Quick releases clamps and plates

[AgX]

Thought #2: I tried the Manfrotto hex plates and thought they were clumsy, crude, heavy, and bulky on the bottom of my cameras.

The benefit of the hexagonal plates is that spread load over a rather large circular area. Great for large cameras. I eve got a rare hex-version consisting of a large (anf heavy) square plate. I use that under wooden field cameras. It reduces the load on the screws in the wood, a protects the wood at mounting on the receptacle.

For small cameras as 35mm SLRs the small rectangular 323 plates are the better solution.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I do not understand from this photograph. What is broken?
Thought #1: if you already have several Gitzo plates for your camera, it would be easiest to buy another Gitzo receiver.
Thought #2: I tried the Manfrotto hex plates and thought they were clumsy, crude, heavy, and bulky on the bottom of my cameras.
Thought #3: If you are starting afresh, go with the Arca-Swiss design because so many companies make plates of different size and cages that will fit.
Your tripod looks like one of the fine French units from the old days.

Then pictures show the unit before I broke it. The turn knob broke inside where it connects to the movable part. I couldn't;t find a replacement. But I order a knob and a spring to keep the movable plate against the knob and will see if I can repair it. Interesting, this quick release from Gitzo is on an old Gitzo tripod. The plate is about 2" by 3" and is more secure holding my RB67 and 4x5 cameras than skinny long Arca-type plates as far as I can tell. If I can't get the old one fixed, I still haven't decided what I want to go with. Do any of you get wobble on your 4x5's or heavy medium format cameras with those narrow Arca-type plates?

 

[GLS]

Do any of you get wobble on your 4x5's or heavy medium format cameras with those narrow Arca-type plates?

No, not at all. In conjunction with my Z1 ballhead I have used AS type plates from Arca-Swiss, Wimberley, Acratech and Markins without a hitch, including with my Hasselblad, Pentax 6x7 and Linhof Technikardan S45.

There is a reason virtually every QR plate manufacturer uses the AS design.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have Arca-Swiss type plates on everything from my iPhone camera adapter to my 11x14” camera. A bigger camera or a large lens like my 600/4.5 birding lens should have a longer plate, both to have multiple attachment points and to provide some sliding room to make it easier to balance the camera on the tripod head.

On my Linhof Technika V 4x5” camera I have a short plate under the body of the camera and a long plate attached to the bed, both oriented in a line, so that with a long clamp I can slide the camera between the two plates for better balance depending on the lens and focus extension, or even as an ersatz macro rail in the field, when I’m not likely to have the bulky Linhof macro rail with me.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I have Arca-Swiss type plates on everything from my iPhone camera adapter to my 11x14” camera. A bigger camera or a large lens like my 600/4.5 birding lens should have a longer plate, both to have multiple attachment points and to provide some sliding room to make it easier to balance the camera on the tripod head.

On my Linhof Technika V 4x5” camera I have a short plate under the body of the camera and a long plate attached to the bed, both oriented in a line, so that with a long clamp I can slide the camera between the two plates for better balance depending on the lens and focus extension, or even as an ersatz macro rail in the field, when I’m not likely to have the bulky Linhof macro rail with me.

I'm thinking of using this on my Chamonix 4x5. It's 4" x 1 1/4"
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/663115-REG/Arca_Swiss_802283_Slidefix_100_QR_Camera.html

Then for my Mamiya RB67 which is heavier than the Chamonix this one made for it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2127-REG/Arca_Swiss_802224_Camera_Plate_for_Mamiya.html/specs

I Like the Kessler clamp but I'm concerned about what I read about clamp's slipping or inadvertently opened although this one looks pretty secure. As opposed to a knob to tighten.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm thinking of using this on my Chamonix 4x5. It's 4" x 1 1/4"
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/663115-REG/Arca_Swiss_802283_Slidefix_100_QR_Camera.html

Then for my Mamiya RB67 which is heavier than the Chamonix this one made for it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2127-REG/Arca_Swiss_802224_Camera_Plate_for_Mamiya.html/specs

I Like the Kessler clamp but I'm concerned about what I read about clamp's slipping or inadvertently opened although this one looks pretty secure. As opposed to a knob to tighten.

Those look good. Bear in mind that the Arca-Swiss plates, oddly, are sometimes a little looser in the lever-type clamps than some of the other plates. I’m not sure why that should be, but try them out if you can, or be sure you can return them. The knob clamps can compensate for any slight variation in the width of the plate, though they can be harder to operate under a flatbed camera.

The biggest problem with the knob clamp is operator error—you go to adjust the knob on the tripod head while looking at the groundglass, and accidentally loosen the clamp, if the head happens to have a similar kind of knob as the clamp. I’ve caught myself doing that a couple of times, averting disaster before loosening it completely. I try to orient everything so the clamp knob is on the opposite side of the knobs for the head, so I don’t get confused.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Those look good. Bear in mind that the Arca-Swiss plates, oddly, are sometimes a little looser in the lever-type clamps than some of the other plates. I’m not sure why that should be, but try them out if you can, or be sure you can return them. The knob clamps can compensate for any slight variation in the width of the plate, though they can be harder to operate under a flatbed camera.

The biggest problem with the knob clamp is operator error—you go to adjust the knob on the tripod head while looking at the groundglass, and accidentally loosen the clamp, if the head happens to have a similar kind of knob as the clamp. I’ve caught myself doing that a couple of times, averting disaster before loosening it completely. I try to orient everything so the clamp knob is on the opposite side of the knobs for the head, so I don’t get confused.

Thanks. I'm glad I asked. SO
Thanks. Glad I asked. I can't try them out. Ordering blind. So I've got to give it some thought. I'll check with B and H to see if these can be returned if they don't work out.

 

[GLS]

Those look good. Bear in mind that the Arca-Swiss plates, oddly, are sometimes a little looser in the lever-type clamps than some of the other plates. I’m not sure why that should be, but try them out if you can, or be sure you can return them

I have found this to be the case too. The issue is not that the bevel profile is different, but that the width between the two bevels on the QR plates varies ever so slightly between manufacturers (don't ask me why). If you have an Arca-Swiss lever clamp head though this is easily remedied by adjusting the thumbwheel which alters the distance between the two sides of the clamp. Other AS-compatible heads may also have such an adjustment, but I'm not sure.

edit: the below image shows the wheel I mean

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thanks. I'm glad I asked. SO
Thanks. Glad I asked. I can't try them out. Ordering blind. So I've got to give it some thought. I'll check with B and H to see if these can be returned if they don't work out.

Not today, Saturday, call B&H and ask what they recommend.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Also, check out https://www.reallyrightstuff.com/ if you haven’t yet. They have a lot of good designs for different kinds of cameras, and they’ve always worked well for me. The plates are usually skeletonized to minimize weight without sacrificing strength, and they have a lot of special purpose plates, like square plates so you can clamp one way for horizontals, and rotated 90 degrees for verticals, or L-shaped so you can rotate the camera 90 degrees without changing the head position, and special designs for specific camera systems.