I’ve had this issue as well even when I really tighten it down. Luckily the camera I dropped was relatively cheap and it didn’t fall too far. But yeah the mechanism has some play and I have noticed the exact same thing where switching the angle can sometimes make the plate just slip out. I am using the f38 version now which is much more secure but it’s also annoying since I can’t use it with my small rig base plate. I even got a replacement head from them and it does the exact same thing.
Thank you! This comment is so liberating since there were a lot of doubters and people saying I didn't tighten it enough. The mechanism doesn't inspire confidence and there's no feedback provided to confirm it has locked all the way. Glad to hear that the F38 is a better alternative.
Not stupid at all - I THINK it's only interchangeable with the F38 quick release head. If you check out Ulanzi's video "How to change a Zero Y into an F38 quick release tripod" you'll see that the head isn't attached like a typical 1/4 inch screw, instead it's actually attached via center column.
What you're saying is definitely true, I find my camera loose all the time on this tripod/head. Because of this, I tighten it as tight as it will go and it still comes loose over time. I think it's the spring tension in the jaw pushing back on the knob and making it literally unscrew itself on the thread. I'm not sure if it would help or make matters worse but I thought about putting a spring washer behind the knob but I don't think it comes off, not easily anyway.
I'm not certain about the spring washer, but I agree with everything else you're saying. It's definitely not an issue that occurs every time I use the tripod, but it's something I need to be conscious of and tighten the screw more than I'd like to do so. Had I known about this, I wouldn't have purchased the tripod due to the inconvenience, but unfortunately, every review was overwhelmingly positive with no supposed downside beyond its assumed limits (e.g. light tripod can only be so stable).
@@Hentacular Yep, I agree. All of the early reviews were very positive which is why I purchased it too. A lot of later reviews are mentioning this same issue. It's a shame because the tripod is almost perfect in every other way. Spring washers are commonly used to keep fixings tight and tensioned when under vibration/movement, etc. It could work or it could make it worse.
There are no 'symptoms' of the issue per say. It's a design flaw where there's no mechanism that indicates whether or not your camera is secured/locked on properly. As a user we twist until it gets tight and we can't turn it any more but this seems to loosen when you're leaving the camera on a tripod on an angle where there is added tension (e.g. if you were to leave it facing upwards or rotated 90 deg c for vertical shots).
That's old tech and the solution is already available. Go with the Ulanzi Y-38 quick release carbon fiber travel tripod, instead. It locks in place for worry free operation.
Agree that the Y-38 will resolve this problem. However, with the Ulanzi Y you get the Arca Swiss Plate which is super versatile/universal across different gear.
@@Hentacular Yeah was just gonna say be careful because if you have the F38 version it's not compatible with arca swiss. Stupid design IMO. The quick release plate is arca swiss but the mount is not. So for example I have a big telephoto lens with an arca swiss tripod foot and I can't use that on the F38. I need to either put a quick release plate on it which is not very stable for such a large lens, or switch the mount to the Zero Y, which is annoying.
Agree with those wondering if you tightened it properly? This is not a quick attach system. You have to mount the camera and tighten the jaws against the plate. Even on my high end heads you still have to tighten it down firmly. Maybe the knob is too small to exert sufficient pressure to get it tight enough? It also seems strange that you indicate that you mounted the camera and came back 10 minutes later and it was loose enough for the camera to fall off. I can't imaging any possible way for it to _become_ loose while simply sitting there. That seems very odd. It would have had to have been loose to begin with and that should be easy to feel. A typical Arca Swiss mount will keep a camera in place in the long orientation of the parallel jaws even when quite loose. But it can _slide_ out of the jaws in the other orientation even if it is slightly loose. Many A-S plates and L-brackets have small stud screws that prevent a camera or lens sliding out in that direction. That would solve any issues regarding slight looseness. I do not have this tripod but on the other A-S heads that I have you have to turn the tightening screw 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 turns for the plate to come out in the long axis. If this tightening screw on this tripod is backing out THAT much during normal use it would be a deal breaker indeed. I'm still skeptical at this point. I'm probably going to get this tripod in a few weeks. I will report back if this is an issue.
Yeah, I had tested it prior to making this video (to double check that it wasn't my mistake the first time my camera had dropped). I screwed it as tight as it could go, confirmed that it did not wobble and after x minutes it became loose. I guess another callout here is that there is no feedback system which indicates whether or not it is 'tightened' to confirm 100%. Given the bulk of comments re tightening it properly, I'm thinking of recording a Part 2 of this video to show a continuous video (sped up of course) to show the loosening over time. I will let you know once I've got this video up and running. It could be a defect in my model (perhaps a QC issue?), but I have noted there was another TH-camr (Ralph Mayhew Photography) who had found the same flaw th-cam.com/video/kKUI_YO4l04/w-d-xo.html with the tripod so I wouldn't say it's an isolated incident. Thanks for your contribution and would be good to hear if you've had similar issues once you procure one for yourself.
@@Hentacular If it is loosening over time while not being moved then something must be bending or compressing. It doesn't seem likely that the tightening knob would be _turning_ while the tripod is being used. The tightening knob certainly may be backing out while the tripod is being used, carried, adjusted, etc. If this loosening problem happens with every use then it should be easy to document. Make a mark on the knob and see if the mark moves over time.
@@bencompson it definitely does come loose. From what I can see, the jaw is on a spring and I believe that it is pushing back enough on the tightening knob that it's actually making the knob climb the thread and come loose. I've had this tripod for a while and it is definitely an issue
Not a problem - I'm just sharing my experience and trying to help the online community. There have been others online who have experienced the same as well - so either we've received defective tripods OR this is an issue. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury to purchase multiple tripods to test 😅 or the bravery to film my camera with the possibility it will drop again. I will say if you keep your camera straight on parallel to the ground then there should be no issue, but anytime I've got it on an angle I'm sweating bullets.
@@timstools I would say that other than that this tripod is amazingly light and sturdy. If you haven't already, you could check out the F38 version of this but just note that it's not arca swiss compatible.
Mine was definitely tightened properly and only shooting at the sky for 10 mins before it came loose. If you have a higher risk tolerance than me enjoy lol.
@@climbbike1234 I've tried with the PGYTech MantisPod and PGYTech Beetle Clip Arca Swiss plates but I'm unsure if they're good quality or not. The same thing did happen with those plates but with lower frequency (however, I've been super paranoid ever since and been religiously tightening them whenever I remember).
And that's okay 😊 not looking to convince people, just wanted to share my experience and help people make a more informed decision. I don't benefit from people buying or not buying this product in any way shape or form.
I’ve had this issue as well even when I really tighten it down. Luckily the camera I dropped was relatively cheap and it didn’t fall too far. But yeah the mechanism has some play and I have noticed the exact same thing where switching the angle can sometimes make the plate just slip out. I am using the f38 version now which is much more secure but it’s also annoying since I can’t use it with my small rig base plate. I even got a replacement head from them and it does the exact same thing.
Thank you! This comment is so liberating since there were a lot of doubters and people saying I didn't tighten it enough. The mechanism doesn't inspire confidence and there's no feedback provided to confirm it has locked all the way. Glad to hear that the F38 is a better alternative.
Which lightweight travel tripod that works with Arca-Swiss plates?
Unfortunately, I haven't tried or own any other lightweight alternatives so I'm unable to recommend any. If you do find any pls share! 😅
Hey, a little stupid to do this but, is the ball head removable? To replace with a safer acra compatible mount
Not stupid at all - I THINK it's only interchangeable with the F38 quick release head. If you check out Ulanzi's video "How to change a Zero Y into an F38 quick release tripod" you'll see that the head isn't attached like a typical 1/4 inch screw, instead it's actually attached via center column.
Thank you! I had similar issues with the “heipi” tripod that was also glowingly reviewed.
No worries, it has definitely made me second guess products with glowing reviews all round 😔
What you're saying is definitely true, I find my camera loose all the time on this tripod/head. Because of this, I tighten it as tight as it will go and it still comes loose over time. I think it's the spring tension in the jaw pushing back on the knob and making it literally unscrew itself on the thread. I'm not sure if it would help or make matters worse but I thought about putting a spring washer behind the knob but I don't think it comes off, not easily anyway.
I'm not certain about the spring washer, but I agree with everything else you're saying. It's definitely not an issue that occurs every time I use the tripod, but it's something I need to be conscious of and tighten the screw more than I'd like to do so. Had I known about this, I wouldn't have purchased the tripod due to the inconvenience, but unfortunately, every review was overwhelmingly positive with no supposed downside beyond its assumed limits (e.g. light tripod can only be so stable).
@@Hentacular Yep, I agree. All of the early reviews were very positive which is why I purchased it too. A lot of later reviews are mentioning this same issue. It's a shame because the tripod is almost perfect in every other way. Spring washers are commonly used to keep fixings tight and tensioned when under vibration/movement, etc. It could work or it could make it worse.
@@MichaelRoninTV Well, if you do end up trying out the spring washers let me know how it goes! Could make for a good video on your channel 😁
Thank you for the honest review Hentacular!
No worries my friend
I've this tripod, so what are the symptoms of this issue? Don't want to learn it the hard way.
There are no 'symptoms' of the issue per say. It's a design flaw where there's no mechanism that indicates whether or not your camera is secured/locked on properly. As a user we twist until it gets tight and we can't turn it any more but this seems to loosen when you're leaving the camera on a tripod on an angle where there is added tension (e.g. if you were to leave it facing upwards or rotated 90 deg c for vertical shots).
legendary pull video
legendary video? I'll take it 😬
you can use an L bracket instead. which i have
Thanks for the suggestion mate 😁
That's old tech and the solution is already available. Go with the Ulanzi Y-38 quick release carbon fiber travel tripod, instead. It locks in place for worry free operation.
Agree that the Y-38 will resolve this problem. However, with the Ulanzi Y you get the Arca Swiss Plate which is super versatile/universal across different gear.
@@Hentacular Yeah was just gonna say be careful because if you have the F38 version it's not compatible with arca swiss. Stupid design IMO. The quick release plate is arca swiss but the mount is not. So for example I have a big telephoto lens with an arca swiss tripod foot and I can't use that on the F38. I need to either put a quick release plate on it which is not very stable for such a large lens, or switch the mount to the Zero Y, which is annoying.
@@nickcarneyphotography yeah it's a pain. So annoying that we can't get one universal system!
Agree with those wondering if you tightened it properly? This is not a quick attach system. You have to mount the camera and tighten the jaws against the plate. Even on my high end heads you still have to tighten it down firmly. Maybe the knob is too small to exert sufficient pressure to get it tight enough?
It also seems strange that you indicate that you mounted the camera and came back 10 minutes later and it was loose enough for the camera to fall off. I can't imaging any possible way for it to _become_ loose while simply sitting there. That seems very odd. It would have had to have been loose to begin with and that should be easy to feel.
A typical Arca Swiss mount will keep a camera in place in the long orientation of the parallel jaws even when quite loose. But it can _slide_ out of the jaws in the other orientation even if it is slightly loose. Many A-S plates and L-brackets have small stud screws that prevent a camera or lens sliding out in that direction. That would solve any issues regarding slight looseness.
I do not have this tripod but on the other A-S heads that I have you have to turn the tightening screw 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 turns for the plate to come out in the long axis. If this tightening screw on this tripod is backing out THAT much during normal use it would be a deal breaker indeed.
I'm still skeptical at this point. I'm probably going to get this tripod in a few weeks. I will report back if this is an issue.
Yeah, I had tested it prior to making this video (to double check that it wasn't my mistake the first time my camera had dropped). I screwed it as tight as it could go, confirmed that it did not wobble and after x minutes it became loose. I guess another callout here is that there is no feedback system which indicates whether or not it is 'tightened' to confirm 100%. Given the bulk of comments re tightening it properly, I'm thinking of recording a Part 2 of this video to show a continuous video (sped up of course) to show the loosening over time. I will let you know once I've got this video up and running.
It could be a defect in my model (perhaps a QC issue?), but I have noted there was another TH-camr (Ralph Mayhew Photography) who had found the same flaw th-cam.com/video/kKUI_YO4l04/w-d-xo.html with the tripod so I wouldn't say it's an isolated incident.
Thanks for your contribution and would be good to hear if you've had similar issues once you procure one for yourself.
@@Hentacular If it is loosening over time while not being moved then something must be bending or compressing. It doesn't seem likely that the tightening knob would be _turning_ while the tripod is being used.
The tightening knob certainly may be backing out while the tripod is being used, carried, adjusted, etc. If this loosening problem happens with every use then it should be easy to document. Make a mark on the knob and see if the mark moves over time.
@@bencompson it definitely does come loose. From what I can see, the jaw is on a spring and I believe that it is pushing back enough on the tightening knob that it's actually making the knob climb the thread and come loose.
I've had this tripod for a while and it is definitely an issue
Lots of viewers will assume you just didn't do it up tight enough.
Not a problem - I'm just sharing my experience and trying to help the online community. There have been others online who have experienced the same as well - so either we've received defective tripods OR this is an issue. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury to purchase multiple tripods to test 😅 or the bravery to film my camera with the possibility it will drop again. I will say if you keep your camera straight on parallel to the ground then there should be no issue, but anytime I've got it on an angle I'm sweating bullets.
Thanks its useful info, I most likely would not buy one now because that, there are better options
@@timstools I would say that other than that this tripod is amazingly light and sturdy. If you haven't already, you could check out the F38 version of this but just note that it's not arca swiss compatible.
Thanks for sharing.
Glad I could help ☺️
So if you don’t tighten it properly and shake the hell out of the camera for 10 minutes, it might come a little loose. {sigh}
Mine was definitely tightened properly and only shooting at the sky for 10 mins before it came loose. If you have a higher risk tolerance than me enjoy lol.
@ I get it. It was just kind of funny. Does the same thing happen if you use a good quality plate and not the one that comes with it?
@@climbbike1234 I've tried with the PGYTech MantisPod and PGYTech Beetle Clip Arca Swiss plates but I'm unsure if they're good quality or not. The same thing did happen with those plates but with lower frequency (however, I've been super paranoid ever since and been religiously tightening them whenever I remember).
I subbed
Thanks mate, appreciate it 😎
Not convinced at all
And that's okay 😊 not looking to convince people, just wanted to share my experience and help people make a more informed decision. I don't benefit from people buying or not buying this product in any way shape or form.
I think if that is not enough of a deal breaker, I dont know what is. You buy a tripod for a stable solution, but instead what?