Camera Plate

I am looking for a quick release plate for the 5dmii... Anyone found anything as good as RRS but less expensive? What is everyone using?

Thanks

This is NOT as good as the RRS plate, but it IS MUCH less expensive, especially if you want to mount multiple cameras/lenses to a tripod...

I use a Manfrotto Rapid Connect Adapter, Model 625 RC0, on all of my tripod heads now. I've got one mounted on a RRS BH-55, one on a Gitzo GH2780, and one on my homemade shoulderpod.
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Not as good as RRS because:

• Not a right-angle bracket
• RRS cam-clamp is a much nicer mechanism; you can totally lock/unlock by feel.
• The entire adapter weights a bit more than the equivalent RRS cam + plate
• The Manfrotto is a bit bulkier (but not much)
• You need to be careful when mounting the hex camera plate, or you could inadvertently not end up with the plate locked onto the mount. Easy to avoid, but something that's not an issue with RRS.

Better than RRS because:

• Takes ANY camera or lens with a standard 1/4-20 thread.
• The camera plates are cheap (~ $20), so you can have a number of them without breaking the bank. I have one for each body and lens—makes for very fast changes on the tripod.

As good as an RRS:

• Holds my 1D Mark III and Mark IV just as solidly than my RRS cam unit does.
• The mounting plates weigh about the same as RRS plates.

I loved the RRS system, but ended up getting too frustrated over the total cost and clumsiness of it. I have 3 cameras, which means several expensive RRS camera plates. Add to that the several long lenses I have that each need a RRS lens mount (more big $). And after all of that, if I'm in the field and someone wants to borrow my tripod (I do some teaching and other things), forget it: I don't have that RRS plate! That really got me one day: out with a kid, and he couldn't use my tripod because his camera required a different plate than my camera.

I figured it out. For enough brackets to hold my camera and lenses, I was looking at something like $5-600 just for RRS plates...with the promise of a new plate each time I bought a new body. That was just too much. With my just-as-good Manfrotto approach, I've got two tripods outfitted with mounts, plus about a half-dozen universal plates, and the total cost was about what one RRS L-bracket costs. I can live with the Manfrotto shortcomings for that.

Caveat: I did need to do minor Dremel machining of the Manfrotto base to make it fit the particular RRS head I have. I believe there's an RRS option for a more standard 1/4-20 mount that would allow the Manfrotto adapter to mount without modification.

I'm sure I'm going to get branded a heretic for how I'm using my BH-55, but it sure works great for me.

Abbott

I second the camera plates for your ball head that takes the Arca type plates. They are cheap, to the point, and work. I do however use the "L" brackets for quick change from horizontal to verticle on my 5D2 and 1DIII. I use the cheap plates for light tele/zooms with mounting ring and/or for whatever I want to mount on my ball head.

Ben

You get what you pay for...
RRS is the best.... pay the extra $ and be satisfied

--
Chance favours the prepared mind

Manfrotto 394 Low Profile Quick Release Adapter with 410PL Plate. This system is on all cameras, lens ring mounts, tripods, and monopods in the house, and on a Manfrotto 3059B Lateral Side Arm.

Regards, Bill

I second this choice. They are quick, reliable and capable of taking more weight than they are rated for.

I paid $2,699 for my 5D II. I'm not about to save a few dollars by purchasing a lesser-quality camera plate than those made by RRS or Kirk. I'm partial to RRS.

The one thing that bothers me is that ALL of these products have a single point of attachment to the camera -- namely, the tripod socket. I'd sure like to see camera makers place a second socket on the camera's underside. Same thing for attaching a lens plate to the collar.

RRS are top what you could get, anything else will not be made as good. You could always sell RRS for good price as well. I own some RRS items and I am very happy with quality and design of each.

One thought about the Manfrotto plate is that it relies on friction between the plate and the body to keep the body from rotating around the plate. The Kirk and RRS plates are custom designed to conform to the body so there is no way the body can rotate when the body is in a vertical orientation.

This is true. But as a matter of practice, I've never had a problem with the camera rotating on the plate IF I had the plate securely fastened to the camera. I've used combinations as heavy as 1DIV with 100-400L. Maybe not wickedly heavy, but at least the Manfrotto plates work perfectly fine with this sort of weight.

I'd go back to RRS plates IF RRS made a good universal camera plate. But I have yet to find anything that looked like that. I've kept my RRS cam-actuated mount just in case they ever do offer a good plate—which actually wouldn't be hard to build.

Mamiya's new 645D has a second socket for vertical shots on it's side. Great idea.
Ed

DotCom Editor said:

I paid $2,699 for my 5D II. I'm not about to save a few dollars by purchasing a lesser-quality camera plate than those made by RRS or Kirk. I'm partial to RRS.

The one thing that bothers me is that ALL of these products have a single point of attachment to the camera -- namely, the tripod socket. I'd sure like to see camera makers place a second socket on the camera's underside. Same thing for attaching a lens plate to the collar.

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