New Gitzo tripod... can't extend legs

Ok, I'm a complete newbie, but I've figured out the rest of the tripod as well as the ballhead, but this little thing is frustrating me to no end.

The instructions say to twist the leg locks 1/4" counter-clockwise, I twist them with all my strength, and pull. And nothing happen. What gives?

Maybe I'm not twisting it far enough. On the legs there are these raised markings. The amount I'm able to twist is from one raised marking to the next raised marking. Is that enough, or am I not twisting hard enough or am I missing something? Don't want to experiment TOO much in case I break the tripod...

This is the GT 2540 Mountaineer series 2.

It should be a quarter turn not a quarter inch. You might do some damage if you overtighten it, but loosening won't do any harm.

Never mind. Apparently "counter-clockwise" in regard to the leg twists was not the direction I thought it was...

Man, I feel stupid. :P

Dracil wrote in post #5813310
Never mind. Apparently "counter-clockwise" in regard to the leg twists was not the direction I thought it was...

Man, I feel stupid. :P

With leg foot down, righty tighty lefty loosy. Also, a simple twist of the wrist is all you need. The twist locks are well made and you can't hurt them unless you are a gorilla.

jhom wrote in post #5814384
With leg foot down, righty tighty lefty loosy. Also, a simple twist of the wrist is all you need. The twist locks are well made and you can't hurt them unless you are a gorilla.

Hmmm, mine is the opposite. I have to turn the lock right (clockwise) to loosen it and left (counter-clockwise) to tighten it. But I guess it all depends on how one looks at the tripod lock. I'm looking at it from the top with the tripod in its normal position as opposed to it being upside-down.

oh dear

PacAce wrote in post #5814442
Hmmm, mine is the opposite. I have to turn the lock right (clockwise) to loosen it and left (counter-clockwise) to tighten it. But I guess it all depends on how one looks at the tripod lock. I'm looking at it from the top with the tripod in its normal position as opposed to it being upside-down.

Huh? With the legs pointing down, turn to the right to tighten the twist lock and turn to the left to loosen. Or, maybe you got a southern hemisphere Gitzo version?

jhom wrote in post #5814525
Huh? With the legs pointing down, turn to the right to tighten the twist lock and turn to the left to loosen. Or, maybe you got a southern hemisphere Gitzo version?

When you turn something, one part will go right and the other part will go left. I'm assuming you are talking about the 12 o'clock position turning right or left, correct? If that's the case, mine are opposite to yours and I got mine from B&H.

Here's what I'm talking about since pictures are worth a thousand words.

HOSTED PHOTO
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PacAce wrote in post #5814656
When you turn something, one part will go right and the other part will go left. I'm assuming you are talking about the 12 o'clock position turning right or left, correct? If that's the case, mine are opposite to yours and I got mine from B&H.

Here's what I'm talking about since pictures are worth a thousand words.

Hosted photo: posted by PacAce in
./showthread.php?p=581​4656&i=i110695539
forum: Canon Accessories

Yep we agree in the direction to tighten and loose the twist locks. However, we are labeling the direction differently. You are using the 12 o'clock position as your starting point. I'm using the 6 o'clock as my starting point. My little tip is based on the 6 o'clock starting point (the tip is based on my perspective).

jhom wrote in post #5814720
Yep we agree in the direction to tighten and loose the twist locks. However, we are labeling the direction differently. You are using the 12 o'clock position as your starting point. I'm using the 6 o'clock as my starting point. My little tip is based on the 6 o'clock starting point (the tip is based on my perspective).

OK, I see. Then we're in agreement. I guess that's one good reason to use "clockwise" and "counter-clockwise" when referring to anything that needs to be twisted or rotated although it makes it harder to come up with a verse that makes it easy to remember which direction is for what.

Yeah, the "counter-clockwise" thing was what confused me. If they had just said "loosen it" I might have actually figured it out based on normal loosening/tightening directions.

Dracil wrote in post #5813310
Never mind. Apparently "counter-clockwise" in regard to the leg twists was not the direction I thought it was...

Man, I feel stupid. :P

i guess.......

ed rader

Dracil wrote in post #5813310
Never mind. Apparently "counter-clockwise" in regard to the leg twists was not the direction I thought it was...:P

That's one thing that I probably would never have admitted (especially on a public forum)...

Then again, it all depends on the orientation of your tripod. If you're holding it with the head up, then you'd actually be turning the leg locks in the clockwise direction to loosen them. If the head is pointing down, the opposite holds true.