Tripod head too large, some lenses hit it and camera won't mount

[Astigmatism]

My XT-30 won't sit on my old Bogen Manfrotto tripod with some lenses. I just got a very fun Lensbaby Obscura and the head is quite a few millimeters too wide for the camera to sit on it without the lens prying it up, no matter which way I point it. My 50 mm f/1.0 will fit but only in some orientations.

 

I never notice tripod head dimensions in ads. And I don't especially want to commit to some proprietary mount system (even if it does fit, which I sometimes hear they won't do).

 

How to shop for tripods with small head dimensions? Note, the threads in all cases I'm thinking of are 1/4-20, it's the dimensions of the flat mounting surfaces that are the issue.

 

Thanks!!

[jerryy]

For what it is worth, a L-bracket can lift the body up enough to let you use many of the 'wide' lens with those older tripod heads. Ones built for the X-Tmn line let you get to the battery/card and side connectors without hassles. The ones for the X-T10 work on the X-T20 and the X-T30 as well, they are pretty much interchangeable.

Or switch to basic Arca-Swiss plated ball heads. These can be svelte enough for just about all lenses. And work with L-brackets. The 1/4-20 thread is an industry standard, so if your old head unscrews from the legs, you can put the new head on non-proprietary legs.

Edited May 18, 2022 by jerryy

[Astigmatism]

On 5/18/2022 at 10:30 AM, jerryy said:

Or switch to basic Arca-Swiss plated ball heads.

Yes, thank you, the more I look at the problem the more I think this is the best way to go. I bought the "Fujifilm MHG-XT10 Metal Hand Grip" and it fits perfectly and solves various little issues. So I think my next step is to buy a tripod head or an entire tripod with integral head. I like the pan type as opposed to the ball type, and wouldn't rule out a gimbal or geared head if they're not too costly. But again I read that there are some designs of the Arca type that are incompatible with some plates. So my question is:

Are there any major brands of Arca style head or tripod that are INCOMPATIBLE with the "Fujifilm MHG-XT10 Metal Hand Grip" that you can warn me about???

Big big thanks!!

[Astigmatism]

Also, as I look on Amazon for tripods with Arca type mount, it appears that the tripods typically assume the Arca rail will be parallel to the optical axis, whereas the grip I bought puts the rail perpendicular to the axis. I think with most of the tripods I just saw, when I'm holding the control lever, the camera will be looking right or left, not forward.

Am I misunderstanding?

Thanks!!

[jerryy]

I use a L-plate type of grip so I do not know exactly how your grip will work, but from the description about your grip listed on BHPhotovideo’s website:

Quote

Additionally, the 1/4"-20 tripod mount has been positioned along the optical axis of the camera to benefit the creation of panning shots and the bottom of the plate is equipped with rails for use in conjunction with a quick release plate.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1149214-REG/fujifilm_16471691_mhg_xt10_hand_grip.html/overview

it sounds like all you need is the quick release plate to work with most of the Arca heads.

Depending on the head, it may have a release knob to let you rotate the head around the vertical axis, so that the perpendicular would become parallel.

Edited June 4, 2022 by jerryy