Quick release system for tripod HEAD on legs (not camera)

[robgendreau]

As far as I've been able to discover, only Really Right Stuff makes a dedicated system for a quick change of tripod heads (say ball to gimbal) via a round clamp with ⅜" threaded hole to attach to the legs, and then round plates with ⅜" screws to attach to the bottom of the ball head, gimbal, etc. Then they attach as you would with any Arca plated camera, although RRS uses a lever clamp and there isn't any slide to it.

But, it being RRS, it's really pricey.

There are are rectangular clamps with a ⅜" hole that one could thread onto the tripod feet, although usually with a screw clamp, not lever. And one could then use a regular rectangular Arca style with a ¼-20 to ⅜ adapter and attach that to the head or gimbal.

Anyone use such a system? I've got some of the parts around, and although it introduces one more screw that could back out, and you'd have to clamp it down really tight, it seems it would work with say most DSLRs and pretty big lenses. Sure would be more convenient than swapping the heads around, which often has its own issues (sometimes I don't get it tight enough, or accidentally back it off, or have to fiddle with set screws).

 

[Bing Chow]

Benro makes the PC-1, which is the same as the RRS-PC-Pro. 70mm diameter. Benro also makes the PC-0 which is 60mm. I have both and they are excellent pieces. I don't use them in the fashion you imagine because I've never had trouble unscrewing any of my ballheads from the tripod platform. I don't need to carry any more weight than I already do.

I use the panning clamps in lieu of the OEM clamps on my ballhead, because I like to do single row panos. I don't pan with the panning bases on my ballhead. I only use that to align the knobs to where I like them.

 

[robgendreau]

Benro makes the PC-1, which is the same as the RRS-PC-Pro. 70mm diameter. Benro also makes the PC-0 which is 60mm. I have both and they are excellent pieces. I don't use them in the fashion you imagine because I've never had trouble unscrewing any of my ballheads from the tripod platform. I don't need to carry any more weight than I already do.

I use the panning clamps in lieu of the OEM clamps on my ballhead, because I like to do single row panos. I don't pan with the panning bases on my ballhead. I only use that to align the knobs to where I like them.

Thanks, I've looked at some panning bases but they really don't get me anything that a flat clamp doesn't have, at least for my (non-panno) uses.

 

[3dwag]

As far as I've been able to discover, only Really Right Stuff makes a dedicated system for a quick change of tripod heads (say ball to gimbal) via a round clamp with ⅜" threaded hole to attach to the legs, and then round plates with ⅜" screws to attach to the bottom of the ball head, gimbal, etc. Then they attach as you would with any Arca plated camera, although RRS uses a lever clamp and there isn't any slide to it.

But, it being RRS, it's really pricey.

Gitzo have a slightly slower but effective quick-change system since their previous generation of Systematic tripods, for example the GT3532LS which I have. It utilizes a hand-operated clamp (with an easy to grip adjustable knob) on the apex, and interchangeable flat plates and half-bowl adapters.

The design includes a safety interlock feature which requires pressing an additional safety button to release the plate in case the apex clamp is loose.

The flat plates sell for about $96 and has the standard 3/8-16 head mounting screw so you buy one of these plates for each head, and I also have a video head with the complete 75mm bowl assembly included which pops into the apex the same way.

There are are rectangular clamps with a ⅜" hole that one could thread onto the tripod feet, although usually with a screw clamp, not lever. And one could then use a regular rectangular Arca style with a ¼-20 to ⅜ adapter and attach that to the head or gimbal.

Anyone use such a system? I've got some of the parts around, and although it introduces one more screw that could back out, and you'd have to clamp it down really tight, it seems it would work with say most DSLRs and pretty big lenses. Sure would be more convenient than swapping the heads around, which often has its own issues (sometimes I don't get it tight enough, or accidentally back it off, or have to fiddle with set screws).

--
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
— Edgar Degas

--
-Dennis W.
Austin, Texas
¯\_|’_’|_/¯
http://www.pbase.com/3dwag/image/97156660.jpg

 

[Ellis Vener]

How many times a day, a week or a month do you change tripod heads?

i can sort of see the utility if you work in really cold environments, but for general use? C’mon.

but all you need is a good lever action clamp ( go with RRS for that and a basic Arca-Swiss plates with basic 3/8”-16 bolt for the bottom of your head.

--
Ellis Vener
To see my work please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
Or on instagram @therealellisv

 

[robgendreau]

How many times a day, a week or a month do you change tripod heads?

i can sort of see the utility if you work in really cold environments, but for general use? C’mon.

but all you need is a good lever action clamp ( go with RRS for that and a basic Arca-Swiss plates with basic 3/8”-16 bolt for the bottom of your head.

Haven't been able to find plates with ⅜" but an adapter and some loc tite should suffice I expect.

 

[PerTulip]

...

Gitzo have a slightly slower but effective quick-change system since their previous generation of Systematic tripods, for example the GT3532LS which I have. It utilizes a hand-operated clamp (with an easy to grip adjustable knob) on the apex, and interchangeable flat plates and half-bowl adapters.

...

I use the interchangeable flat plates on my Gitzo zo quickly change heads. Can recommend them.

 

[robgendreau]

Doh!!

Overthought this completely, or, more accurately, overlooked something completely. Turns out the simple, easy, very affordable (even cheap) solution is just to buy another center post.

Not only that, but on our rather non portable usually-stays-in-the-car tripod (if we even bring it) has a ⅜ mounting point on the bottom and splits in half, so you can just keep a ballhead down there and then move it out and onto the top and in business.

The other nice thing is that we can really hammer down the heads on the posts, as we won't have to remove them after this.

 

[Ellis Vener]

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www.bhphotovideo.com

 

[Beachcomber Joe]

There are are rectangular clamps with a ⅜" hole that one could thread onto the tripod feet, although usually with a screw clamp, not lever. And one could then use a regular rectangular Arca style with a ¼-20 to ⅜ adapter and attach that to the head or gimbal.

Anyone use such a system?

I have these 60mm round clamps mounted on each of my tripods / monopods and standard arcs-swiss plates mounted to my various heads using 1/4-20 to 3/8 adapters. It is very convenient when i need both ball and gimbal heads for a shoot and only want to take just one tripod.

 

[robgendreau]

Thanks guys; helps a bunch.

BTW, what takes a ⅜" fixing screw in an Arca plate? video cameras?

 

[Ellis Vener]

Thanks guys; helps a bunch.

BTW, what takes a ⅜" fixing screw in an Arca plate? video cameras?

large format cameras like Arca-Swiss, Canham, Linhof, Cambo and Sinar, etc. also medium format cameras.

--
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
— Edgar Degas

--
Ellis Vener
To see my work please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
Or on instagram @therealellisv

 

[afoton]

There are plenty of sircular screw-clamps out there. I prefer screw-clamps, so for me, that is a much better solution than lever clamps from RRS. It will also wors just as well with a rectangular clamp.

After I began using quick release between the tripod and the head, I see that I switch tripod more often than I switch head. Now I use the best ball head on every tripod, where I used to have cheaper ball heads on the less used tripods. I also transport some of the tripods without the head, because it is so easy to mount it when using it. That results in using bigger tripods more often, because they are easier to transport.

 

[NancyP]

Sunwayfoto makes indexed rotators with detachable half-dovetail plates on the bottom, and also sells those half-dovetail plates separately. You would have to look to see if the plates match your intended head. I don't know if Sunwayfoto has other heads that match the screw tap placement on the detachable half-dovetail plates.

Also, check out hejnarphotostore.com . He's a Chicago-land machinist who makes and sells oodles of good quality rails as well as his famous Arca-style conversion kit for Manfrotto geared heads. I haven't checked to see if he has the half-dovetail plates. He does take suggestions for new products, and he has in the past done custom work. All that is needed is that your head have screw taps on its base, to which you could attach a plate. Not all heads will have these.

 

[NancyP]

Or, the center plate, if such is removable, for tripods without center columns. However - the time taken to swap plates would likely exceed the time to unscrew head #1 and attach head #2, given that the plate attachment on my Feisol has three tiny bolts with sunken Allen hex socket. I can just see LOSING the darn bolts in the field.

 

[NancyP]

I have one of these attached to the bottom of my Astrotrac portable "equatorial" mount, since I use the Arca-adapted Manfrotto 410 as a declination wedge. I couldn't find one from my usual rail / lens foot / L bracket sources (Kirk, Hejnar, Sunwayfoto) several years ago. I haven't checked recently.

 

[robgendreau]

Yeah, the tiny set screws and other fasteners designed to make a head sit securely without rotating frustrate a goal of easy removal. We've often used loctite as well to secure heads with a lot of inherent leverage, like gimbals, more securely so they don't start to back off. Changing those in the dark out in the bush is almost a guarantee Murphy's Law will come into effect and one of the set screws will drop into the murk.

So far it looks like the swapping center post solution will work with our tripod, one of the ones that makes it easy to use the head below or above the apex where the legs come together.

 

[PK24X36NOW]

Hejnar Photo has some nice stuff! Thanks for that!

 

[bobkoure]

Every Systematic-type tripod (no column) I've seen has a removable/swappable plate. (e.g. Gitzo, RRS, Benro, Induro, Leofoto). My Benro and Induro plates are interchangable with each other and with leveling (ball and socket) bases.

Even when your hands are cold, or in the dark, it's pretty easy to do. Flip a lever, pull back on a safety pin, and plate lifts out. Drop alternate plate (or leveling ball) in, push lever back down. Done. I can do it without taking mittens off.

 

[robgendreau]

Every Systematic-type tripod (no column) I've seen has a removable/swappable plate. (e.g. Gitzo, RRS, Benro, Induro, Leofoto). My Benro and Induro plates are interchangable with each other and with leveling (ball and socket) bases.

Even when your hands are cold, or in the dark, it's pretty easy to do. Flip a lever, pull back on a safety pin, and plate lifts out. Drop alternate plate (or leveling ball) in, push lever back down. Done. I can do it without taking mittens off.

Yeah, if we had video tripods that accommodated bowls that would work, but we have legs that have fixed top plates, not removable ones like in the Gitzo system. But yeah, those are pretty nice since you can use a center post, leveller, etc.