Orientable mounting for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment

An orientatable mounting for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment comprising:

• at least one universal joint having a first joint component and a second joint component which are movably coupled together, means for applying an immobilizing friction load between the joint components including hydrostatic pressure means and actuator means for operative control of the pressure means, the hydrostatic pressure means including a first piston member and a second piston member, slidably guided while maintaining a hydraulic seal in corresponding chambers which communicate with each other, a fluid means being provided in the said chambers such that a thrust exerted on one of the piston members is transferred to the other of the piston members, the first piston member acting on one of the joint components and the second piston member being capable of being displaced through selectively controllable actuator means from outside the chambers to induce a hydrostatic pressure in the fluid means which is to be transferred to the first piston member consequently exerting an immobilizing friction force between the joint components, and the actuator means including a first actuator member for operative control of the second piston member in order to generate the preselected immobilizing load between the joint components and a second separate actuator member to selectively control the second piston member in generating a relative friction load between the joint components independently of the immobilizing load obtained through control of the first actuator member.