Arca Swiss - Help Me Understand

[TheBigE]

I have finally found the limits of my Manfrotto Ballhead and looking to upgrade. Most recently, I had my tripod nearly fall over as I went from Landscape to Portrait mode (camera Offset on side). This was on my new CF travel tripod. Moreover, I am noticing that the ball joint is not nearly as smooth and easy to operate. In short, I think time to upgrade.

I am thinking I would like to go with L-Bracket and new Ball Head - mainly for my travel tripod. I am really confused on where to start looking for this type of setup.

Is Arca Swiss - a general standard for Ball Heads? By going this route does this open more options to me?

Just trying to understand options at this point.

Thanks
Erik

[ccphoto]

Arca Swiss is just easier to mount and unmount. I leave one on my camera and one on each of my long lenses so I don't have to fiddlely-toot with screwing them in and out each time I want to mount to a tripod.

[Saorsa]

Arca Swiss is a dovetail clamp. The clamp can be operated by a screw or a flip lock.

This is a fliplock version



and this one shows a screw with the plate.



You can see the differences in the size of the dovetail above. The first looks a lot beefier to me and would probably be a lot more secure and hold more weight. It is also a LOT more expensive.

Plates are very important in this system. Some of the cheaper ones don't have any way to stop rotation (and potential loosening) while good ones will have tabs like those show above that will stop it. I tend to get Kirk plates designed and sized for my gear and keep the cheaper ones that come with a lot of ball heads for compact cameras, mounting flashes, or other light work.

L-Plates are bulky but will hold the camera centered above the tripod when shooting verticals. If you want to go with a smaller bottom only plate I would recommend adding weights below your tripod to lower the center of gravity when shooting verticals. If you don't want to lug weights, a bit of heavy cord (I use 1/8 line) to create a footloop will help you out. Just be careful after the shot when you take your foot off the loop,

Here is a really nice head that runs close to $1600 but will hold 66# very securely.



So long as the head is good for your camera and lens weights you are probably OK.

[Manfred M]

Arca-Swiss is about as close to a standard as you can get on tripod fittings and most companies use this design (not just Arca-Swiss made ones). Manfrotto and Gitzo had been long-time holdouts and only used proprietary quick releases, but I have read that they are going with this release system as well. I think and may already be done so. I use Arca-Swiss compatible gear from numerous manufacturers. With tripods and ball heads, it is much like any other equipment, more expensive is usually a lot better.

L-plates are often camera body specific and while there are some generic ones out there (useful on bodies where there is no body specific plate available). I have both and the camera specific ones are easiest to use and I rarely remove mine from my camera body.

[DanK]

Arca Swiss (as a type, not a brand) refers only to the design of the plate and clamp. Having an arca Swiss clamp is no guarantee of the quality of the ball head.

Nominally arca swiss plate and clamps are mostly interchangeable, but there are some specific exceptions--e.g., I think some Really Right Stuff spring clamps won't accept all plates.

Re stops on plates: some people like them, some don't.

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that for L-brackets, brand matters, but for plates, it doesn't matter as much.

Re the head itself--I think the first decision is how heavy you are willing to buy, as large heads tend to be smoother. I wanted something small and light because I carry my gear on my back. After much comparison shopping, I bought the smallest Markins to replace my cheap head, and I have been very happy with it


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[Polar01]

Just some more info on clamps. If you use a Really Right Stuff lever action quick release clamp it will only work with Really Right Stuff's, L-brackets, rails, and plates. If you are using RRS screw type of clamp it will work with any Arca Swiss type of plate, rail, or L-bracket. I myself have a Feisol Ballhead and tripod, I removed it's clamp replacing it with the Really Right Stuff lever action quick release clamp. I have an older Manfrotto tripod, here I attached a RRS quick release clamp to the Manfrotto quick plate so I would have a spare tripod that would work with my cameras L-brackets.

[rpcrowe]

Arca Swiss type clamps and mounts are the best thing since sliced bread.

I use L Brackets on my camera bodies for when I am shooting with lenses not equipped with tripod rings. The L bracket allows the camera to be mounted directly over it's center of gravity both in the horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) positions.

This keeps the lens pointed at approximately the same place whether you are shooting in the vertical or horizontal mode. You don't have to re-position the camera/lens every time you switch from horizontal to vertical or visa-versa. Additionally, keeping the camera directly over the tripod head lessens the possibility of the entire rig falling over due to the camera and lens being cantilevered over the side of the tripod when in the vertical position. It also prevents the creep of camera/lens due to the torque of the lens weight in the vertical position. In other words, the camera/lens doesn't revolve around the tripod screw. You can actually use a lighter weight tripod when the camera is equipped with an L bracket.

The L brackets are usually camera specific but, that doesn't necessarily prevent you from using one L-bracket on more than one camera. It simply means that the battery compartment and other compartments are not necessarily accessible while the camera is mounted on the L bracket.

There was a time when an L bracket cost you close to $100 USD. However, we now have some camera specific L plates from China at a fraction of that price
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...rk+II&_sacat=0
I have one for my Canon 5D II and I think that it is the equal of the L bracket that I purchased for my Canon 7D from Really Right Stuff.

The Arca Swiss is a brand name of the company that introduced that system. However, there are many Arca Swiss type clamps, brackets and plates that are manufactured by various other companies. They are USUALLY INTERCHANGEABLE meaning that you should be able to use a L bracket bracket or plate made by one manufacturer on a clamp made by another manufacturer.

This is not always the case. My Giottos Arca Swiss type plates work quite well with and Giottos Arca Swiss type clamp. However, the Giottos clamps have a safety stud which prevents sliding the Giottos plate into another brand clamp from the rear. However, I can open the other brand clamp all the way and drop the plate in from the top. A little slower but, really no big problem.

Arca Compatible (often abbreviated A/C) plates come in different lengths which enables you to balance long lenses.

I purchased a complete new foot for my 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens since I did not like the security of placing an A/C plate on the existing Canon OEM lens foot.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._foot_for.html
IMO, there is no reason in the world why Canon could not have offered the lens with an A/C foot...

[loosecanon]

There are ball heads and ball heads - even manfrotto make a selection - including one for the hex plate system. Personally as I have a problem gripping and twisting screws I don't like the arca system - too easy not to clamp tightly so have decided to stay with manfrottos 220 plates. I also have a manfrotto L bracket, expensive (I ordered it and shop asked me whan it came in if I really wanted it) about £100 - but it is adjustable to fit any camera so as to keep centered - only problem is cannot use to side antitwist clamp as it stops access to cable release.

[DanK]

There are ball heads and ball heads - even manfrotto make a selection - including one for the hex plate system. Personally as I have a problem gripping and twisting screws I don't like the arca system - too easy not to clamp tightly so have decided to stay with manfrottos 220 plates. I also have a manfrotto L bracket, expensive (I ordered it and shop asked me whan it came in if I really wanted it) about £100 - but it is adjustable to fit any camera so as to keep centered - only problem is cannot use to side antitwist clamp as it stops access to cable release.

Interesting point. There are arca-style clamps that don't require twisting. Really Right Stuff makes some, and there may be others. I don't have a problem tightening screws, but your point about twisting does raise another issue: on more than one occasion, when I was completely preoccupied with framing an image, I absentmindedly loosened the arca clamp screw instead of one of my ballhead screws! Fortunately, I have always caught this in time. I now make a point of positioning the clamp so as to minimize the risk of confusion.

I personally like the system because virtually everything works with everything else. I have clamps from Markins, Kirk, and Hejnar, and L-brackets and plates from Really Right Stuff, Kirk, Induro, and Jobu, and they all play together nicely. I don't have to change plates, for example, when I switch from my lightweight Markins head to the huge Manfrotto geared head I use for macro because I replaced the clamp on the latter with a Hejnar arca compatible-one.

[Manfred M]

I'll go along with what Dan has written. I don't have an issue with the knobs, but my RRS BH-55 ball head has the lever toggle rather than the screw type mechanism on the clamp (although the traditional screw know is also available). Markins also make this style for the Arca-Swiss mount. SunwayFoto has a combination lever and screw mount.

The others manufacturers, I don't know about.