Hi all,
I am not really that knowledgeable on the whole tripod scene, so I wanted to ask for some advice to make sure that I don't make a costly mistake.
I currently have a budget Hama Compact Traveller Pro tripod (you can see it HERE
). Despite the cost, it's actually worked perfectly for me so far as I am not a heavy user. Unfortunately I've recently been noticing a lot of play in the top plate of the head, where the quick release plate on the camera snaps into. Basically, when I lock the head, there is some unavoidable movement that drops the camera down by a few mm. I tracked the issue down to a dodgy bolt where both the bolt, and the hole that is screws into, have been stripped. Basically, there is no easy way to fix it without an element of risk to my camera further down the line.
I know I should really fork out for a whole new tripod etc, but it's relatively expensive to do that, and it's not the right time of year for me to splash too much cash. My plan was to maybe get a new replacement head (as the legs etc of the Hama are fine) and then maybe upgrade the main tripod section at a later date, thus splitting the cost.
My main questions really are:
1. Is this a viable course of action?
2. Are there any compatibility issues that I should know about in terms of which heads will fit which tripods? I quite like the look of the Giottos MH5001 (HERE), but I am worried that it won't fit for some reason. From what I understand the Hama has a 1/4" (6.4mm) head attachment screw, and I think the Giottos 5001 is 3/8". But this is the bit that I am not sure about!
Basically just want something that will do the job, not too expensive, that I can transfer over to a better tripod once funds allow.
Thanks very much for any advice, hope that made some sense!
Cheers, James
