I have a Gitzo 415 tripod - generally, it's very stable, but I can't lock down some of the leg section joints completely.
They are not really loose, but some of them can be moved a bit (not pushed in, but `wiggled' horizontally) even if I tighten the collars quite vigorously. is this a sign of wear? I bought the tripod used, but it looks from outside as if it never saw any action before.
I dismantled the joints in question, and it seems the pressure from the locking collar is transmitted to the inner leg section by a small piece of (plastic) tube - should I try to exchange this tube to get a tighter fit?

My Manfrotto tripod legs used to suffer from loosened nuts frequently (before I replaced the nuts by self-securing versions), but once tightened, there was no slackness in the joints...

-- Stefan Dalibor (dalibor@cs.fau.de), May 11, 2001

Answers

Stefan,

You are on the right track. The little plastic sleeves are the problem. If you take each and turn it 180 degrees so that what was the bottom is now the top you should solve the problem. Unless of course this has already been done once.

If inverting the sleeves doesn't stop the slippage you can send the tripod to Gitzo, I believe they still carry a lifetime warantee.

Joe Dickerson

-- Joseph A. Dickerson (jadphoto@aol.com), May 11, 2001.

Stefan,

You are on the right track. The little plastic sleeves are the problem. If you take each and turn it 180 degrees so that what was the bottom is now the top you should solve the problem. Unless of course this has already been done once.

If inverting the sleeves doesn't stop the slippage problem you can send the tripod to Gitzo, I believe they still offer a lifetime warantee.

Joe Dickerson

-- Joseph A. Dickerson (jadphoto@aol.com), May 11, 2001.

I can thelp you with your problem now, but in the future refrain from tightening the sections too hard. This is the reason your tripod is loose now. Gitzos were design to take a slight tightening pressure, not like you are trying to tighten the leg so it would hold 2000 pound camera, like I have seen most people do. I have had a Gizo for many years, used with my 4 x5 and still tightens like it was new. Of course I was given this advice when I bought it new. I hope you can fix it and keep it fix. :-))

-- Jorge Gasteazoro (jorgegm@worldnet.att.net), May 11, 2001.