit would work as the thread is the same pitch and a very similar thread form.
Helicoil are the original maker of this type of repair kit there are other brand names for similar kits available.[/quote]

NOT recommended as you will need to drill the socket oversize to accomodate the heli-coil.... ...Drill the camera ??

dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC

Almost all hardware store taps are tapered at the tip to allow them to start threading in a newly drilled hole. There is a type of tap called a bottoming tap that is not tapered but you won't find it at a hardware store. You will need to buy from a machinest supply company. If you know someone who has a grinder, the tapered part of the tap can be removed but you need to be very careful that the grinding burrs are removed so the threads are not further damaged.

In most cases, once female threads are stripped, they are perminently weakened and cannor be restored to full strength. The only correct repair is to have the tripod mount assembly replaced.

Look carefully at all the tings that have beed previously screwed into that camera base. There is a possibility that some screw on a mounted object is damaged and it will damage any camera with which you use it. If a male threaded screw is anything but easy to turn, don't use it again until the threads are repaired or replaced. There is a risk of damaging everything you use it with.

You can buy a threading die that is 1/4-20 thread size and use the non-tapered end to repair the threads or, sometimes a very small, triangular file can be carefully used to straighten a distortion in the mounting screw.

I imagine that dropping a tripod on a hard surface might damage the vert tip of the mounting screw.

Canisdirus

This is part of your camera...and not a simple fix.

Send it out for repair...if you like your camera.

dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC

Regarding the Helicoil. I have used them on machines and vehicles where there is a deep threaded hole.

Drilling into a camera base would scare the hell out of me. If I were to attempt it, I would use a drill press with a stop on the depth of drilling. I would make sure the camera was well padded and very secure in a holding contraption of some type. I would proceed very slowly and carefully.

Some of my cameras have a tripod plate that is screwed to the base. That can be removed and replaced. Replacement of that part is, by far, the preferred way of fixing the camera.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If you can’t “clean” the threads satisfactorily with a thread chaser so that good (and deep enough) threads remain, I’d bite the bullet and have the bottom plate replaced or forget using it on a tripod, using a lens mount (if available) instead. I can’t imagine subjecting a camera to the vibration from a drill. You’d also have to clamp the camera correctly vertically in two axis without distorting the body and use a flat bottomed drill and a stop before inserting the helicoil - all a recipe for disaster. And as to the suggestion of using an adhesive to attach the bottom plate to an L bracket or something similar? I’m aware of high strength metal to metal adhesives in aerospace, but never in a million years would a trust an expensive camera and perhaps a long lens to such an attachment carried out by an amateur. If you can’t resurrect the threads, I’d replace the plate.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

ChristianHJensen

If the threads are stripped - they cannot be repaired with a tap. If there is enough material, it may be possible to cut a bigger thread and insert a heli-coil - it is an unlikely scenario.

Buy an ARCA L-bracket and use some thickened epoxy in the screw-hole and mount the l bracket. It is a one shot deal - if it fails you are f.....

Or have the camera repaired by the mfg or a competent repair shop - probably your best bet

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

A much better solution, although too late for you, is to use a mounting system like RRS Arca Swiss for all your cameras, lenses and gear. Much quicker too. Best of luck.