Another mistake

[rpcrowe]

After over 50-years of photography, I thought that I had made every mistake possible. I WAS WRONG!

I need an Allen Wrench (sometimes called a hex wrench) to attach my Arca Compatible plates to my camera body. The Arca Compatible clamp is attached to the ball head of my tripod with a screw that uses another size Allen/hex wrench to tighten it.

For some reason, the clamp on my ball head became loose which totally negated the tripod as a solid rest for the camera/lens. As luck (or poor planning) would have it, my mini-tool kit that I carry on shoots did not have the larger size Allen/hex wrench. Honestly, I have never before had the clamp become loose

Of course, I was shooting the moon rising over the skyline of San Diego with a 100-400mm lens. In the future I will be sure to include both size hex wrenches in my kit for any future shoot...

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Is it the difference of Metric vs SAE, Richard, or just a different sized bolt, 6-32 vs 1/4-20?

[Manfred M]

Most of my Arca-Swiss plates mounting screws have both a hex slot and a flat slot. That way, if I forget or lose my Allen key, I can reach into my pocket and use a coin to tighten it. The coin doesn't key doesn't give me the same amount of torque as the Allen key, so I tend to have to retighten it every so often, but it is certainly better than nothing.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

That bolt with the slot is a custom Allen head bolt, not a hex head Manfred. A hex head has flats on the outer edges.

[Manfred M]

That bolt with the slot is a custom Allen head bolt, not a hex head Manfred. A hex head has flats on the outer edges.

Oops - thanks for pointing that out. I've corrected that now.

I also have one that has a hex head and a slot and must have been thinking about it when I was typing.

[rpcrowe]

Nope, not metric vs SAE difference. It was a totally different size Allen wrench (I stand corrected for also calling it a hex head).

The Giottos tripod comes with a little plastic tool case that contains three different size Allen wrenches. I just ASSUMED that the screw that holds the clamp onto the ball of the Giottos MH1300 head would use one of the sizes supplied in the Giottos kit. Not so. The Allen wrench size that I needed was larger (3/16 inch fits) than any of the three that Giottos supplied.

But everyone knows what ASSUME does. It makes an Ass out of U and Me

Anyway, I am replacing the rinky-dink Giottos Allen wrench set with one of these...



Not much heavier than the Giottos set and I will always have the right size Allen Wrench...

As a Navy cinematographer, it was my practice to set up each piece of equipment to ensure that something like a loose screw would not screw up any assignment. I guess that I have grown complacent in my old age

[zlatanlex]

Visit following great solver as https://www.google.com/

[Pippan]

Visit following great solver as https://www.google.com/

Spam?

[Manfred M]

Spam?

Sending someone to look up something with Google is hardly spam, but not exactly great advice either.

[Pippan]

Well I'm not going to click on what could be a random/scam link from a first-time poster.

[Manfred M]

Well I'm not going to click on what could be a random/scam link from a first-time poster.

A URL that says "https://www.google.com" is not a scam or a random link. It takes one to the most popular search engines.

[Pippan]

A URL that says "https://www.google.com" is not a scam or a random link. It takes one to the most popular search engines.

A link that on the face of it says it is going to www.google.com or indeed any other URL, may not necessarily go there; it could go anywhere. Click on the link below and see where it takes you (don’t worry, it will just take you to a different search engine but it could take you to anywhere I wanted you to go).

https://www.google.com

My point is that here is a link from a first time poster with poor grammar and no explanation of its context. It could go anywhere, including to a scam or malware site. Maybe it does go to google, I don’t know because I still haven’t clicked on it. But it’s something I’d have thought people should be wary of.

[Manfred M]

https://www.google.com

Yes, but just click on "Reply With Quote" and one can see the text string, so no risk as the redirect pops right out.

This is what I do when I review suspicious looking postings.

[Pippan]

Yes, but just click on "Reply With Quote" and one can see the text string, so no risk as the redirect pops right out.

This is what I do when I review suspicious looking postings.

I see. Good advice.

[Andrew1]

Confusion on the proper name for some things is easily done. While it's not a hex bolt, it is a hex key.

[xpatUSA]

Confusion on the proper name for some things is easily done.

Especially in the world of photography!

While it's not a hex bolt, it is a hex key.

Paraphrasing an infamous Clinton quote:

"It all depends on what the meaning of 'it' is ..."

[William W]

"It" - the tool which goes into the other 'it", (the other "it" being the locking device with the thread and head), is (still) referred to as an "Allen Key", by old technical Blokes, here.

"Hex Keys" is a new fancy name fashionable in department stores and corner shops and 7/11 Service Stations (aka "Gas Station")... but real men who have a "shed" would never buy tools at such establishments: but rather will drive the "ute" down the "the hardware store" and get the proper stuff which "Tradies" use.

... the other "it" is known as a "Socket Head Cap Screw" - it would be understood that the Head would be an "Allen" head, unless otherwise stated. (the same applies for socket "grub" screws - its taken as granted those would be "Allen" unless otherwise stated)

There are several fancy socket head cap screws now available, recently making it necessary for me to spend an horrible amount of money to buy a 100 bit set for my driver, just to get a set of three of those funny star shaped ones.

I think collecting tools costs more than cameras.

That's it today for me. Hope it made some of you smile.

[Manfred M]

"It" - the tool which goes into the other 'it", (the other "it" being the locking device with the thread and head), is (still) referred to as an "Allen Key", by old technical Blokes, here.

"Hex Keys" is a new fancy name fashionable in department stores and corner shops and 7/11 Service Stations (aka "Gas Station")... but real men who have a "shed" would never buy tools at such establishments: but rather will drive the "ute" down the "the hardware store" and get the proper stuff which "Tradies" use.

... the other "it" is known as a "Socket Head Cap Screw" - it would be understood that the Head would be an "Allen" head, unless otherwise stated. (the same applies for socket "grub" screws - its taken as granted those would be "Allen" unless otherwise stated)

There are several fancy socket head cap screws now available, recently making it necessary for me to spend an horrible amount of money to buy a 100 bit set for my driver, just to get a set of three of those funny star shaped ones.

I think collecting tools costs more than cameras.

That's it today for me. Hope it made some of you smile.

Back in the school days, I was taught that the "proper" name was "hexagonal wrench" and that an "Allen wrench" or "Allen key" was a hexagonal wrench made by the Allen Manufacturing Company. In the same vein as we refer to a using a search engine to find something as to "Google" it, the Allen name is commonly (but technically incorrectly, in most cases) used.

[zen]

"It" - the tool which goes into the other 'it", (the other "it" being the locking device with the thread and head), is (still) referred to as an "Allen Key", by old technical Blokes, here.

"Hex Keys" is a new fancy name fashionable in department stores and corner shops and 7/11 Service Stations (aka "Gas Station")... but real men who have a "shed" would never buy tools at such establishments: but rather will drive the "ute" down the "the hardware store" and get the proper stuff which "Tradies" use.

... the other "it" is known as a "Socket Head Cap Screw" - it would be understood that the Head would be an "Allen" head, unless otherwise stated. (the same applies for socket "grub" screws - its taken as granted those would be "Allen" unless otherwise stated)

There are several fancy socket head cap screws now available, recently making it necessary for me to spend an horrible amount of money to buy a 100 bit set for my driver, just to get a set of three of those funny star shaped ones.

I think collecting tools costs more than cameras.

That's it today for me. Hope it made some of you smile.

Those funny star shaped ones are correctly known as torx heads; many Euro made autos use them extensively, as on my Bimmer. Haven't seen a torx head on any camera gear so far, but they're now appearing in construction . . .

Zen

[Panama Hat & Camera]

Most of my Arca-Swiss plates mounting screws have both a hex slot and a flat slot. That way, if I forget or lose my Allen key, I can reach into my pocket and use a coin to tighten it. The coin doesn't key doesn't give me the same amount of torque as the Allen key, so I tend to have to retighten it every so often, but it is certainly better than nothing.

This is my case. I also use a small coin. It is perfect for this purpose (but I can't spend it).