Can I convert my Bogen 486RC2 into acra-swiss style ballhead?

[Leorooster]

Hi all,

I've been getting a lot of useful advices from the very knowledgeable members on this forum in the process of getting a suitable ballhead and the related accessories. Just want to take this opportunity to thank all for your kind inputs and useful recommendations.

I finally bought the Arca-Swiss Z-1 with a traditional QR clamp and a RRS L-plate for my 5D along with a RRS lens plate for my 100-400L. I was going to get the RRS QR Lever clamp as well, but I already over-expended:rolleyes: :cry: this month after all these purchases (not to mention the D400:cool: that I just bought).

Anyway, I also have a monopod, and on which I put a Bogen 486RC2. My question is whether I will be able to convert the 486RC2 to a Arca-Swiss style ballhead, so that I can use the pod of my setup. If I can, how I am about doing this? Any advice and suggestion will be appreciated.

Thanks again for all the helps that I've been getting from you ;).

[Jon]

Yes, follow this link (http://reallyrightstuff.com/Downloads/Bogen488.pdf). That's for the 488RC2, but the 486RC2's the same.

[squiress]

Jon,

Any thoughts on adapting a RC0 head from a 488 to a 490? Then I could put a RRS plate in the 488 and move down the road.

Thanks

Stew

[Jon]

Same basic procedure - remove the RC0 plate from the 488 head and secure it (as shown for the RRS assembly) to the 490 head. I don't understand why you'd want to be using two radically different QR assemblies though.

[squiress]

I don't understand why you'd want to be using two radically different QR assemblies though.

Thanks.

I have RC0 plates that I use with small telescopes on other Manfrotto heads (3063). I have a large rectangular plate with RC0 that I use with an 8x10 camera that is quite a bit more stable than some of these smaller footprints. Wanted a large ball mount to try, not only with 8x10, but with 4x5. And I have one RC2 3 way mount that was also used with spotting scopes. All over a long time acquired.

Stew

[JWright]

Hi all,

Anyway, I also have a monopod, and on which I put a Bogen 486RC2. My question is whether I will be able to convert the 486RC2 to a Arca-Swiss style ballhead, so that I can use the pod of my setup. If I can, how I am about doing this? Any advice and suggestion will be appreciated.

Thanks again for all the helps that I've been getting from you ;).

It's a simple matter of unscrewing the RC2 clamp from the post and replacing it with the Arca-Swiss style clamp. I did it to a 486RC2 and then used the same Kirk clamp on a 488RC2 later on. See image...

[Leorooster]

Yes, follow this link (http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/clamps/Bogen488.pdf). That's for the 488RC2, but the 486RC2's the same.


Thanks for the link....but it doesn't really show how the old clamp is taken off the ballhead :rolleyes: .........I'm just not as handy as I should be:p

[Leorooster]

It's a simple matter of unscrewing the RC2 clamp from the post and replacing it with the Arca-Swiss style clamp. I did it to a 486RC2 and then used the same Kirk clamp on a 488RC2 later on. See image...

Thanks for the info...........but I can't even find the screw on the 486RC2.

http://i.pbase.com/g6/56/616156/2/75710060.HPczTkw7.jpg

Where the screw supposes to be? Thanks.

[sparksdjs]

Thanks for the info...........but I can't even find the screw on the 486RC2.

http://i.pbase.com/g6/56/616156/2/75710060.HPczTkw7.jpg

Where the screw supposes to be? Thanks.

How old is your 486RC2? I have a 484RC2 I bought last year and the "screw" that you point to in your picture has an Allen head on mine. I haven't tried removing it but I wondered if it's an issue of age of your 486RC2. The Bogen website doesn't say anything about this for either ballhead.

http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/templates/itemalone.php3?itemid=1952

Dave

[Leorooster]

How old is your 486RC2? I have a 484RC2 I bought last year and the "screw" that you point to in your picture has an Allen head on mine. I haven't tried removing it but I wondered if it's an issue of age of your 486RC2. The Bogen website doesn't say anything about this for either ballhead.

http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/templates/itemalone.php3?itemid=1952

Dave

Mine isn't that old. I bought it a year ago from B&H.:confused:

And, you're right that mine doesn't have an Allen head on it. It's flat.

[the.good.life]

Thanks for the info...........but I can't even find the screw on the 486RC2.

http://i.pbase.com/g6/56/616156/2/75710060.HPczTkw7.jpg

Where the screw supposes to be? Thanks.



There's no screw on that thing. That is the stem of the Ball with a thread to the plate. Someone from this forum did that conversion. He tightened the ball lock and then padded the stem and gripped it with some tool, maybe a vise grip. Then he turned the clamp counter clockwise (looking from above), I think using a tool for leverage.

[sparksdjs]

There's no screw on that thing. That is the stem of the Ball with a thread to the plate. Someone from this forum did that conversion. He tightened the ball lock and then padded the stem and gripped it with some tool, maybe a vise grip. Then he turned the clamp counter clockwise (looking from above), I think using a tool for leverage.

You got me curious. I took an Allen wrench to my 484RC2 - the plate "holder" (not the plate itself) is held in place by a screw which threads into the stem. So the whole QR assembly can be taken off by removing the screw.

But again, this is the 484RC2, not the 486RC2. Interesting that they are different.

Dave

[Leorooster]

You got me curious. I took an Allen wrench to my 484RC2 - the plate "holder" (not the plate itself) is held in place by a screw which threads into the stem. So the whole QR assembly can be taken off by removing the screw.

But again, this is the 484RC2, not the 486RC2. Interesting that they are different.

Dave


That's what I thought, but apparently there is no screw which threads into the stem...........I think TGL is right..........I will try finding the post that he talked about.........:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[the.good.life]

I found another post on how he got the plate off, but not sure if locking the ball so tight and then twisting the plate off might ruin the ball. I'd suggest try using that rubber gripper tool (handle with a rubber belt) to grip the ball stem and another one to grip the plate. That way you won't scratch the surface. I'm not an engineer so do so at your own risk :)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1905672&postcount=5

[Leorooster]

I found another post on how he got the plate off, but not sure if locking the ball so tight and then twisting the plate off might ruin the ball. I'd suggest try using that rubber gripper tool (handle with a rubber belt) to grip the ball stem and another one to grip the plate. That way you won't scratch the surface. I'm not an engineer so do so at your own risk :)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1905672&postcount=5

Hmmm.....I'm not sure if I would be able to do this.......as I don't want to put the ballhead at risk........I will give it a quick try this weekend to see how difficult it is, but I'm not gonna try hard ;)

[Jon]

The release plate proper threads directly to the stem of the ball for the 486RC2, 488RC2 and my Linhof ball head. There's no set screw to further complicate the process. Depending on your tripod, the entire head (which threads onto the tripod's center column) may be anchored against twisting by a set screw through the baseplate of the column against the base of the tripod head. But that's anchoring the whole head assembly to the tripod, not the release plate to the head.

[DocFrankenstein]

Thanks for the info...........but I can't even find the screw on the 486RC2.

Where the screw supposes to be? Thanks.

Just take the head in your hands, tighten the ball and rotate as described. I've done this with bare hands on accident - it's not too tight.

[Leorooster]

The release plate proper threads directly to the stem of the ball for the 486RC2, 488RC2 and my Linhof ball head. There's no set screw to further complicate the process. Depending on your tripod, the entire head (which threads onto the tripod's center column) may be anchored against twisting by a set screw through the baseplate of the column against the base of the tripod head. But that's anchoring the whole head assembly to the tripod, not the release plate to the head.

Thanks! I was able to take the 486RC2 off my monopod by just twisting it. :)

[Leorooster]

Just take the head in your hands, tighten the ball and rotate as described. I've done this with bare hands on accident - it's not too tight.


That's great news:) . I will try that in the weekend.............hope I can take it off :rolleyes:

[PacAce]

I've been meaning to do the same with my 486RC2 head but every time I tried removing the RC2 clamp by hand, I could never get it to loosen. So, after reading this thread, I decided to give it another try, but this time, using something that would give me more leverage.

First, I mounted the head on a monopod to give me leverage on the head. I positioned the clamp at a 90 degree angle so that any torque I appled to remove the clamp did not twist the head off the monopod. I tightened the tension on the head to keep the clamp and the ball from just rotating in the head. See photo #1.

Next, I got a large monkey wrench to hold the RC2 clamp (I don't have a large clamp so this had to do). See photo #2.

155535


I opened the monkey wrench wide enough to accomodate the RC2 clamp and a soft cloth I used to prevent the clamp surface from marring. I then turned the monopod counter-clockwise to remove the clamp. It took more than 4 turns to get the clamp loose enough to remove by hand. See photo #3.

Photo #4 show the reason the clamp was so hard to remove in the first place. They used some kind of Loctite stuff to keep the clamp tightly screwed in.

Good luck with yours. :)

155536

[Leorooster]

Great job and thanks for the pics. I actually tried removing the RC2 clamp by hand tonight, and I did. Unfortunately, I removed the RC2 clamp WITH THE STEM, which is attached to the ball:confused: :evil: . What this mean is that I actually loosened the stem and the ball (as opposed to loosening the stem and the clamp). I think what I need to do is to find some sort of wrench to hold the stem and loosen the clamp. Wish me luck:rolleyes:

[the.good.life]

Leo, that's a good step-by-step tutorial, very good tips.

[the.good.life]

Leorooster, if you have some loctite, put some on the stem/ball thread that got detached. Then when it dries up, try to loosen the clamp again and hope it gives in the right spot.

[ScottE]

I sent my Manfrotto 468RC to Acratech and they took off the old Manfrotto clamp and put on one of their Arca Swiss compatable clamps. They had to adapt a screw to fasten it on, but only charged me for the clamp, not the installation.

Why not contact them and see what they can do?

http://acratech.net/

[Leorooster]

Leo, that's a good step-by-step tutorial, very good tips.

Leorooster, if you have some loctite, put some on the stem/ball thread that got detached. Then when it dries up, try to loosen the clamp again and hope it gives in the right spot.

Thanks! I don't have loctite, but will get some from my friend during the weekend. Hopefully, I can take it off myself:oops: :cry: :evil:

[Leorooster]

I sent my Manfrotto 468RC to Acratech and they took off the old Manfrotto clamp and put on one of their Arca Swiss compatable clamps. They had to adapt a screw to fasten it on, but only charged me for the clamp, not the installation.

Why not contact them and see what they can do?

http://acratech.net/

That's very nice of them. However, I plan to get the RRS Level clamp and put it onto my Arca-Swiss Z-1, then use the one that come with the Z-1 and put it onto the 486RC2....... ;)

[PacAce]

Great job and thanks for the pics. I actually tried removing the RC2 clamp by hand tonight, and I did. Unfortunately, I removed the RC2 clamp WITH THE STEM, which is attached to the ball:confused: :evil: . What this mean is that I actually loosened the stem and the ball (as opposed to loosening the stem and the clamp). I think what I need to do is to find some sort of wrench to hold the stem and loosen the clamp. Wish me luck:rolleyes:

Wow, bummer. It never occurred to me that that could have happened to me, too. :shock: Then I would have really freaked out. :lol:

Good luck getting that stem off.

BTW, after reading your tale of the stem coming off the ball instead of the clamp, I'm sure it'll scare at least one person off of his 486RC2 conversion. :mrgreen:

[DarthVader]

I did it a while ago :).

Wow, bummer. It never occurred to me that that could have happened to me, too. :shock: Then I would have really freaked out. :lol:

Good luck getting that stem off.

BTW, after reading your tale of the stem coming off the ball instead of the clamp, I'm sure it'll scare at least one person off of his 486RC2 conversion. :mrgreen:

[EOS mE]

this is interesting.. even though i don't have a manfrotto, i was thinking about changing the QR clamp on my dolica, as i'm trying to get a RSS or kirk QR plate with hand strap hole.