Is there a tripod head clip that fits both Manfrotto and Arca type heads?

[tdehan]

Is there such a clip that fits both the Manfrotto and Arca type tripod heads?  

[Waddizzle]

If by "tripod head clip" you mean the mounting plate that screws into a camera, then the most likely answer is no.  Manfrotto generally does not claim that their mounting plates to be Arca-Swiss compatible. 

[TCampbell]

Most quality tripods don't come with a head.... they have a 3/8" bolt to attach to a head.  You can use any head you want.

I have a Manfrotto 057 series carbon fiber tripod... but I use a Benro B3 head that has an arca-swiss saddle and all of my gear has arca-swiss plates (I buy lots of extras and just leave them mounted to my camera bodies and long lenses that have tripod-mounting collars.)

I have lots of heads (and a few tripods).  But they all use arca-swiss mounting plates.  I have never encountered a head that can use the Manfrotto type plates (there are so many variations on that design) and the arca-swiss type plates (1" wide doevetail and the only variation is the length but any plate will fit any saddle because all saddles have jaws designed to accommodate that 1" wide dovetail design.

[Waddizzle]

Sorry, Tim, but this has been gnawing at me.  Aren't the plates 1.5" wide, not 1" wide?  The 38mm width of an Arca-Swiss plate converts to 1.5 inches.

1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm

1 inch (x 1.5) = 2.54 cm (x 1.5) = 25.4 mm (x 1.5) = 38.1 mm.

???

[TCampbell]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

Sorry, Tim, but this has been gnawing at me.  Aren't the plates 1.5" wide, not 1" wide?  The 38mm width of an Arca-Swiss plate converts to 1.5 inches.

1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm

1 inch (x 1.5) = 2.54 cm (x 1.5) = 25.4 mm (x 1.5) = 38.1 mm.

???

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Yes (sorry)... the plates are in fact 1.5" wide.  I just grabbed one of my plates and measured it.  I've done that before but my memory is obviously defective.  😕 

I tell people that I have a photographic memory  -- but all the images are severely underexposed.  😉

[RobertTheFat]

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@TCampbell wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

Sorry, Tim, but this has been gnawing at me.  Aren't the plates 1.5" wide, not 1" wide?  The 38mm width of an Arca-Swiss plate converts to 1.5 inches.

1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm

1 inch (x 1.5) = 2.54 cm (x 1.5) = 25.4 mm (x 1.5) = 38.1 mm.

???

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Yes (sorry)... the plates are in fact 1.5" wide.  I just grabbed one of my plates and measured it.  I've done that before but my memory is obviously defective.  😕 

I tell people that I have a photographic memory  -- but all the images are severely underexposed.  😉

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!!

[ebiggs1]

"Is there such a clip that fits both the Manfrotto and Arca type tripod heads?"

What is your reasoning?  I personally don't see the difference in mounting plates as a advantage or disadvantage.  As I sit here at the computer I see there are three tripods set up around me and all have a different mounting plate.  Why is it not a disadvantage?  They perform different functions

I have Arca plates from 2" long to 6" long. Whatever.  I have Manfrotto plates which are pretty small but work well for their purpose.  And I have a huge Manfrotto 501 that actually holds the big Sigma 150-600mm S lens and 1 series rock steady.  Arca plates don't !

Pretty simple to use the plate that works for what you want.

[MikeSowsun]

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@tdehan wrote:

Is there such a clip that fits both the Manfrotto and Arca type tripod heads?  

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Desmond Photo makes a replacement clamp designed to fit both Manfrotto RC2 and Swiss Acra plates.