Leaking tripod head

[Paul Martin]

I just bought a discounted tripod in the used annex at B&H. It's got a Velbon PH-268 head and velbon stratos 480 legs. As it was only $80 I decided to buy it, even though the head was leaking a small amount of a sticky, grease-smelling substance. I had read on the velbon website that the "2-way video panhead PH-268R includes grease to allow smooth pan tilt movement" and when I saw the good price I practiced some wishful thinking, turning this vague sentence into a justification of the leakage. But now I just read a post saying one should fix any head that's leaking and that silicone grease is potentially harmful to the eyes. So, do I have a problem on my hands and, if so, what should I do to fix it? Otherwise I really like the way this head moves, though in the immediate future I'll only be using it with the lightweight gs100k.

Thanks

[Ken Tanaka]

Paul,
Velbon "fluid" heads tend to put a whole new meaning on the designation. I have one from many years ago that I use for a telescope. It began leaking within a few weeks, and it was new.

Indeed, that lubricant can be nasty stuff. Keep it off your skin, clothing and definitely away from your face.

You can't fix it. You'll have to either (a) send it to Velbon for repair (probably not worth the expense...and they know it), (b) try to convince B&H to take it back, (c) learn to live with it as-is. It will continue to leak but may remain serviceable for your needs until you can get a replacement.