Head and Legs Compatability
 

Well, I've decided on the Vinten Vision 3 head but their legs are just too pricey for me now, especially with a $600 mid-level spreader. I would like to use the Manfrotto 525MVB legs with the Vision 3 but I'm unsure about compatability. Can these be combined and would there be some sort of adapter required?

Thanks.

Hi Dave.........
 

Good choice of head, the 525's are possibly a tad under par under such a great head, but as I believe they have a 75 mm bowl, you should be good to go.

There "can" be an issue with the length of the mounting bolt on the Vinten, it's quite a bit shorter than the Manfrotto's (well, my 503's anyway) which means that on my 528 with the Manfrotto 100 mm to 75 mm adapter fitted there's only half a turn on the locking knob before it falls off (I got around this by using a reducer from B. Hague in the UK - not that it's an issue for you as the 525 is 75 mm to start with [ I think]). The Vinten fits fine on my Manfrotto 520 sticks, which are 75mm - no issues except as below.

Additionally, the grip collar on the Vinten handle has a wider diameter than the one on my 503, so the range of leveling adjustment isn't as high.

All that said, you'll love it in action. That $600 spreader sucks, doesn't it? With a bag @ $400 the FibreTech Vinten I'm looking at tops out @ $2700 - you cannot believe the heartache that is causing!

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Chris