Any caveats to this tripod hack?

Hi everyone,

This tripod hack might've been discovered by someone else before, but I just discovered that you can get extreme-low angle shots while on a SIRUI Traveler 7A tripod, that has an inverted center column and a 1/4" -20 threaded screw accessory port.

The problem with the inverted center column is unless you buy an adapter or use an articulating arm, you're going to have to find a way to have your pictures at normal rotation. Some cameras might be able to do this, but I'm not aware of any.

I am using this trick with a the ball head that came with the SIRUI Traveler 7A, the SIRUI E-10 Ball Head. Other heads that are larger/have varying designs may not work with this trick.

1. Remove the ball head

2. Remove the disc and the screw.

On one end there's a 3/8" -16 male screw thread and on the other there's a 1/4" -20 male screw thread. A versatile tripod indeed.

3. Take the end with the 1/4" -20 Male screw and screw it into the 1/4" -20 femake screw thread accessory port.

4. Tighten by holding the 3/8" -16 Male Thread end and screwing it in, then holding the disc and tightening it further. The disc will be able to move a tiny bit as it's a bit loose and if you look inside, you'd see why. Not a concern so long as it's screwed tight.

5. Attach the ball head

6. Put the ball head in a vertical position so that the camera will face upwards instead of facing down. Then turn the panoramic base to level.

Any caveats to this?

After contacting SIRUI, I noticed that the maximum payload is only 1kg. There are still some cameras you can put on, but still quite risky. I guess an articulating arm is the best solution as people always tell you to load only at half the maximum payload weight