Nonetheless, there are always cases of those tripods with a fixed length mounting stud.
In this case if you run across a head or other device with a shallow depth bottom mounting hole it will be quite difficult to mount.
As I had reported in the section "Mounting on a Tripod" of the Sunwayfoto DYH-66i Leveling Base Review there was such an issue with first production batches* of this leveling base, where the depth of its bottom mounting hole would generate problems and frustration to users if their tripod mounting stud exceeded 6mm in height.
Plastic or Aluminium washers / spacers like the Desmond DSPAC-2 or DSPAC-5 are the remedy for the issue.
Package and Contents
 |
| Desmond DSPAC-2 ( 2 pack) Aluminium washers / spacers come in a retail display transparent case with a carton divider. The case is easy to open as the back is only nested into the front (display) part. |
 |
| There are no instructions whatsoever, but a label with UPC code and product description on the back. |
The Washers / Spacers
| Manufacturer Specification: | |
|---|---|
| Model: | DSPAC-2 |
| Diameter : | 56 mm |
| Height/Thickness: | 2 mm |
| Weight: | 13 gr |
| Center Hole: | 3/8"-16 UNC |
| Material: | Aluminium |
 |
| The two Aluminium disks are very lightweight, 2 mm thick and hard coat anodized in matte-black color as most of the Desmond products. I gave them some hard time on purpose but there were no marks on the smooth surfaces after the ordeal. :) |
Using on a Tripod Mounting Plate
These Desmond Aluminium washers / spacers, as forementioned are meant to offer a solution for those tripods equipped with a fixed top mounting stud. The user may stack one or more on top of the tripod mounting plate in order to reach the desired stud protrusion length.
 |
| Although the Triopo GX-1328 Classic CF tripod (Review) is equipped with a reversible yet also adjustable top mounting stud, it is hereby used for the illustration as it has the appropriate diameter (58 mm) top mounting plate among my tripods. |
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| When the Desmond Aluminium spacer is installed on top of the Triopo GX-1328 top mounting plate as shown above, it decreases the effective height of the 3/8"-16 stud by 2 mm. |
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| Thus eliminating the issue of the shallow bottom mounting hole (6,5 mm ) of an older version* of the Sunwayfoto DYH-66i Leveling Base. Now it can be mounted on the Triopo GX-1328 top mounting plate without the need to adjust the stud height. |
Pros
High quality 100% Aluminium.
Universal fitting.
Cons
None found up to now concerning the usage of the washers / spacers.
Conclusion
A nice accessory that can find numerous applications where a spacer is needed between a tripod mounting plate, ball head bases and/or other photographic equipment.
However, some care should be taken when tightening bare metal surfaces one on top of another in order to avoid damaging equipment with fragile finishing. Anyway, although in the beginning I thought that the spacers might be slippery compared to a plasticized top mounting plate. The spacers perform quite well without loosening of the attached device.
Note: The DSPAC-2 Aluminium Washers presented in this article were kindly offered by Desmond Photographic Distribution, USA, for evaluation and review.
I hope you found the article and ideas useful, thank you for viewing.
All Photos: © 2015 S.C.Vlachos
Price & Availability:
Current prices for the Desmond Alu Washers are US$ 6.95 for the DSPAC-2 and US$ 9.95 for the DSPAC-5 while both are available from Amazon
Nevertheless Desmond DSPAC is also available from eBay
Referenced Articles:
Triopo GX-1328 Carbon Fiber Classic Tripod Review
Sunwayfoto DYH-66i Leveling Base Review
Relevant Articles:
Desmond Accessory Stick-on Rubber Washers - Review
Desmond Boss Adapter for Manfrotto 490 and 050 Series Ball Heads Review
Accessory Tripod Mounting Spacers from Sunwayfoto
Desmond DTR-1 Tripod Reducer-Spacer Review
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