[gut1kor]

hello,

i just got this thing Amazon.com: Opteka SW-1 Sidewinder Joystick Pistol Grip Ball Head with Quick Release Plate for Tripods & Monopods: Camera & Photofrom amazon. to my agony, it didn't come with a how to guide or instructions on mounting the plate and camera. After wasting an hour experimenting to find out I finally landed here. Do you know how to use it with a monopod or tripod?

Cheers
Guna

[littledrawe]

I wouldn't say its self explanatory but the pictures on the original add look like they give a lot of information.
The ball part of the ball-n-socket joint is the part that attaches to the tripod/monopod and then it looks like the quick release plate and its acceptor can attach to 2 places on the joystick depending on what is the most comfortable way for you to grab the joystick and move the camera around. Have you tried setting it up like the pictures in the add show or have you looked on youtube for videos of people using it, you may be surprised by what you find.

[interested_observer]

It does not seem intuitive, or obvious to the causal user at all. I found this as it has at least some diagrams with a camera body attached - it may help...

• Opteka SW-1 Sidewinder Joystick Pistol Grip Ball Head with Quick Release Plate for Tripods & Monopods

[gut1kor]

I wouldn't say its self explanatory but the pictures on the original add look like they give a lot of information.

The problem is I don't understand how to plug the quick release plate to the ball head. I tried in several ways but it didn't workout. They also provided a screw and driver for that but has given no clue as to how and where to use it. Sadly there are no videos on this thing.

It does not seem intuitive, or obvious to the causal user at all. I found this as it has at least some diagrams with a camera body attached - it may help...

In the photos the quick release plate is already attached to the ball head and I really don't know how they did it :-(

[gut1kor]

Finally I found it. The quick release plate had two elements. One was to be screwed to the ball head and the other to the camera. As it looked like a single piece I was not able to make out. After looking at some other ball heads and quick release plates I found it's a two piece thing. I needed much strength to separate those two and now I am able to use it.

Thanks.
Guna

[littledrawe]

thats one of those things that seems really simple after you realize it but when you're trying to figure it out it drives you nuts

[littledrawe]

quick release plate and its acceptor

Too bad I didn't emphasize that part of the sentence more, and it might have saved you some time!