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2026-09-20 Linhof Twin Shank Profile tripod

 
    I was given this Linhof Twin Shank Profile tripod in several pieces and at different times. Initially I got the legs and center column with nothing on the column’s head. The bolt that holds the head on is bedded into hardened plastic and that had shattered into several large bits that normally would wrap around the bolt filling the space inside the column’s hollow tube. I reassembled the plastic bits around the bolt and then tapped it back into the column’s tube. Of course that is a lousy repair. I should have added epoxy to the bits. But what started as a loose reassembly kept getting tighter and tighter until I couldn’t take it apart again.






    A month later I was given the head. I just screwed the head onto the column and I had a perfectly workable video tripod. It is a video head with separate pan, tilt (in two directions) and control arm adjustments.     Starting at the top you loosen the large plastic knob on the far side from the camera platform and then you can tilt the camera fore and aft. The next knob down facing left allows you to adjust the camera platform’s left and right angle. This will become clearer in the next image, but for now staying with this image the bottom of the stack has a last knob that allows you to release the pan action.
    In this view from 90º clockwise from the last image you are now looking under the video camera from behind looking towards the subject. Again the top knob facing left allows you to tip the camera forward and back. Notice the bubble level used to make sure the camera is level left to right. That tilt is corrected using the knob facing towards you. The small knob again to the left is the pan release mentioned earlier. While we are here also note the shaft of the control arm independently adjusts on the ball joint on the right side. You loosen the arm by unscrewing it—much as in other tripods that loosen the arm to free the head for adjustments—and then you position the arm for your comfort with the subject and position you are working from before tightening it back at that angle.


    When adjusting the head you center the scribed black circle inside the bubble of air.  Note how the level is protected inside the head’s casting.













    While on the subject of bubble levels this is the level for the entire head. It is right down at the base just above the pan rotation plate. Note how much smaller the bubble of air is—this time it fits inside the black circle.









    Back to the entire head but this time facing towards the operator. You can see in this view the tilt is calibrated in case you have to return to an exact angle later.









    A 45º both above and to the right of the last view shows the tripod’s camera mounting surface.














    This is a repeat view of head on into the head but taken a little wider to show how the head relates to the tripod. It would seem the camera is not exactly centered on the column. Depending on the camera and its mount being exactly centered on the column isn’t always necessary.











    If you noticed the tripod screw was not ¼ inch you would be right. Most really large cameras need at least the European ⅜ inch tripod screw.













The ball joint at the control arm to head joint makes adjusting the arm left and right as well as up and down possible.














    Up at the top you can just see a red line on the scale. This is the 0º setting.















    Here the tripod is fully extended. Although perhaps the worst setup for rock steadiness it is certainly a workable video position if you need the height.

Now on to the tripod legs.
 











    The leg locks are pretty robust. This is the locked position—moving the black ball outwards releases the inner tube to slide freely. The tips of the legs have retractable spikes or rubber cushions.












    The spider slides on the inner column and when it reaches the bottom it snaps into a lock state. Pressing any of the arms up near the column will release the lock. While we are here—and not illustrated—the connection at the leg end of the spider’s arms is rivets except one arm has a removable “Pin” that allows one leg to be at any angle, not locked at the same angle as the other two legs. This would allow for erecting the tripod’s legs on uneven ground.








The center column has a simple knob lock well sheltered by the leg hinge. Note the label on the column that is out of focus.

This is the only identifier stuck on the tripod.


Linhof Twin Shank Profile tripod


Weight             4.4 Kg    9.7 lb.

Folded size*     94 cm   37 in

Leg diameter             2.4 cm   15/16 in

Height (Legs extended)    147 cm  58 in

Column height     53 cm   21 in 

Column diameter     3.5 cm   1.375 in


    With both legs and column extended, the tripod stands exactly 2 m (79 in) high!


* Carried in 112 cm (44 inch) long shoulder bag


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