In my opinion, you have to be some sort of
masochist to not use SOME sort of quick release system to attach
your various camera equipment to the tripod head. It's too time consuming to
screw the camera onto the tripod head to set up, and then laboriously
unscrew it again to tear down, and then just repeat that process over
and over with each photograph. To top it off, simply
screwing your camera directly onto the tripod head often results in a
weaker connection between the tripod head and the camera, because the
tripod head can't offer any anti-twist features.
Virtually ALL tripod head manufacturers offer some variety of quick
release. Here's a brief rundown of the major systems in play
today.
Bogen/Manfrotto Hex Plate Systems
Bogen/Manfrotto Hex Quick Release Plates
There are actually TWO different Bogen/Manfrotto hex plate systems;
they differ only in the size of the hex plates.
The basic idea is simple - you screw the hexagonal plate to your
camera, and then to mount the camera on the tripod head, you just open
up the lever action clamp, drop the plate into the clamp, and the
pressure of the plate on a little metal stud springs the clamp and it
snaps closed. It seems like simplicity personified, but there are
a few flaws in the ointment.
First, there are the hex plates themselves. The thumbscrew
version (shown on the left) is thick. The flush mount version
(shown on the right) is thinner. But the big problems, from my
point of view, are that
the plates are all corners, and it seems to me like it
would be a big hassle to use a 35mm SLR with one of these plates
permanently affixed to the bottom of it.
Because of the design of the plates, the only anti-twist feature
the can provide is the set screw that you can run in, to apply more
pressure to the bottom of the camera. This isn't nearly as
effective as anti-twist lips.
The spring operated lever seems like it ought to be secure, but
several times I've seen people put a camera with plate affixed into
a clamp askew, and still managed to trip the lever. Once the
lever snaps closed, they assume the camera is secure, and it's not.
The joint between the hex plate and the tripod head just doesn't
seem to be very rigid.
No third party support producing custom plates for various
cameras, especially L-bracket style plates.
Linhof QUICKFIX I and II
Linhof Profi II ballhead with QUICKFIX I,
QUICKFIX I and II adaptors, Linhof Profi III ballhead with QUICKFIX
II
Linhof Tripod heads can be purchased fitted with the Linhof
Quick-Fix I or II series of quick release systems.
This system seems nice, but suffers from the some of the
same problems that afflict the Bogen Hex Plate system:
Lack of anti-twist features on the plates
Lack of third party support producing custom plates for
various cameras, especially L-bracket style plates.
Plates have sharp corners and edges, and using the
camera off tripod with a plate attached would be unpleasant.
Linhof gear is just outrageously expensive for what you
get.
Other manufacturer's systems
Virtually every tripod head manufacturer has some proprietary quick
release system; often several of them, each specific to a particular
model of tripod head.
All of these suffer, to some degree or another, from the following
problems:
The camera plates lack any anti-twist features, and are often
bulky and have sharp edges or corners
there's no way to switch tripod heads and continue to use the
same plates. If you've invested several hundred dollars in
plates to fit various bits of equipment, and you change heads,
you're off to Ebay to sell the plates for the old head, and off to
the store to buy the new ones.
Even worse, if you have more than one tripod head, there's no
way to fit equipment with plates that will fit ALL of your heads.
Arca-Swiss Dovetail system
Top view of RRS BH-55 ballhead with Arca-Swiss
style quick release clamp
The Arca-Swiss QR system consists of the
'clamp' which is attached to the tripod head, and a 'plate' which
is attached to whatever piece of equipment you want to mount on
the tripod head. The clamp has sliding jaws that are squeezed
together by a lead screw arrangemen, or by a lever operated camt. The sliding jaws on the
clamp grab onto the dovetail shaped cross section of the plate,
and lock the whole assembly together with admirable ease,
rapidity, security, and rigidity. Naturally, you want to affix a
clamp to every tripod head you own, as well as attaching plates
to virtually every piece of mountable gear that you own.
Although the Arca Swiss system of quick release gear was brought into
the market by Arca Swiss, it's really more of a multi-vendor system.
Tripod heads that use the AS system are manufactured by Arca Swiss,
Gitzo, Really Right Stuff, Markins, Kirk Enterprises, Wimberley,
Acratech, FOBA, and probably a host of others I don't even know about.
Clamps and plates are made by (in no particular order):
And there are probably even more manufacturers that I don't know
about.
The upshot is that the Arca-Swiss quick release system has the huge
advantage of multiple vendors making a vast array of plates and clamps
to suit every need. If the clamps from Really Right Stuff don't do
the trick for you, the clamps from Kirk, or Markins, or Wimberly, or
Acratech et al certainly will. If Kirk doesn't make a plate to fit
your Electro-Wonder Super digicam, the odds are good that Really Right
Stuff or Acratech does.
All of these diverse plates and clamps seem to be interchangeable and
interoperable (caveat: minor variations in height and width of the dovetale
sections mean that some plates will not work well in some lever operated
clamps). However, they are not all the same in terms of
price and quality.
My preference among the vendors of Arca-Swiss QR gear is
Really Right Stuff. The fit, finish,
machining, materials, and design of the clamps and plates sold by RRS are
outstanding.
RRS offers plates to fit virtually every commonly
available camera body and lens tripod mount, as well as a vast
selection of flat plates to fit every need. Plates are equipped
with ridges and such to prevent the plate twisting on the
equipment. Plates are available which mate perfectly to various
curvy camera bodies like the modern Nikon and Canon SLRs.
Especially with the newer lever style Arca-Swiss system clamps (like
the one pictured above) I simply can't imagine using any other quick
release system.
