Why L Plates? Why RRS plates over others?

[drPheta]

Ok, I've been researching ballheads, plates, and clamps.

Looks like the most effecient combo from other members is:

Markins M10
RRS B2 LR II
RRS Plates

I'm lost though. Why are L plates better than a standard body plate and adjusting the ballhead to orient in portrait position?

Also why are RRS plates considered to be the best? The way I figure it, Arca type plates should be standard size across the board to maintain compatibility, no?

[NickSimcheck]

L-Plates are nice because they allow full use of the ballhead adjustment while in portrait orentation. *Edit* after re-reading your question it appears that you know their better, but not why their better. When you drop the camera into the slot in the ballhead to go into portrait you loose any fine tune adjustments, in other words you might not be able to drop it enough to make it perfectly level. This could be because of uneven ground, or your tripod ins't adjusted right. The bigger problem is all that weight is off axis which makes it extremely hard to move it within the ball head and not have it shift around. Also it could cause your tripod to fall if you are not watching what you are doing.

RSS equipment is made really well, and a lot of users (myself included) buy from them because they are often suggest around here. Kinda like how Alien Bees have a following here.

[Jon]

With an L plate the weight remains centered over the ballhead; flipping the camera and head to get portrait mode gives you a less well-balanced load.

[jhom]

Here is the RRS link explaining the L bracket. It would be the same if you use Kirk L brackets. Both companies produce nice products. You will find photogs who prefer one over the other. It is a matter of preference. http://reallyrightstuff.com/video/L-Plate.html

[drPheta]

Does the center weight balance of the L plate matter with a macro tripod like my Gitzo 2220?

[Jon]

It makes a difference in the stresses on the ball head. If the weight's squarely over the head there will be less likelihood of slippage than if the camera's off on one side of the head.

[ian408]

If you're using a quick release clamp for your head, you can rotate the camera from portrait to landscape w/o moving the head. This makes it easy to level the head and leave it in position while you change orientation.

An L bracket is larger and on some bodies, makes accessing the remote port difficult. This is true with the Canon 1D series and the RRS L brackets.

[PacAce]

The L-plate also makes it possible to do panos in the portrait orientation, something which is difficult to do if the camera is slung over the side of the head.

[jhom]

An L bracket is larger and on some bodies, makes accessing the remote port difficult. This is true with the Canon 1D series and the RRS L brackets.

I don't have any problems accessing the remote ports on my 1D2 with RRS L mounted. That is one reason why RRS plates are popular. They manufacture custom plates for many of the more popular cameras. You don't have to settle for a universal plate.

[PacAce]

The L-plate also makes it possible to use your Wimberley F-9 flash bracket on the camera without the need to have it mounted on the Wimberley HD200 head for those who already have this setup. :)

As for why the RRS L-plates over any other, for me, it's because I like the design of the RRS L-plates better than those of the Kirk L-plates. As someone already mentioned, it's usually a matter of personal preference.

[Meaty0]

Dropping the camera/lens into the portrait position slot on the ball head is great. Until you get a pretty heavy camera/lens combination, then you put a lot of strain on the ball head and it won't stay level. Most of all...you may end up with the whole lot overbalancing (as others have said).

You can also use a rotating bracket or flash bracket too. I use a Newton Rotator at the moment.

[drPheta]

Sweet, thanks guys. I just put in my order for RRS L-Bracket and 70-200/2.8 bracket. Markins ordered, and on the way. Damn, this hobby is so expensive.

[Meaty0]

Sweet, thanks guys. I just put in my order for RRS L-Bracket and 70-200/2.8 bracket. Markins ordered, and on the way. Damn, this hobby is so expensive.

Only if you keep on buyin' stuff:D

[argyle]

One thing nobody mentioned...with an L-bracket you're able to switch from landscape orientation to portrait without having to re-position your tripod and recompose the shot, as you would need to do if you had to utilize the drop slot on the head. Real time saver...

[coorz]

Nitpicking mode: hard to reach the review and delete buttons with the RRS-L on 1D.
Might not be an issue on your 40D.

[René Damkot]

Nitpicking mode: hard to reach the review and delete buttons with the RRS-L on 1D.
Might not be an issue on your 40D.

I don't find it an issue on my 1D2 ;)

[jhom]

I don't find it an issue on my 1D2 ;)

Ditto. No problems using those buttons on my 1D2 and RRS L bracket.

[coorz]

Hmm i was refering to the MK3 actually, don't know about the MKII.
Sure if you're on tripod there's no big deal or hurry, i can press the review/delete button with my rightthumb or with myleft thumb nail :)

[winky]

Nitpicking mode: hard to reach the review and delete buttons with the RRS-L on 1D.
Might not be an issue on your 40D.

Nitpicking mode: This is true. It is hard to reach the review and delete buttons with the RRS-L on the 1D Mark III.

[PacAce]

Hmm i was refering to the MK3 actually, don't know about the MKII.
Sure if you're on tripod there's no big deal or hurry, i can press the review/delete button with my rightthumb or with myleft thumb nail :)

Yes, you're right. It's a little harder to reach the Review button with the L-plate on but you get used to it. I have small hands but it's not a big deal for me. For me, I have other things to worry about, like getting the shots I need, to worry about sweating over the little stuff like the difficulty, if you can really call it that, of reaching for the Review button with my left thumb.

Besides, I review my images at my leisure (when I'm not shooting) so it really doesn't matter which finger/thumb I use to press the Review button. :)

[GSansoucie]

Sweet, thanks guys. I just put in my order for RRS L-Bracket and 70-200/2.8 bracket. Markins ordered, and on the way. Damn, this hobby is so expensive.


I hear yah. I just spent more on RRS QR Brackets and plates than I did for my new tripod/ballhead setup.

I did, however, get a QR plate for the new ballhead and one for my monopod. Plus I needed a universal plate for my Yashica-D and Rolli (will be Rolli's soon).

After a month+ of kicking around the Gitzo and the RRS BH-40, I opted for the Bogen 055MF-3 with a Cullman 40180 ballhead. I saved a lot of money and have a pretty decent setup. The Cullman is a lot better than I'd expected and will mate nicely with the RRS QR bracket.

[Rey]

I ordered an RRS setup a few days ago. It hasn't shipped yet. I'm used to merchants shipping the next day after the order is received. Does RRS move at a slower pace?

I ordered the B2 LR II to replace the RC2 on my Bogen head. I would have gone Kirk but I preferred the lever as opposed to the screw knob and I didn't see a lever release clamp offered by Kirk. I also would have gotten the Kirk L plate but there was a note on RRS that only RRS and Wimberly plates work on their lever release clamps. Overall, I spent more on changing over to Arca-Swiss than I did on my whole Bogen tripod/head setup.

[argyle]

I ordered an RRS setup a few days ago. It hasn't shipped yet. I'm used to merchants shipping the next day after the order is received. Does RRS move at a slower pace?

I ordered the B2 LR II to replace the RC2 on my Bogen head. I would have gone Kirk but I preferred the lever as opposed to the screw knob and I didn't see a lever release clamp offered by Kirk. I also would have gotten the Kirk L plate but there was a note on RRS that only RRS and Wimberly plates work on their lever release clamps. Overall, I spent more on changing over to Arca-Swiss than I did on my whole Bogen tripod/head setup.

I've been using Kirk L-brackets with my RRS lever clamp for years...never a problem. With RRS (and Kirk) you're getting high-quality, precision machined components that are both functional and aesthetic, without any slop between mating parts. That's why they cost as much as they do.

[winky]

I also ordered the B2 LR II on March 08. Sale person said they were out of stock. It would be one or two weeks before they have any. He also said fifty (50) unit of the B2 LR II were already promise.

[SunTsu]

If you're going to get different brand plates and clamps, it's a good idea to get the non-QR version. I learned the hard way, but the RRS QR plate was not compatible with anything else. They say they are compatible with Wimberley, but I had a problem with mine.

Personally, I'm only buying Kirk or Arca Swiss from now on because the service at RRS sucks big time.

[Blue S2]

The RRS plates are fantastic! They make portrait orientation so much faster and easier. A lot of my work requires precision leveling, and having a camera slung sideways on a ballhead for portrait is out of the question.

I also use their ultimate pano package for most of my work now. Everything including their plates is laser engraved and has centering points. It makes setup easier. I can quickly align my gear and then adjust the tripod into the correct measurements depending on my lens/camera combination.

The RRS plates are also extremely heavy duty! Ide rather my camera take a hit on a plate and hood than the camera should it ever slip.

As for service and compatibility, ive had totally the opposite experience. I regularly use wimberly stuff and it works just fine with the RRS stuff. I'm pretty sure the Kirk stuff works too. No reason it shouldn't based on the design. RRS has also been one of the best companies to deal with in terms of support. I had a strange issue with a setup I was trying to do and they sent me some parts to customize exactly what I needed. No charge. It was just an odd quirk I found myself in. They were very helpful in finding a solution for me. I've called them with questions many times and Ive gotten nothing but the best responses and friendliest people. I highly recommend them, as well as Singh-Ray! (they are another company with proper support!)

[PacAce]

If you're going to get different brand plates and clamps, it's a good idea to get the non-QR version. I learned the hard way, but the RRS QR plate was not compatible with anything else. They say they are compatible with Wimberley, but I had a problem with mine.

Personally, I'm only buying Kirk or Arca Swiss from now on because the service at RRS sucks big time.

I think you're a little misinformed about the RRS plates' lack of compatibility with the other AS QR system. All the RRS plates are compatible with the AS QR system. What RRS did stipulate is that for their lever release clamps (not the screw-knob clamps), you need to use a plate made by RRS or Wimberley because the dovetails on the plates made by the other are too shallow to be used use safely on the clamp. That's a far cry from saying that the RRS plates are not compatible with any other AR clamps. :|

[Rey]

I also ordered the B2 LR II on March 08. Sale person said they were out of stock. It would be one or two weeks before they have any. He also said fifty (50) unit of the B2 LR II were already promise.

I still haven't heard from RRS regarding my order which I'm sure is held up because of this. I'll probably email them today to check the status, but the lack of communication shows poor customer service IMHO. If they were an eBay merchant they'd get a neg feedback.

I'm thinking of canceling and just ordering the Kirk stuff.

[argyle]

I still haven't heard from RRS regarding my order which I'm sure is held up because of this. I'll probably email them today to check the status, but the lack of communication shows poor customer service IMHO. If they were an eBay merchant they'd get a neg feedback.

I'm thinking of canceling and just ordering the Kirk stuff.

Don't feel bad. I ordered a macro rail package setup, and learned that I'm #26 on a waiting list of 46. Apparently, their machine shop is backed up. Its you choice to cancel or not, but they're stuff is worth waiting for. Look at it this way...if they sold junk, they wouldn't have a waiting list of customers. If you call and talk to them, they're more than happy to assist you. Their customer service is one of the best that I've ever dealt with.

[SunTsu]

I think you're a little misinformed about the RRS plates' lack of compatibility with the other AS QR system. All the RRS plates are compatible with the AS QR system. What RRS did stipulate is that for their lever release clamps (not the screw-knob clamps), you need to use a plate made by RRS or Wimberley because the dovetails on the plates made by the other are too shallow to be used use safely on the clamp. That's a far cry from saying that the RRS plates are not compatible with any other AR clamps. :|

That is my understanding. I had a Wimberley plate that did NOT fit on my RRS QR. RRS blamed Wimberley and told me it was their fault but offered no solution except "Oh...then Wimberley's tolerance must be off". So much for their claims.

[SunTsu]

I still haven't heard from RRS regarding my order which I'm sure is held up because of this. I'll probably email them today to check the status, but the lack of communication shows poor customer service IMHO. If they were an eBay merchant they'd get a neg feedback.

I'm thinking of canceling and just ordering the Kirk stuff.

Well, they are a small operation and that's one of the reasons I say they have poor customer service...not just because they are small, but because their small size affects customer service. There are plenty of small companies that have wicked customer service. Upstrap comes to mind.

Wimberley has also been awesome, from my experience and they are a small company too, so I don't think it's a valid excuse.

Do I have a bit of an axe to grind? Yes, but that's because RRS shipped me a damaged $600 tripod once and when I called to ask to exchange it, they told me "too bad, but you'll have to contact Gitzo". For the prices they charge, you'd think they took better care of their customers.

[Rey]

Well I stuck it out and finally received my order from RRS. I caved in and asked them to replace my B2 LRII with a full BH-55 LR which delayed my shipment for a couple of more days. I'm glad I waited. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for me and I'm going to build the rest of my support system around the RRS set-up.

[opus13]

Well I stuck it out and finally received my order from RRS. I caved in and asked them to replace my B2 LRII with a full BH-55 LR which delayed my shipment for a couple of more days. I'm glad I waited. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for me and I'm going to build the rest of my support system around the RRS set-up.

So... just to clarify:

You ordered a bracket for your camera. The item was listed as being 'in stock' --and they took your order. Only after contacting them at a later date were you informed that you were #26 in a 46 person queue. You just got your order for a metal bracket four weeks later.

two things:

1. You are a much more patient person than I.
2. For a company too keep a customer on the hook like that is quite crap.

[Blue S2]

Stuff like that can get overlooked. Once you get their equipment in your hands and on your gear, its hard to look back! I haven't found any other company offering a product set that I find as effective as theirs.

CORRECTION: I have found another company...Think Tank Photo! Good stuff, good service!

[malla1962]

An L bracket is larger and on some bodies, makes accessing the remote port difficult. This is true with the Canon 1D series and the RRS L brackets.No problem accessing anything with the RRS L plate on my 1dmk2.:confused:

[Rey]

So... just to clarify:

You ordered a bracket for your camera. The item was listed as being 'in stock' --and they took your order. Only after contacting them at a later date were you informed that you were #26 in a 46 person queue. You just got your order for a metal bracket four weeks later.

two things:

1. You are a much more patient person than I.
2. For a company too keep a customer on the hook like that is quite crap.


I ordered a few things but it was the lever clamp that was backordered. After re-reading the confirmation email that they sent after I made the initial order, they do state that the order process does not tell you if an item is out of stock and that an item ordered could very well be out of stock. I could have cancelled my order since they gave me ample time. I chose to show a little patience and I'm glad I did.

It still would have been nice if they could have sent a follow-up email advising me of the status of the items I ordered. The person I was in contact with was very helpful though once I initiated communication.