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An Old Friend
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 17, 2020 8:40 am    Post subject: An Old Friend Reply with quote


Manfrotto 144 tripod with 029 head.




It's seen a lot of use over the years.



That is a very good head with a lot of movements.
This was actually bought in '79 to contain a used Pentax 6 X 7 .
There may have been a problem with the shutter on that camera.
Out of all the tripods we tried in Queen St. camera, this was the only one that would prevent movement.
Among those tried was a very expensive Cullman that walked 4 inches with every release of the shutter.
Biggest we had on it was an 8 x 10 view camera.
This tripod served me well with the Bronica Sq-A that I was using for wedding work.
That head saved my bacon on more than one occasion with other-wise unobtainable images.



The quick release plate is a feature I no longer want to be without.



Light duty task here. I actually had an off-set arm that threaded into the top of the center column with a thumb-screw.
I'm fairly certain it was Manfrotto made, too. It came in handy for macro work with the center column reversed.
I'd like to find another to replace the one I lost.



A little humor here with the only non-phone digital I have.
For a P&S, it does most of what I ask of it.
Results can be noisy at times when I try to push it beyond what it was made for...

-D.S.


PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have two Manfrotto Tripods and half a dozen heads. Really the best you can buy for the price. And if you buy used - they're a bargain. I bought a part for a 50 year old tripod and its as good as new again - apart from looking beat up


PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have just been given one of these by my neighbour, he's had it sitting in his shed for too long. Good solid tripod. Came with a model 200 pan and tilt, missing the qr plate but the generic manfrotto plates fit reasonably well, just a bit short on the width.

Just out of interest does anyone know what the threaded hole (looks like 3/8" unc ) in the tripod head is for - seems to be a second locking screw placement for the centre column but there is one already with a butterfly bolt.



PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2025 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
I have just been given one of these by my neighbour, he's had it sitting in his shed for too long. Good solid tripod. Came with a model 200 pan and tilt, missing the qr plate but the generic manfrotto plates fit reasonably well, just a bit short on the width.

Just out of interest does anyone know what the threaded hole (looks like 3/8" unc ) in the tripod head is for - seems to be a second locking screw placement for the centre column but there is one already with a butterfly bolt.


At the time mine was bought, that secondary hole was explained as for use with heavy cameras (like the 6x7 Pentax mentioned above) I think I may still have a Manfrotto branded machine screw for that purpose around here somewhere.
I've also heard from less than reliable sources that it was also intended for use with video accessories, but don't really know.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
I have just been given one of these by my neighbour, he's had it sitting in his shed for too long. Good solid tripod. Came with a model 200 pan and tilt, missing the qr plate but the generic manfrotto plates fit reasonably well, just a bit short on the width.

Just out of interest does anyone know what the threaded hole (looks like 3/8" unc ) in the tripod head is for - seems to be a second locking screw placement for the centre column but there is one already with a butterfly bolt.



I have a Manfrotto 190 of the same era. That hole is for the Manfrotto tripod carry strap that could be bought as an accessory, which I have with my 190. The top of the strap screws into that hole, the bottom of the strap is a loop that wraps around the leg ends.

Doc Sharptail gave another purpose; it may have been a multi-purpose screw hole.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The carry strap is a new one on me~ first I've heard of it, but entirely likely and plausible.



This is the lock screw. Secondary threading on the lower part of the shaft is likely for use with the carry strap Mark mentions. This screw is factory stored in one of the head's movement handles. There may have been two originally with the head- I can't remember now. That screw is visible in the first photo on the top-most adjuster handle.
I have another in one of my accessory bags around here somewhere.



Maker's mark on the machine screw.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting - cheers guys.
The tripod came with a model 200 pan and tilt head but its missing the tilt lever.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the 144 tripod with a 128 RC head that I've used for many years, it's a great combo - rock solid and reliable. But my go to tripod is now an Amazon Basic tripod ( no longer available ) of the same size as the Manfrotto, but lighter and just as rigid, with an Artcise Panoramic Ball Head, a cheap Chinese Amazon unit which is rock solid, smooth as silk and has a super useful rotating Arca mount above the ball so you can set 'level' from the ball. But the real deal breaker for me is the Amazon tripod has legs that easily go to 90 degrees which the ART144 doesn't, and that's a feature I use a lot.
It's also a dirt cheap set up that I leave in the back of my 4x4 on a bracket that I've built to stand it up out of the way, I'll take some pictures of it asap.

I love the Manfrotto, the quality is superb as is the spec', but sadly it's yet another victim of the Chinese taking a great concept and design and upping the spec' slightly at half the price.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ARTCISE-Profile-Panorama-Release-Camcorder/dp/B0D5D26RBF

Last edited by Lloydy on Thu Mar 13, 2025 12:28 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
Interesting - cheers guys.
The tripod came with a model 200 pan and tilt head but its missing the tilt lever.


What's the diameter of the handle Marcus? I might have some Aluminium rod that would be suitable. I'm guessing 12.5mm?


PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Doc Sharptail wrote:
The carry strap is a new one on me~ first I've heard of it, but entirely likely and plausible.


Well, it has been a while since I last used that tripod; so just to make sure this wasn't memory playing tricks on me I took it it out of the box.

Indeed, that hole is also used for the Manfrotto carry strap accessory:



PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:
Doc Sharptail wrote:
The carry strap is a new one on me~ first I've heard of it, but entirely likely and plausible.


Well, it has been a while since I last used that tripod; so just to make sure this wasn't memory playing tricks on me I took it it out of the box.

Indeed, that hole is also used for the Manfrotto carry strap accessory:


That's a nice tripod!
... And the secondary threads on the factory machine screws have to be for something else.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2025 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Doc Sharptail wrote:
RokkorDoctor wrote:
Doc Sharptail wrote:
The carry strap is a new one on me~ first I've heard of it, but entirely likely and plausible.


Well, it has been a while since I last used that tripod; so just to make sure this wasn't memory playing tricks on me I took it it out of the box.

Indeed, that hole is also used for the Manfrotto carry strap accessory:


That's a nice tripod!
... And the secondary threads on the factory machine screws have to be for something else.

-D.S.


I know that factory machine screw from a different component; it is (also) the screw used in Manfrotto's older generation hexagonal quick-release plates (80's/early 90's). Those came with a built-in tightening nut that fixed onto the secondary thread. Very useful for use in the field, no messing around with a coin in a slotted screw or fiddly wing nuts. The drawback was that these fixings could easily apply a lot of force on the bolt; fine for e.g. lens mounts, but you had to be careful with camera bodies; this fixture could easily be overtightened and virtually rip the tripod socket out of a camera body if not careful!
The contemporary very solid tripod heads had a large cut-out in the head to accommodate this screw nut, as can be seen on the images of ball-head #168 below.

A brilliant piece of kit and it has seen a lot of use, but I have no fond memories of carrying it around; bulky and heavy.

(apologies for the poor images; this was a quick set of shots I took for this post; it is murky here at the moment and iPhone on auto WB)











PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2025 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for that, Mark. Like 1 small

I actually bought another Q/R plate with a 3/8" X 16 TPI machine screw for the view camera trial.
I had never tried taking the screws off the plates, assuming they were retained by E-clips.
(Queen St. Camera never said "Boo" to it either. I guess they were happy with the added sucker item.)

Last trivial trivia from me on these with a couple of crappy direct flash pix of my own:



Just a heads-up that the 1/4" X 20 TPI screws are blued steel. Doesn't look much like real bluing to my eye- more like Jenno-Lite Kold Black over stainless steel.



I doubt I could generate enough force with my fingers on this system to strip a tripod socket out of a camera body- at least not on the vintage film cameras I've used. It would take a tool to run the collar nut up that tight. Perhaps I'm wary of over tightening- firm and snug with my fingers has always worked. I could see a pair of pliers being used on the collar nut damaging a socket, though.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2025 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Doc Sharptail wrote:
Thanks for that, Mark. Like 1 small
Just a heads-up that the 1/4" X 20 TPI screws are blued steel. Doesn't look much like real bluing to my eye- more like Jenno-Lite Kold Black over stainless steel.



-D.S.

I've always wondered why the 3/8" are brass and the 1/4" blued steel. It can hardly be for ease of identification; the two sizes are easily distinguished by eye alone. Maybe a tensile strength consideration?
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