The Universal Field Wrench
Added 2025-04-22 20:31:39 +0000 UTCHave you ever had your camera slip on your tripod because the quick release plate between it and the tripod was not tight enough? The same thing can often happen to your ball head or your star tracker because the screw attachments are only "finger tight".
More diameter equals more torque. That slot above the screw is not for a flat head screen driver, but for a coin. A coin will give you about twice the potential torque leverage as that little flip-up bail handle because the right coin has about twice the diameter.
Always in your pocket or in your bag. I alway keep a U.S. "quarter" (quarter dollar or 25 cents) coin in my pocket for these field operations! You may want to stash a couple of coins in your camera bag. U.S. quarters are 24.26 mm in diameter and 1.75 mm thick. A U.S. half dollar (50 cents) works even better because it is 30.61 mm in diameter (even greater torque) and 2.15 mm thick.
Coins of other nations: If you live in Australia, your 50c coin (31.65mm in diameter and 2.0 mm thick) should also work well. The New Zealand 50c coin is almost identical in dimensions to the U.S. quarter dollar. The 50 cent Euro should also work quite well (24.25 mm diameter and 2.20 mm thickness. Make sure the coin you select is not too thick to fit the slot on the screw.
