Lens Plates - Do You Use Them

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Do you use one or more of these?

I'm taking a trip this summer and will be carrying a tripod.  There will be some long stretches of time when hand-holding a 70~200 or 100~500 won't be practical.  I purchased a lens plate with an Arca adapter.  

I was a little taken aback at the prices for the plates.  😲 The convenience they offer though cannot be overlooked.  

[wq9nsc · Accepted solution]

Rick,

The good ones are a little pricey but they are definitely worth it for the proper fit since you don't want free play.

Make sure that your plates have proper length and diameter screws to match the lens tripod foot, some Canon glass uses two different sizes on the same foot.  And some of the plate manufacturers include screws that are too long so be sure to try every combination you plan to use before you leave on your trip.

Don't forget to always lock your tripod head adjustments down when installing or removing the combo so that you don't ruin your photography day.  Some of the plates are built with stop pins so they will only slide so far to prevent the setup from sliding out and falling while you are setting the balance point.

The ease of fast mount/dismount and the ability to slide the combination for perfect balance makes these plates well worth the price.

This was shot when I was first testing a 5DS R with EF 800 on my Manfrotto 161 MK 2B.  At 18 pounds without the head it is a heavy tripod and not one I take hiking but I love the stability of it when I don't have to carry it very far.

Rodger

[wq9nsc · Accepted solution]

Rick,

The good ones are a little pricey but they are definitely worth it for the proper fit since you don't want free play.

Make sure that your plates have proper length and diameter screws to match the lens tripod foot, some Canon glass uses two different sizes on the same foot.  And some of the plate manufacturers include screws that are too long so be sure to try every combination you plan to use before you leave on your trip.

Don't forget to always lock your tripod head adjustments down when installing or removing the combo so that you don't ruin your photography day.  Some of the plates are built with stop pins so they will only slide so far to prevent the setup from sliding out and falling while you are setting the balance point.

The ease of fast mount/dismount and the ability to slide the combination for perfect balance makes these plates well worth the price.

This was shot when I was first testing a 5DS R with EF 800 on my Manfrotto 161 MK 2B.  At 18 pounds without the head it is a heavy tripod and not one I take hiking but I love the stability of it when I don't have to carry it very far.

Rodger

[FloridaDrafter · Accepted solution]

This doesn't apply to you since you already have the head and plate, but I bought the Wimberley II head (gimbal) and their model P10 Arca-Swiss plate for my 5D4 and EF 100-400L II. I also bought the P20, which is a longer base, for the R5 and RF 100-500L, and although the P10 will work with the 100-500, it's all about balance for me with the Wimberly which can be balanced perfectly (plate length moves the camera/lens center of balance). Once balanced, your camera can be moved with a finger touch and it stays in its last position when you release it. Both plate models are $52 U.S. per unit. However, they rely on the Wimberly head to clamp them in place so if your head doesn't have a thumb screw to tighten them, they aren't what you need. TBH, I bought this unit for BIF but have found it a pretty good all around head, although quite expensive. But that may be a good reason for using it for other purposes 🙂

I have several different heads with quick release plates, some ARCA-SWISS and some brand "priority" like the quick release plate that came with the Manfrotto 410 geared 3 axis head. I seldom use that for anything but macro and keep a Velbron Super Slider macro rail attached. But it is the safest of all because it snaps into place and you have to make 2 moves to release your camera, it's really cool the way it works. The downside is that it's a bit bulky and not as sleek as the ARCA-SWISS plates.

Newton

[shadowsports]

Thank you both.  Very helpful.  I've shot camera mounted on tripod, shorter FL's or mostly handheld up to this point.  I may buy a second longer one now to dedicate to the 100-500 in order to ensure maximum balance adjustment.  

[jrhoffman75]

Hi Rick.

All my lens with a lens foot have lens plates installed and my camera body has an L-bracket. Easy mounting on tripod. Since I have lower leg nerve damage that affects my stability at times i also travel with a monopod; I can mount the lens or body on the monopod. The monopod also doubles as a hiking pole when needed for extra assistance. As Rodger says, they can be pricy, but a worthwhile accessory. Many have little safety screws as well so components can't inadvertently slide out of the mount.

[normadel]

Do you know that B&H sells a handle for a monopod that makes it a cane?

It's a Magnus MHA-01 Monopod Handle Adapter.  Put an Arca Swiss plate on it. I have one. Pretty neat!

[jrhoffman75]

Thanks. I will look at it.

[shadowsports]

Thanks again all.  The plate I ordered has the pin type retention screws to keep it from inadvertently sliding out of the mount.  I knew that was a good idea 🤣 .  I'm already looking for another one now.  I'm going to spend a little more to as this one will "live" on the lens collar.     

[normadel]

Check out the Nisi Arca Swiss plates. They're beautiful, and not overly expensive.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=nisi%20arc%20swiss&sts=ma

I have several of them.