Mounting RRS B2 LR II on Manfrotto 468 head ...

Hi guys,

we're going to use a RRS B2 LR II with the heavy duty Manfrotto 468 Magnesium hydrostatic ballhead. We have everything we need including the B6 screw. Now the clamp has this "spring pin" (see photo). How do I push it down into the ballhead? I don't want to break anything ... The ball head does have a little hall where the pin goes. I just don't know if I'm supposed to hit with something sharp and a hammer or there's another way to do it. Sorry for the dumb question.

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You shouldnt need to do anything to the RRS clamp a all. Just screw it on to the top plate assuming your top plate looks like this:

Hey Ben, thanks for the reply. I'm going by this guys directions HERE, that's why I was wandering about that pin.

Huh, well Im not sure about that pin, however I will say this, my Markins Q20 nor Q3T doesnt even have a place for such a pin and either have had their RRS Lever clamps fall off. So, I still say you shouldnt need worry about it.

You're right!

On a different note, hurry up and save up some more money so you can sell that head an get yourself a Markins Q20!

To tell you the truth, you may laugh but I just sold a BH55 (which I picked up new for $260) and am going to the Manfrotto hydrostatic with the RRS clamp purely based on what feels better to me. For many it is probably a step in the wrong direction, to me it just handles better and more importantly, I'm much faster with it. The BH55 was nice but after the last shoot I did where I had the tripod twisted in a weird position and I fumbled too many times with the RRS head by mistaking the torque screw with the pano screw. It pissed me off. No way that will ever happen with the Manfrotto head. And besides, my heaviest setup is under 5 lbs. All I need is a reliable head that is easy and fast to set up.

This is a whole new topic, but I personally think that this is one part of my set up where I really don't need to spend mega bucks to get high end performance. If my images are sharp with a Manfrotto rig, why upgrade? I had the best RRS tripod with the BH55 on top of it. Nice, sure .... it didn't make my pictures sharper and I wasn't faster with it, didn't save me any space and it wasn't THAT much lighter so why keep it? Oh, and I much prefer the flip locks on my Manfrotto legs, much faster, just as secure.

pixel_junkie wrote in post #13108872
Hi guys,

we're going to use a RRS B2 LR II with the heavy duty Manfrotto 468 Magnesium hydrostatic ballhead. We have everything we need including the B6 screw. Now the clamp has this "spring pin" (see photo). How do I push it down into the ballhead? I don't want to break anything ... The ball head does have a little hall where the pin goes. I just don't know if I'm supposed to hit with something sharp and a hammer or there's another way to do it. Sorry for the dumb question.

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You haven't got your B2LR2 in yet, have you? You don't do anything with that pin (or you'll break the clamp). It's the anchor for the spring on the lever release mechanism; it sits flush with both the top and bottom of the clamp. If you want to ensure the clamp can't spin off, use Loc-Tite ("Blue" if you may want to reverse the process at some time, "Red" for a more-or-less permanent fastening). Be sure to read the package though, I've got some "blue" of a non-standard variant, that needed the same blowtorch treatment that is needed to break a "Red" seal.

Hi Jon, I actually sold my BH55 without the clamp so I do have it, I don't have the head yet. But I did order the M6 screw and some Loc-Tite from RRS today (not sure which one they will send me, didn't know there are two types and the guy didn't ask). I AM glad I saw your comment about that pin though, I may have tried to force it down into the head otherwise.

LocTite Blue 242's the "removable with normal tools" version. If that's not what they send, your local hardware store will have the stuff.

Thanks much!

Yea DO NOT use the Red stuff! Thats just silly. You never know who or why whatever clamp you put on there might need to come off.