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Qtop and Arca Swiss Ball head

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Peter92344

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Does any one have any experience with the Qtop QR and the Arca Swiss B1 Ballhead? Are there any interferences? Thanks in advances for your responses.

Logan
 
What's a Qtop? The plain dovetail plates are IMO the easiest to
use, indestructible, almost idiot proof, and available from multiple
vendors with many different accessories and custom fitted to
just about any camera body or lens. For instance, Kirk sells L
brackets, flash brackets, QR platforms, a focusing rail, and carry
straps that all use the A-S dovetail geometry. RRS is another
vendor. Wimberley uses the same QR platform. Just about any
ballhead can be had with an A-S platform. And so forth.
teryx said:
Does any one have any experience with the Qtop QR and the Arca
Swiss B1 Ballhead? Are there any interferences? Thanks in
advances for your responses.

Logan
Click to expand...
 
Arca-style quick releases are the strongest & most widely used of the professional models. The various brands of ball heads & QR based on the Arca all pretty much work the same. I prefer the Foba's tightning handle to the circular knobs on the other models, but some people hate them.

I've never tried the Qtops but have heard they can slip if the camera is tilted the wrong way.

I would get an Arca-style Quick Release instead of the Qtop. As far as quick release plates to attach to your camera, you should get these from Kirk Enterprises. The plates are smaller & much more comfortable in the palm of your hand. They design specific plates for specific camera models. Most have some feature that keeps the plate from being able to twist no matter how much stress you place on it.

I put an Arca brand quick release plate on the battery grip of my D60. It was incrediably uncomfortable to hold in the portrait orientation. It also cut into my body when slung over the shoulder. I ordered the Kirk plate specifically designed for the battery grip & my issues where gone. The edges are rounded & smaller. Excess metal has been shaved away to reduce weight & there is a extra tripod screw mount, so you can attach the camera to a tripod that does not have a Arca-style quick release adapter. It is actually easier to hold the battery grip with this plate attached than if it were not present. The camera sits on a level surface, such as a table, just as well as if there was no plate. It is so comfortable & low profile that I actually forget that it is attached to my camera.

As I mentioned, many of these plates are designed for specific equipment. As an example, if you order a plate for a D60 body & latter decide that you want a battery grip, you'll need a different plate. The anti-twist feature of the Kirk plates makes this a small price to pay.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/
 
The Qtop is a great gadget and is well designed.

Unlike the other posters here...I think it is the best and most versatile (you can use the small round plates on anything that takes a 1/4 20 screw.

I have had no problems at all using the Qplates on the D30 with a heavy 70-200IS lens...because I rotate the orientation of the camera/lense by using the tripod collar. Just put the round Qtop plate on the tripod collar and whammo...you got a quick and easy setup.

The qtop plates are only $20 too...about half the cost of the others....so you can buy several and have them on all your gear/bodies ready to go.

Highly recommended...I bought two Qtops and several plates. I will never use the Bogen hex system again. And...I know my plates fit even if the body does have a battery grip or not...or if I switch to a long heavy lens or not...etc...etc...

Steadman
teryx said:
Does any one have any experience with the Qtop QR and the Arca
Swiss B1 Ballhead? Are there any interferences? Thanks in
advances for your responses.

Logan
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the posts but I am still wondering if there is anyone using a Arca Swiss or an Arcatech ball head with the Qtops. I have seen in previous post that the Qtop is incapable with the Kirk ball heads but if anyone has experience withe the Qtop on a Arca Swiss B1, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thanks again.

Logan
teryx said:
Does any one have any experience with the Qtop QR and the Arca
Swiss B1 Ballhead? Are there any interferences? Thanks in
advances for your responses.

Logan
Click to expand...
 
CLTHRS said:
I ordered the Kirk plate specifically designed for the battery grip
& my issues where gone. The edges are rounded & smaller. Excess
metal has been shaved away to reduce weight & there is a extra
tripod screw mount, so you can attach the camera to a tripod that
does not have a Arca-style quick release adapter. It is actually
easier to hold the battery grip with this plate attached than if it
were not present. The camera sits on a level surface, such as a
table, just as well as if there was no plate. It is so comfortable
& low profile that I actually forget that it is attached to my
camera.
Click to expand...
Does the Kirk plate let you open the BG-ED3 to replace batteries without removing the plate?

Is it long enough to compensate for the battery grip's tripod socket being displaced from the axis of the lens when mounting it in the ArcaSwiss QR clamp?
--
Walter K
 
WalterK said:
Does the Kirk plate let you open the BG-ED3 to replace batteries
without removing the plate?
Click to expand...
The battery door can open completely & cannot come in contact with the plate. The plate is so slim that when the battery door is fully open, it extends below the quick release plate.
WalterK said:
Is it long enough to compensate for the battery grip's tripod
socket being displaced from the axis of the lens when mounting it
in the ArcaSwiss QR clamp?
Click to expand...
This Kirk QR plate is 2 7/8" long. My Foba QR is 3 1/4" long. I can center the axis of the lens while keeping the entire Kirk plate in contact with this Foba plate. You should be able to center it well enough on a 3" quick release. If it would help, I can test it on a Graf tomorrow.
 
This Kirk QR plate is 2 7/8" long.

The maximum width of the plate where it makes contact with the QR is 1". The maximum width of the plate where it makes contact with the camera is 1 7/8". The 7/8" difference is offset towards the front of the camera & is there to provide an anti twist lip that runs the full length of the plate.

The maximum depth that the plate extends beneath the BG is an incrediable 5/16". I mentioned earlier that the open battery door extends further below the camera than the plate. I said this happened if you open the door completely. The distance is actually quite a bit shorter than that. A fully open door is at least twice as far from the bottom of the camera than the plate sits.

Every photographer that has handled my camera has commented on how well designed & comfortable these plates are. I can't imagine you'd be dissapointed with them, or capable of finding a better designed plate.
 
CLTHRS said:
There is a picture of the PZ-53 plate for D60+BG if you follow the
instructions
at
http://www.kirkphoto.com/platesend.html
It is mislabeled as being for the "Canon D-30 & D-60 with PG-ED3".

The only things you can't see is how they cut away excess weight
along the base of the plate, & how they rounded off the sharp edges.
Click to expand...
It looks good, although expensive. But can you remove the batteries while the plate is on the camera?
--
Walter K
 
I have to agree. The Kirk camera plates are the cat's meow. I have
them on the D30, its BG, and the 1D.
CLTHRS said:
This Kirk QR plate is 2 7/8" long.

The maximum width of the plate where it makes contact with the QR
is 1". The maximum width of the plate where it makes contact with
the camera is 1 7/8". The 7/8" difference is offset towards the
front of the camera & is there to provide an anti twist lip that
runs the full length of the plate.

The maximum depth that the plate extends beneath the BG is an
incrediable 5/16". I mentioned earlier that the open battery door
extends further below the camera than the plate. I said this
happened if you open the door completely. The distance is actually
quite a bit shorter than that. A fully open door is at least twice
as far from the bottom of the camera than the plate sits.

Every photographer that has handled my camera has commented on how
well designed & comfortable these plates are. I can't imagine you'd
be dissapointed with them, or capable of finding a better designed
plate.
Click to expand...
 
Jan Brittenson said:
I have to agree. The Kirk camera plates are the cat's meow. I have
them on the D30, its BG, and the 1D.

CLTHRS wrote:
well designed & comfortable these plates are. I can't imagine you'd
be dissapointed with them, or capable of finding a better designed
plate.

--
Click to expand...
CLTHRS and Jan,

Thanks for the advice on the Kirk. I put it on the BG-ED3 and it is very unobtrusive and weighs almost nothing. I certainly can remove the batteries, and it doesnpt at all get in the way when holding the grip for verticals

--
Walter K
 
Once you've used a Qtop you are spoiled. It just makes photography that much quicker and easier. And it is built as if not even better than those you mentioned. Lighter to boot!!!
WalterK said:
Jan Brittenson said:
I have to agree. The Kirk camera plates are the cat's meow. I have
them on the D30, its BG, and the 1D.

CLTHRS wrote:
well designed & comfortable these plates are. I can't imagine you'd
be dissapointed with them, or capable of finding a better designed
plate.

--
Click to expand...
CLTHRS and Jan,
Thanks for the advice on the Kirk. I put it on the BG-ED3 and it
is very unobtrusive and weighs almost nothing. I certainly can
remove the batteries, and it doesnpt at all get in the way when
holding the grip for verticals

--
Walter K
Click to expand...
 
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