Vinten Vision 30 User manual

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Vision 30
Pan and Tilt Head

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Vision 30
PAN AND TILT HEAD
3259
MAINTENANCE MANUAL
AND
ILLUSTRATED PARTS LIST
PUBLICATION PART No. 3259-9
ISSUE 3
Copyright  Vinten Broadcast Limited 1999
All rights reserved throughout the world. No part of this document may be stored in a retrieval system,
transmitted, copied or reproduced in any way including, but not limited to, photocopy, photograph, magnetic or
other record without the prior agreement and permission in writing of Vinten Broadcast Limited.
Vinten, Vision and Quickfit are registered trademarks of Vinten Broadcast Limited.

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Foreword
This manual provides full and detailed maintenance and spare parts information for the Vinten®Vision® 30
pan and tilt head.
It is recommended that this manual is read carefully and the illustrations studied prior to operating or servicing
the pan and tilt head. Attention to the details contained herein will ensure that the pan and tilt head will
operate efficiently with the minimum of attention over a long service life. Particular attention must be paid to
cleaning, especially after use in adverse conditions.
To order spare parts or to obtain further information, application should be made to Vinten Broadcast Limited
or to your local distributor.
WARNING!:Read the Safety Section on page 8 before using this pan and tilt head or
attempting any adjustment or repair.
NOTE: Information contained in this document is subject to change.
Vinten Broadcast Ltd reserves the right, without notice, to make changes in equipment
design or performance as progress in engineering, manufacturing or technology may
warrant.

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Notes to readers
This is the on-line version of ‘Vision 30 Pan and Tilt Head Maintenance Manual’(3259-9). Readers should be
aware that the pagination differs between on-line and printed versions.
Navigation
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Contents

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Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Notes to readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Safety - Read This First!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Technical Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Design Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 1 - Introduction and Description
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 2 - Operation
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installation
Fitting the head to its support mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Pan bar attachment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fitting a camera to the head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Balancing the camera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Setting the tilt drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Setting the pan drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Setting the pan and tilt brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Section 3 - Tools and Materials
Special tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Consumable materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Section 4 - Servicing
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Brake adjustment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Section 5 - Repair
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Platform assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Top cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Front cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
End plate/adjustment thread assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Cross members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mechanism block and secondary spring assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Base assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Pan drag unit assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Loading bars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Side plate assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Tilt drag unit assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Other components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Section 6 - Illustrated Parts List
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Ordering spare parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Main assembly part numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Illustrations Page
Fig 1.1 Vision 30 Pan and Tilt Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Fig 2.1 Balance Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Fig 6.1 Vision 30 Pan and Tilt Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Fig 6.2 Secondary Mechanism Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Fig 6.3 Primary Mechanism Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Fig 6.4 Side Plate Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Fig 6.5 Tilt Drag Unit Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Fig 6.6 Mechanism Block and Secondary Spring Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fig 6.7 End Plate/Adjustment Thread Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Fig 6.8 Platform Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Fig 6.9 Pan Drag Unit Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Fig 6.10 Quadrant Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

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Fig 6.11 Pan Bar Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Fig 6.12 Spherical Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Fig 6.13 Flat Base Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Fig 6.14 Automatic Wedge Adaptor and Wedge Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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Safety - Read This First!
Warning symbols in this maintenance manual
Where there is a risk of personal injury, injury to others, or damage to the pan and tilt head
or associated equipment, comments appear, highlighted by the word WARNING! and
supported by the warning triangle symbol.
Critical data
Mass
Mass 10 kg (22 lb)
Load
Maximum payload 35 kg (77 lb)

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Abbreviations
ac alternating current
AAmps
AF across flats
A/R as required
ASME American Society of Mech Engineers
assy assembly
BS British Standard
BA British Association thread
BSF British Standard Fine thread
BSP British Standard Parallel Pipe thread
BSW British Standard Whitworth thread
btn button
chs cheese
C of G centre of gravity
comp compression
csk countersunk
cu cubic
c/w complete with
dc direct current
dia diameter
ft foot
hd head
hex hexagon
Hz Hertz (frequency)
IC integrated circuit
ID inside diameter
in. inch
kg kilogram
lb pound(weight)
LF Lubricated Friction
LH left hand
MISO metric thread
mmetre
mm millimetre
NNewton
NPT National Pipe thread
NI not illustrated
No. number
OD outside diameter
PCB printed circuit board
PCD pitch circle diameter
pozi Pozidriv
psi pounds per square inch
pt point
PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene
PVC Polyvinyl chloride
RH right hand
sect section
skt socket
SWG standard wire gauge
thk thick
UNC Unified Coarse thread
UNF Unified Fine thread
VVolts
W Watts
The following abbreviations are used in this publication:

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Technical Specification
Weight 10 kg (22 lb)
Height 230 mm (9 in.)
Length 175 mm (7 in.)
Width 245 mm (9.7 in.)
Load capacity See balance graph
Tilt range ±90°
Pan range 360°
Pedestal/tripod fixing 150 mm ball or flat base

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Design Improvements
DETAILS SERIAL No. INFORMATION

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Section 1
Introduction and Description
Contents Para
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Pan and tilt drag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pan and tilt brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Centre lock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Pan bar and viewfinder bracket attachment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Head and camera attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Introduction
1 The Vinten®Vision®30 pan and tilt head, Part No. 3259-3 (Fig 1.1), features a unique system for the
counterbalancing of different camera/lens combinations. Compensation for any camera/lens combination
within the load capacity range of the head is easily accomplished via a control mounted on the rear face of the
head, which enables the head to be maintained in perfect balance, with no change of feel, at any tilt angle up
to 90°each side of horizontal. Centre of gravity heights from 75 mm (3 in.) to 250 mm (10 in.) above a camera
mounting platform can be accommodated for a camera mass in the range of 6 kg to 45 kg. The load capacity
can be increased beyond this but the range of tilt within which balance is maintained is then limited. The
balance graph (Fig 2.1) shows the relationship between centre of gravity height, camera mass, and tilt range
and may be used to ascertain the suitability of the head for any given combination of camera, lens and
accessories. The shaded area of the graph corresponds to those loads/C of G heights that can be balanced
over the full tilt range. The areas to the right indicate the progressively reducing tilt range over which the head
can balance higher loads.
2 The Vision 30 head incorporates an improved version of the Vinten lubricated friction (L.F) system. The
LF system allows the amount of drag for both the tilt and pan movements to be varied over a wide range to
suit the operators preference and permits “whip-pan”movements to be executed, even at high drag settings.
Both pan and tilt movements are provided with a friction lock and a manually operated positive lock is
provided at the platform horizontal position.
Description
3 The camera mounting platform of the pan and tilt head is pivoted on a body which is itself rotatable
about a fixed base.

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4 The fixed base houses a bearing, part of the L.F. drag system and brake mechanism for the pan
function. Two types of fixed base are available, namely flat (Types 3259-3D or 3F) or spherical
(Types 3259-3E or 3S). Tapped holes are provided in the flat base for attachment of the head, either directly
to a support or via intermediate adaptors, while a peripheral groove in the flat base allows the head to be
mounted via a Vinten Quickfix®adaptor. Heads with spherical bases are for mounting in 150 mm bowl type
tripod heads. The bases, secured to the superstructure of the head by four screws, are easily
interchangeable.
5 The body rotates on the base and houses the bearings, the L.F. drag and brake mechanisms for the tilt
function and the operator controlled parts of the pan drag and brake mechanism. The body also houses the
counterbalancing mechanism. A “Betalight”illuminated 'T' type spirit level is fitted to facilitate head levelling
and there is provision for an optional viewfinder mounting bracket.
6 The tiltable mounting, with adjustable platform slide plate, pivots relative to the body. Attachment points
are provided on both the left and right hand sides for pan bars and a knob is provided for the positive lock in
the horizontal position. Stowage for two camera mounting screws is provided on the right hand side of the
platform face. Type 3259-3D and 3E heads accommodate the camera directly on the adjustable platform slide
plate, while an automatic wedge adaptor Type 3761 is provided with Type 3259-3F and 3S heads for camera
attachment.
Fig 1.1 Vision 30 Pan and Tilt Head

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Pan and tilt drag
7 Both the pan and tilt mechanisms incorporate lubricated friction drag systems to provide smooth
movement and jerk-free break-away in the pan and tilt axes. The amount of drag applied is controlled by
rotation of large ribbed control knobs, annotated PAN DRAG and TILT DRAG, mounted conveniently on the
right and left hand sides of the body respectively.
Pan and tilt brakes
8 Two friction brakes are provided one for the pan and one for tilt movements. The rotary levers,
annotated PAN BRAKE and TILT BRAKE, which control these brakes are mounted below the tilt drag control
on the left-hand side of the body.
Balance
9 A large cruciform control on the rear of the body is used for adjusting the mechanism which provides
the counterbalancing force for a fitted camera. Fine positioning of the camera on the platform, in a fore and aft
direction, is accomplished using a lead-screw-driven platform slide. The lead screw is operated via knurled
knobs at the front and rear ends of the platform. The amount of adjustment is approximately 50 mm (2 in.).
The platform slide is locked in position by two knurled-headed screws on the right hand side of the platform.
Scales are provided on the underside of the platform slide for reference and to facilitate re-setting.
Centre lock
10 The position centre lock is controlled by a knob near the top LH side of the head, above the tilt drag
control. This lock, retained in the OFF position by a detent, is biased by spring pressure to the engaged
position when released. A locking spigot engages an aperture in the side of the head main casting when the
platform is at the mid-point of the tilt range. A detent is provided at the disengaged position of the lock to
prevent inadvertent engagement. The lock is released by pulling the knob out against the spring pressure and
rotating the knob.
Pan bar and viewfinder bracket attachment
11 Quadrant assemblies, each incorporating a tubular clamp, are mountable on each side of the tilting unit
to enable pan bars to be attached to the head. The quadrant assemblies provide adjustment for the angle of
the pan bars. A third mounting point is provided on the body, facing forward, at the lower left-hand front, for
attachment of a viewfinder bracket.
Head and camera attachment
12 The head is mounted on the tripod or pedestal support on which it is to be used via a 150 mm spherical
base (Type 3259-3E or 3S heads) or a flat base (Type 3259-3D or 3F heads), which will also accept Quickfix
or other mounting adaptors. Spherical bases are secured to the support using a single, central, clamp screw
and flat bases are secured using four 3/8 in. hexagon-headed screws.
13 The camera may be attached directly to the platform slide plate via two screws passed through slots in
the plate and screwed into the camera base. Alternatively the camera may be attached via a Vinten wedge
assembly (Type 3761-13) and automatic wedge adaptor (Type 3761-3).

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Section 2
Operation
Contents Para
General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installation
Fitting the head to its support mounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Pan bar attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Fitting a camera to the head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Centre screw fixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Wedge adaptor fixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Balancing the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Setting the tilt drag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Setting the pan drag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting the pan and tilt brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
General
1 The Vision 30 Head is part of a range including the Vision 5, 10 and 20 heads. It may be supplied
already fitted in a carrying case within a packing case.
2 After removal of the head from its packing ensure that the TILT BRAKE and PAN BRAKE levers are set
to the ’ON’position (levers fully clockwise) with the camera mounting platform parallel with the base and the
CENTRE LOCK engaged (control knob almost touching side wall of platform). he CENTRE LOCK is provided
to retain the platform in a rigid position for fitting and/or removing camera and/or lenses and for safety when a
mounted camera is left unattended. The pin of the lock is biased to engage under spring pressure.
WARNING!:Do not rely on the tilt brake mechanism alone during camera mounting/dis-
mounting - use the centre lock.

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Installation
Fitting the head to its support mounting
3 The head may now be mounted to a support (pedestal, tripod, etc.). A flat based head attaches via
either
3.1 The four 3/8 in. BSW hex. headed bolts supplied, passed upwards through the support and
screwed into the head base. or
3.2 A Vinten Quickfix adaptor, in which case the four 3/8 in. BSW bolts are removed and the head is
secured to the adaptor by tightening the three knurled headed screws of the adaptor.
4 A spherical based head attaches to a 150 mm bowl tripod head. The spherical base must be very
securely clamped to the support tripod.
5 After attachment to its support the head should be accurately levelled. This is facilitated by using the ’T’
type spirit level fitted to the forward end of the tilt drag mechanism cover. The level is illuminated by integral
"Betalights" for low light conditions.
Pan bar attachment
6 A quadrant assembly is first loosely attached to the head by its central wingheaded stud.
7 A pan bar is inserted into the clamp ring of the quadrant assembly and the latter is rotated to achieve
the required pan bar position. The wingheaded stud is then tightened to retain the pan bar and quadrant
assembly in position.
Fitting a camera to the head
8 It is important to ensure that the camera is complete with all its ancillary equipment (lenses, zoom and
focus controls, etc) otherwise the later balancing #!of the system will be upset.
Centre screw fixing
9 Ensure a camera mounting screw is located in the required slot in the platform slide plate. It may be
repositioned by withdrawing it from the underside of the platform slide plate and inserting in the other slot.
Access to the slots is gained by repositioning the platform slide plate. It is possible that a second screw may
be required if the camera/lens combination is mounted via a sub-plate. The screws are housed, when not in
use, in tapped holes in the rear right hand side of the platform casting. Recheck that the CENTRE LOCK is
WARNING!: Do not tighten wingheaded stud if a pan bar is not fitted.
WARNING!:The centre lock and the pan and tilt brakes must be applied before any
attempt is made to fit or remove any equipment mounted on the pan and tilt head.

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engaged and then, mount and secure the camera/lens combination, with their combined centre of gravity
approximately over the head tilt axis.
Wedge adaptor fixing
10 The adaptor (if not already fitted) is attached to the platform slide plate by either two 3/8 in. BSW
screws passed through the slide plate slots into threaded inserts in the adaptor body, or by a minimum of four
M4 screws passed through the adaptor body into the appropriate threaded holes in the slide plate. The wedge
assembly is secured to the camera underside by one or two captive screws in the wedge assembly.
11 Recheck that the head CENTRE LOCK is engaged on the platform and pull out the wedge adaptor lock
bar until it is held by the action of the lock pin. Offer the wedge assembly into the forward end of the adaptor
body pushing the lock slide assembly against the spring tension. Lower the rear end of the wedge assembly
into the adaptor body and the wedge slide will secure the rear of the wedge assembly. An audible click
indicates correct engagement.
Fig 2.1 Balance Graph
75
100
125
175
200
225
01020304050 kg
150
250
60
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 lb
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 mmin.
140
± 90°
± 40°
± 60°

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Balancing the camera
12 Balancing the Vision 30 head achieves two objectives. Firstly, when a head is correctly balanced the
operator will need a minimum amount of even effort to move the head. Secondly, once balanced, the head
and its payload can be set to any tilt position and the head will maintain this position with “hands off”.
13 The graph (Fig 2.1) illustrates the relationship between load and centre-of-gravity (C of G) height and
may be used to ascertain the suitability of the head for any given combination of camera, lens and
accessories. The shaded area of the graph corresponds to those loads/C of G heights that can be balanced
over the full tilt range. The areas to the right indicate the progressively reducing tilt range over which the head
can balance higher loads.
14 Ensure the pan bar or bars with zoom and focus controls are fitted to the platform, that the platform is
horizontal and proceed as follows:
14.1 Turn the balance adjustment knob approximately 15 to 20 revolutions in the positive (+)
(clockwise) direction.
14.2 Position the centre of gravity of the camera/lens combination over the head tilt axis by adjusting
the platform slide. Slacken two slide lock screws protruding from the right hand side plate and by
operation of either slide adjuster knob, positioned one at each end of the platform slide, position the
slide and camera/lens combination to give equal 'fall-away' or 'centring' tendency in both directions.
Relock slide in position using the two slide lock screws.
14.3 Hold the pan bar to restrain possible movement about the tilt axis and release the CENTRE
LOCK (pull out and turn) and the TILT BRAKE (lever fully counter-clockwise).
14.4 By feel on the pan bar determine whether the platform 'centres' or tends to 'fall away' forwards or
backwards.
14.4.1 If the platform 'centres' decrease balance by turning the adjustment knob counter-
clockwise until an approximate balance is achieved.
14.4.2 If the platform tends to 'fall-away' in either direction increase balance by turning the
adjustment knob clockwise until an approximate balance is achieved.
14.5 Finely trim the balance and fore and aft adjustments to achieve accurate balance throughout the
full tilt range.
14.6 Re-engage CENTRE LOCK and apply TILT BRAKE.
Setting the tilt drag
15 Hold the pan bar and release the CENTRE LOCK and TILT BRAKE. Turn the TILT DRAG control knob,
on the left hand side, to the required amount of drag; clockwise to increase, counter-clockwise to decrease.
Setting the pan drag
16 The pan drag is set in a similar manner to the tilt drag by operation of the PAN DRAG control knob on
the right hand side of the head.

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Setting the pan and tilt brakes
17 Both the PAN BRAKE and TILT BRAKE are fully applied when the respective lever on the left hand side
of the head is rotated fully clockwise.
Operation
18 With the PAN BRAKE, TILT BRAKE applied and the CENTRE LOCK engaged, adjust the position of
the pan bar to suit the operators requirements by slackening the wing headed stud and moving the pan bar
and quadrant to the desired position. Retighten the wing headed stud.
19 While firmly holding the pan bar withdraw the tilt CENTRE LOCK control knob and set the PAN BRAKE
and TILT BRAKE to the off position.
20 Check the freedom of movement in both pan and tilt axes and adjust the drag on each by means of the
PAN DRAG and TILT DRAG control knobs to suit, the operator.
21 The PAN BRAKE and TILT BRAKE must be applied if the camera is to be left on a static shot for any
period of time with the operator in control to prevent inadvertent movement.
22 If the camera is to be left unattended the PAN BRAKE and TILT BRAKE must be applied and the tilt
CENTRE LOCK engaged.
WARNING!:The tilt centre lock must be engaged and the pan and tilt brakes must be
applied before any attempt is made to fit or remove any equipment mounted on the pan
and tilt head.
NOTE: Repositioning of the pan bars may necessitate fine adjustment in the fore and aft position
of the camera and of the balance.

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Section 3
Tools and Materials
Special tools
1 No special tools are required
Consumable materials
2 The following consumable materials are required for certain procedures in Section 5.
NOTE: :Adhesives and lubricants are not supplied by Vinten Broadcast Ltd and should be
obtained under local arrangements.
ITEM PART No. USE
Vinten Fluid No. 3 3051-25 Lubricated friction systems
Grease, molybdenum disulphide, GP50 Z150-081 Adjustment thread
Grease, white bearing Z150-085 Moving contact surfaces and bearings
Grease, Shell Tonner TX-32 Slide Way Z150-116 Platform dovetail faces
Loctite 221 Z002-026 Screw and nut locking
Loctite 270 Z002-034 Stud locking
Loctite 290 Z002-012 Push-on cover brush rivet sealing
Loctite 601 Z002-020 Sleeve attachment
Loctite 638 Z002-038 Tilt brake bore liner attachment
Loctite adhesive IS495 Z002-059 Buffer pad adhesive
Scotch Y909 adhesive tape Z001-046 Knob label attachment