looking for very thin ARCA compatible plate

[mayuka]

To mount an old novoflex bellow to a special macro stand I need a very thin ARCA compatible plate but I can't find any. Even the thinnest plate from RRS ist still 7-8 mm thick.

on ebay I've found a cheap offer for several used gitzo plates but i'm not sure whether they would be appropriate for my needs.

First, it is easy to find out the dimensions of the plates (width and length). But what about the height of the plates? For my needs the plate must be about 4 to 5 mm thin. Are the Gitzo plates THAT thin?

Does anyone here has some suggestions for me?

[ErnieT]

I really have no clue, but why don't you e-mail some companies like Gitzo ect. to see if they can help you out.

[Jon]

Well, if you go for an ultra-thin A-S plate, you'd need to be sure that whatever you were mounting on it didn't overhang the plate's edges or you wouldn't be able to close the clamp enough to grip securely. So are you sure that your bellows wouldn't interfere?

[mayuka]

The bellow itself already has a base (with 1/4" hole) to where I just need to attach an arca style plate. The base is about 4x4 cm but not removable (see photo). But to attach the bellow with its base to the macro stand I need to attach one small arca-style plate. I have one square shaped plate from novoflex and it fits perfectly, but it is too thick.

I have attached 2 photos. And yes, mabe it's a good idea to mayl Gitzo. I've heard their service is fantastic. Or maybe it is possible to remove the upper part of some arca plates?

[hfgarris]

Can you put an additional "shim" under the mount for the camera and then use the standard mount for the bellows (i.e. raise the entire assembly slightly) to accomplish what you are trying to do?

I'm not sure what your total assembly issue is here....:confused:

-howard

[mayuka]

Can you put an additional "shim" under the mount for the camera and then use the standard mount for the bellows (i.e. raise the entire assembly slightly) to accomplish what you are trying to do?

That would be possible but I'd loose the possibility to put the bellow (with attached arca plate) in the quickshoe. However when I'd use a shim or just a normal plate I'd have to fasten it via a normal 1/4" bolt.

That wouldn't be the best solution but should work too. Do you know of any 5mm thin plates that have a 1/4" hole in it and where I can put a 1/4" bolt through?

[hfgarris]

Can you post a picture of the special macro stand with the bellows, etc. on it to allow us to better visualize the setup and see the problem?

thanks,
-howard

[mayuka]

Can you post a picture of the special macro stand with the bellows, etc. on it to allow us to better visualize the setup and see the problem?

I'll do photos this evening.

[mayuka]

Ok. As promised earlier a little snapshot. You can notice the gap between the shoe of the bellow and the stand (left side). However, it would suffice to use a simple metallic plate with a 1/4" hole in the middle but I'm not sure if that construction will be stable enough to hold the macro bellow + MP-E + camera... Of course I need a long 1/4" bolt. But that shouldn't be the problem here....

[René Damkot]

Why would you want to bolt the two together? It's supposed to be able to move. (If I'm looking at what I think I'm seeing)

[mayuka]

Why would you want to bolt the two together? It's supposed to be able to move.

It is but I have an old macro bellow that doesn't fit on the newer (but still outdated) macro stand. The old bellow is incompatible and has to be attached somehow.... That are the downsides of ebay. ;)

[hfgarris]

Does the stand have a ArcaSwiss compatible clamping rail running up the right side or something? I don't see from the picture why you need an AS plate there ... where is the clamp for it?

Does the vertical stand shaft have a slot in it for your long 1/4" bolt to move up and down?

Perhaps one more pic from further back showing the entire system assembly might help?

[Lowner]

If you plan to bolt it down so that it stays fixed, then a simple metal spacer, or even some washers might do. I'm also still having trouble visualising the problem.Isn't that base designed to sit straight onto the tripod head with the camera hung on one side of the bellows and the lens the other?

[ben_r_]

If you plan to bolt it down so that it stays fixed, then a simple metal spacer, or even some washers might do. I'm also still having trouble visualising the problem.Isn't that base designed to sit straight onto the tripod head with the camera hung on one side of the bellows and the lens the other?
Me too, I feel like Im not getting the whole picture here... no pun intended!

[hfgarris]

If I assume that vertical stand pole has a AS compatible track running up the right side, then I am assuming you simply want to have your bellows slide up and down within that track?

You might be able to take your existing Novoflex plate to a local machine shop and simply have them mill the top off of it to the desired thickness for the gap.

Or you can add a shim to everything else mounting to that stand pole to raise the entire assembly to allow your Novoflex to be used as-is.

Hejnar Photo makes some nice plates, but they appear to be .375" total height (9.5mm?). He might be able to make something for you which would work.
http://stores.ebay.com/Hejnar-Photo

-howard

[mayuka]

Thanks for all the answers. :-D I think I'll try the Hejnar Shop... Or at least I have the option to go for a simple metal plate with a 1/4" hole in it and a long 1/4" bolt. I hope that will hold too. Thanks for all the help. :)