Cheap tripod that will fit Arca Swiss plate

Hi,

I have a hand grip attached to my camera that uses an Arca Swiss Type plate to attach to my camera.
However, this QR plate doesn't fit into my current tripod.

I'm not a heavy tripod user (maybe once a year or so) so I'm looking for a tripod that is light, cheap, but Arca compatible.

I've looked at things like Camlink TP2500 and other cheap tripods, but I'm having no luck in finding a tripod that confirms it will accept Arca Type (Arca Swiss) fit?

Does anyone know of a light weight, cheap tripod that will accept arca type fits?

I know that many will say, buy cheap buy twice, you NEED a good tripod etc... But I don't need an expensive tripod. I used my current tripod of 7 years, apx 4 times and it cost me £8 and has been perfect for each use.

I don't do landscape stuff, I don't do video, I just use it if I'm maybe doing a group shot of me and the family when were out having a picnic. Honestly, I not a tripod user

So in short, are there any cheap, light weight, tripods that will accept an arca type fit? If so, please post them here as I have searched high and low and found nothing under about £90?

Cheers

Plenty of cheap ball heads $25-35 on ebay if you can take your head off.

puttin said:

Plenty of cheap ball heads $25-35 on ebay if you can take your head off.

Click to expand...

Hi,

No, my current one is a fixed head, so I'm looking for a complete replacement? Any ideas?

I saw on ebay a Sirui R 1004x tripod with ball head that is Arca Swiss style. It was $146.00 shipped. Sirui makes some nice gear.

Yea, that's to dear for me for something that will see daylight maybe 4 times in the next 10 years.

Just a cheap cheerful tripod to use as needed in doors/picnic I think arca is only compatible with high end gear? So for me I think it's either tripod or hand strap? I thought a quick release system would be universal?

Ivechecked amazon and they have nothing cheap that's arca compatible?

Maybe second hand eBay is a good idea.
I just thought a cheap brand would have arca comparability like camlink etc?

WetWinky said:

Hi,

I have a hand grip attached to my camera that uses an Arca Swiss Type plate to attach to my camera.
However, this QR plate doesn't fit into my current tripod.

I'm not a heavy tripod user (maybe once a year or so) so I'm looking for a tripod that is light, cheap, but Arca compatible.

I've looked at things like Camlink TP2500 and other cheap tripods, but I'm having no luck in finding a tripod that confirms it will accept Arca Type (Arca Swiss) fit?

Does anyone know of a light weight, cheap tripod that will accept arca type fits?

I know that many will say, buy cheap buy twice, you NEED a good tripod etc... But I don't need an expensive tripod. I used my current tripod of 7 years, apx 4 times and it cost me £8 and has been perfect for each use.

I don't do landscape stuff, I don't do video, I just use it if I'm maybe doing a group shot of me and the family when were out having a picnic. Honestly, I not a tripod user

So in short, are there any cheap, light weight, tripods that will accept an arca type fit? If so, please post them here as I have searched high and low and found nothing under about £90?

Cheers

Click to expand...

You don't need a new tripod, or even a new tripod head. Just an Arca-Swiss compatible clamp that you can attach to your current tripod/head set up. Plenty of them on eBay, priced from the ridiculous to the sublime.

I don't understand?
My current tripod is a quick release system with a non removable Quick release base.

My quick release plate for that tripod is bespoke bad not a standard/universal fit and therefore only works with its own plate.

I can't use the plate any more as I had to fit a new plate to my camera as it was part of my hand strap.

Now the new plate won't fit into the tripod quick release (which is non interchangeable or removable) so I am now therefore without a tripod.

I need a tripod that will let my plate fit into its Quick release system.

Am I missing so etching very obvious here

WetWinky said:

I don't understand?
My current tripod is a quick release system with a non removable Quick release base.

My quick release plate for that tripod is bespoke bad not a standard/universal fit and therefore only works with its own plate.

I can't use the plate any more as I had to fit a new plate to my camera as it was part of my hand strap.

Now the new plate won't fit into the tripod quick release (which is non interchangeable or removable) so I am now therefore without a tripod.

I need a tripod that will let my plate fit into its Quick release system.

Am I missing so etching very obvious here

Click to expand...

Does the plate for your current "bespoke" quick release have either a 3/8" or 1/4"-20 ( standard size tripod) screw?

Then just screw on an Arca-Swiss compatible clamp to the existing qr plate. Lots of them on eBay.

As in brand, etc.? Short of that we're all guessing. There are some adapters, like for some of the Bogen/Manfotto line that are basically a Manfrotto plate with an AS type clamp attached. But aside from those, it seems unlikely that you will find a premade system - Manfrotto being probably the largest proprietary set of qr plates and they make several different plate types. But because of their popularity, there are enough of them to make it worth while to produce the adapters.

This would work if you had a Manfrotto tripod head. Some of them, especially the pan/tilts aren't readily swapped to a new clamp as the clamp is cast into the structure of the head. Others, like ball heads, often can be swapped to a new clamp because the existing clamp is mounted via screw to a stud extending from the ball and all one needs to do is figure out how to "break" any adhesive or locking material, unscrew it and replace it.

But since we don't know what your current tripod/head/plate is, it's hard to suggest fixes.

Hey all,

Ok so my current tripod is camlink 1700 (under an generic name) but it's the exact same tripod from what I can see

I have a herringbone and strap that uses an arca Swiss plate to fit the strap to the camera.

They said, just buy an arca type tripod (if it doesn't fit yours) and your good to go, and supposedly arca Swiss fit is the most universal fit around?

Bit I have emailed 4 tripod manufactures and they have stated they have never heard of arcs Swiss cam link even emailed me back as I asked if they had a range that supported arcs Swiss and they said they have no idea who/what arcs Swiss is so I sent them a link to wiki and never heard back.

I can't screw anything into my tripod as it's a plastic/aluminium all in 1 unit that has no removable/replacement head (just a removable plate) that uses a "clip/lever" to lock the plate in. But my new plate is to small to fit into my current quick release head?

Maybe I'm missing something very simple here, but I thought buying a tripod from scratch that supports herringbone hand straps would be a peace of cake

Don't know where you live but Walmart and Best Buy have cheap tripods. Maybe they will have one that is Arca Swiss style or one that you can remove the clamp from the ball head and get a cheap one on ebay.

I'm in the UK... But overall the general consensus is that a tripod doesn't come pre made that is arca swiss compatible, they have to be built? That's nuts

Herringbone must be instance charging $100 for these items if you have build your own tripod to work with them..

Well, I'll probably not buy one as I genuinely don't use them that often anyway. I'll just sit it on a wall instead

Dam you tripod makers and dam you herringbone!

WetWinky said:

I'm in the UK... But overall the general consensus is that a tripod doesn't come pre made that is arca swiss compatible, they have to be built? That's nuts

Click to expand...

Tripod legs and heads don't have to be pre-assembled. None of mine were.

WetWinky said:

Herringbone must be instance charging $100 for these items if you have build your own tripod to work with them..

Well, I'll probably not buy one as I genuinely don't use them that often anyway. I'll just sit it on a wall instead

Click to expand...

Probably the best solution.

WetWinky said:

Dam you tripod makers and dam you herringbone!

Click to expand...

I don't think they're to blame here... ;-)

I don't get what the problem is. The tripod you have has to have some way to mount the camera. That means there is a stud somewhere. Just add a receiver plate for Arca Swiss to that, even if you have to epoxy the original QR plate in.

Or just drill and tap the A/S plate and use the QR you have now. You aren't using it for it's true function anyway.

"'m in the UK... But overall the general consensus is that a tripod doesn't come pre made that is arca swiss compatible, they have to be built? That's nuts."

If that were true it certainly would be nuts, but whoever is telling you that have their heads up their collective ar$e.

This clamp should attach to a 3/8 x 16 stud. If your tripod uses 1/4x20 threads you should be able to purchase a reducing stud...


You'll also need a arca-Swiss plate -these are probably also available from Amazon.co.uk.

Connect your quick release to the clamp using an adapter stud, if necessary. Attach the mounting plate to your camera/lens as applicable. Use your original quick release as always except now it converts the system to arca-Swiss. The plate on your camera/lens will attach to the arca-Swiss clamp.

total cost -- approximate 46GBP..

If the it's like the results I saw when googling camlink 1700, don't waste your time trying to come up with a solution to use it. that's a very inexpensive tripod and won't give you the kind of results you should want from a tripod. It's an adequate replacement for dragging a table around and stacking books on it to get the right height for a family pic. It might not give you the stability of the table and stacked books.

As Ellis pointed out, numerous tripods come with Arca Swiss compatible clamps on their heads.

Tripods can come with a head fixed to the legs and some reasonably good ones are made that way. However, many, if not most, are made with a leg set and a separate but attached/included head. However, a fair number of underwhelming tripods are made with the head permanently attached. The obvious problem, as we have here, is that a less than stellar head can't easily be replaced.

There are two widely used thread patterns for attaching a head to a legset. One is 3/8" x 16, the other, a tad narrower is the 1/4" x 20 which is the same as used to attach cameras to a tripod. (Yes there are more technical details and yes there are a few even larger but these are the only two commonly used in the world of the typical consumer and hobbyist and most pro cameras applications.) Not too long back, most European and "professional" (read as "better") quality heads used the 3/8 stud. Many Asian sourced tripods used the 1/4" stud. It's easily sleeved to fit the larger thread pattern if needed. These days it's not unusual to find tripod leg sets with sleeved or reversing studs which fit either head size, or to sleeve the smaller stud. It's possible to use an adapter to attach s head with the smaller thread to a legset with a fixed, larger stud but that still sort of suggest using a lower quality head...

It's also very common to buy legs and heads from different manufacturers and to put them together. There are some leg makers that do not make heads, head makers that do not make legs or some that do much better on on or the other so folks swap brands around on a regular basis. Arca Swiss compatible plates allow for this instead of struggling with other proprietary release systems while trying to get a complete happy package.

What you may find difficult is finding a quality inexpensive tripod with an Arca Swiss compatible release system (if nothing else, because the AS system requires more precision in machining/manufacture than many of the less expensive but also less cross brand interchangeable proprietary systems). Although there are some surprisingly low priced components out there like plates and release clamps cobbling together the least expensive plate, release clamp and head and leg set may not prove to be the best idea in the longer run.

I'm not sure what brands are readily available in the UK and some brands are sold under different names/brands in different locales. It does seem like Sirui is distributed in the UK so it might be worth checking them out.

But where are these complete tripod units that support arca Swiss then? I can't find any on amazon etc?

As for the plate (linked on amazon above) they won't fit on my tripod, my tripod is an all in 1 moulded unit and does not have a removable head so those links above won't work for my current tripod.

I'd just like to click "buy" on a tripod and had it delivered I didn't realise they had to be built by finding separate components that may it may not be cross compatible?

If you can link to a redo shyly priced tripod I'd appreciate that, that accepts arca and doesn't cost to much, considering its use case.

As a non tripod user,there is no point buying an expensive tripod.

For example, let's say you go camping at a music festival 1 time a year. I'd say it's daft to spend £1000 of a kick ass tent that gets used one a year, when you can hire a sleep pod for £80 for the entire weekend or just get a cheapo tent for £20 not worried about others wrecking it and save cash. A few years back our £800 tent was run over at F1 never again!

This might work


Screw this onto the existing proprietary plate that came with your tripod. Use it to clamp the nw AS plate on the grip/strap.

Or spend more and get a competent tripod with an AS compatible clamp. AS compatible and extremely inexpensive don't usually come together.

WetWinky said:

So in short, are there any cheap, light weight, tripods that will accept an arca type fit?

Click to expand...

No

WetWinky said:

If so, please post them here as I have searched high and low and found nothing under about £90?

Click to expand...

I found a Benro A300f + N0 ballhead for £70 on eBay. That's the best I can do for you.

WetWinky said:

Cheers

Click to expand...

You're welcome

The cheapest work around would be to get this QR clamp from eBay and attach it to your current tripod (it comes with adapters for 3/8" and M6 threads)