My tripod gave up on me right as the Milky Way was getting good

I was out near Sedona last weekend trying to get a long exposure of the core. I had just framed up a perfect shot when one of the tripod leg locks failed completely, sending my camera and 24mm lens face first into the dirt. My friend just said, 'Well, that's a new kind of star trail.' Has anyone else had a Manfrotto leg lock fail like that, and is it fixable or just time for a new one?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_viola23d ago

My Manfrotto leg lock failed the same way last year.

alicer5323d ago

Yeah, that "failed the same way" line from @the_viola is weirdly familiar. It reminds me of when my old tripod's leg just decided to give up and slide shut while my camera was on it. Total disaster, lens first into a rock. Makes you lose trust in the gear, you know? Now I just use a way simpler, cheaper one that hasn't tried to kill my stuff yet.

charles72023d ago

Manfrotto leg locks are kind of famous for that sudden failure. It's often the plastic collar inside the twist lock that cracks. You can sometimes find the exact replacement part online for a few bucks instead of a whole new tripod. Just gotta take the old lock apart to see which piece gave out. Fixing it yourself is a bit of a project, but way cheaper than new gear.