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Sachtler Video 14 counterbalance problem
Hello,
I just purchased a used Video 14 mk II head and I think there may be a problem with the counterbalance because when I try to tilt up/down the spring fights very hard against the tilt and tries to return to center. I mean REALLY hard. And it doesn’t exactly return to center, it rests tilted back about 5-10 degrees. The only adjustment for the counterbalance that I can see is the red knob on the side that only has two positions, and neither of them make much of a difference. There doesn’t seem to be any way to disengage the spring either. I’ve used Sachter tripods many times before and they normally stay where you point them but I know this is an older model so I don’t know if it’s supposed to be this way or if it’s broken.Any advice would be much appreciated.
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3 Replies
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Here are some images that may help.
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The red knob on the*upper* right side, when loosened, allows the entire plate to slide forward or back. Have you tried doing that with the camera and battery and etc. all on the plate?
I seem to recall they offered different strengths of spring for these as drop-in alterations, though I may be mis-remembering from another brand and make. If I have it right, they come in color codes for different weights.
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Thanks, Mark. Yes, I did slide the plate all the way forward with the camera and battery but I’m starting to think that my camera (HVX200) just isn’t heavy enough for this tripod. The max load is listed as 33 pounds here but no minimum load is given:
https://www.thebroadcastshop.com/service/sachtler/fluid_specs.aspI tried putting a heavy (20-25lb) toolbox on top of the head and it actually did seem to balance correctly and stay where it’s pointed with that much weight.
I haven’t heard of any type of interchangeable springs before. That would be great if they have them for this model. But I’ve had a hard time getting any information at all about this thing.
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