User Manual

Level Plane
The Sidekick is now ready to use. Simply loosen the pan and tilt knobs about a quarter turn and start shooting. The lens
should be very easy to point, should stay pointed and should not tend to flop or creep. You can shoot with the knob loose for
fluid motion, or lock-in on a target by tightening the knob.
If you have questions or need help setting it up, please contact us.
Page 2 Page 3
Prerequisite: In order to attach your lens to the Sidekick, it must be fitted with an
Arca-Swiss style quick-release plate or foot.
Step 1: Tighten the tilt knob of the Sidekick - make sure that the Sidekick’s Quick-release
clamp is level so that the Sidekick is stable while you are loading your lens.
Step 2: Open the jaws of the quick-release clamp wide enough so that the jaws clear the
entire width of the QR plate attached to the foot of your lens.
Step 3: While supporting your lens, insert the quick-release plate on your
lens into the jaws of the clamp and tighten the clamp securely.
Make sure the quick-release plate is seated properly and captive in
the clamp jaws before letting go of the lens.
BALANCING YOUR LENS ON THE SIDEKICK:
ATTACHING YOUR LENS TO THE SIDEKICK: See our website for a tutorial video.
STEP 1: Preparing to Balance:
Tighten the Sidekick’s tilt knob. Mount your lens (with camera body
attached). Stand behind the lens/camera setup and grab the camera
body as if you are going to take a picture.
If the front of the lens tilts downward you will
need to slide the lens backward (toward you)
in the clamp.
If the front of the lens tilts upward,
you will need to slide the lens forward
(away from you.)
PROPER HORIZONTAL BALANCE:
Adjust the position of the lens in small increments until there is no tendency for it to tip.
STEP 2: Balance the Horizontal Position of the Lens:
Hold camera body with a relaxed grip and loosen the tilt knob of the Sidekick.
Adjust the horizontal position of the lens forward or backwards depending on how the lens tips (see figures below). You will notice
that the lens will want to tilt forward or backward. Don’t forget to re-tighten the clamp after each adjustment.
1
3
2
Sidekick on Left
Smaller lenses (e.g. the 300 f/4, 70-200 2.8) are shorter and lighter compared to most pro camera bodies. In order to balance a
small lens, the quick release clamp may have to be so close to the camera body that there is not enough room for your fingers.
Some solutions to this problem are using a lighter camera body or mounting the sidekick to the left side of the lens
(which allows much more room because of the shape of most cameras)
USING SMALL LENSES (OR FOR VERTICAL SHOOTING)
USING LARGE LENSES
Cantilevering is also a useful
method for vertical shooting
where either the camera body
(shooting up) or lens (shooting
downwards) would normally hit
the ballhead. Again stability and
smooth panning are possible
problems in this orientation.
The Sidekick will carry the weight of a really big lens, but there are some special considerations needed for safe and problem-free
operation. Typically, the bigger the lens, the greater is the distance from the central axis of the lens to the bottom of the tripod
mounting foot. The higher the lens profile, the more the lens extends beyond the center of the ball head, which makes the load on
the pan mechanism of the ball head more uneven. In extreme cases damage may occur to the ballhead pan mechanism Due to this
aspect, we have found that only a few of the really large lenses work well with just a standard QR lens plate on the Sidekick.
Sidekick on Right
Another option is to tilt or cantilever the sidekick towards you. This is
Less ideal as the center of gravity of the lens and sidekick will not be
directly over the ballhead and there will be a general loss of stability.
In this orientation there is also a possibility for less than smooth
panning motion from the ball head due to the off-center loading.
Tripod Mounting foot
Low-Profile Replacement Foot
Sidekick Shifter
Plates Installed
Sidekick with Shifter Plates
If you have a large lens that needs help balancing, we are here to help. We have an extensive list of lenses and
recommended setups on our lens compatibility list. This may be found in our catalog or on our website.
www.tripodhead.com/products/lens-plates-main.cfm
In order to use one of these larger lenses, we will often recommend a replacement foot which lowers the
profile of the lens. In some cases, when the tripod mounting foot is not replaceable or if the lens is just that
large, we will recommend using Sidekick Shifter Plates (AP-900, AP-901, AP-902 and AP-903). These are mounted
in between the ballhead and the sidekick to bring the lens more directly above the center of the ball head.