Ok, got Velbon, Bogen, Slik and Giottos - I want to simplify mount...go Arca or RSS?

[Laramie]

Ok, here's my list of tripod/heads/plates, etc...

Bogen 3033 legs with Bogen 3047 3-way head.
Bogen 055xprob legs - no head
Velbon 530 CF legs - Giottos MH-1000 with 652 plate
Slik QR plate on my cheapo monopod.
Small 3 way head that came off the Velbon.

So, I want to keep all three tripods.
- I like the 055 for macro since I can made the center column horizontal.
- I like the Velbon CF for my travel/hiking tripod.
- I hate to get rid of my 3033 legs since they are so heavy/stable.

I just bought the Giottos MH-1000 ballhead. I feel like I made a big mistake. I know it's going to be expensive to get setup. But I want something universal like RSS or ARCA, but I don't really know much anything about them.

Also, I plan to get a RSS "L" bracket for the new 5D IF/when it gets updated.

Thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated.

[lakesidechadwick]

I have the RRS system, and I love it. I have the lever clamp on my ball head and I have L brackets on my XTi and my 40D. I also have the lens plates on my 70-200 and my 100-400. I was a little hesitant because of the cost, but once I hooked up my rig, and saw what an upgrade it was over my old Slik tripod, I fell in love and became a loyal customer. I just ordered their new monopod head, and a new lever clamp for the mononpod. After seeing how sturdy it is on my tripod, I had to pull the trigger.

I asked a few questions about which clamps I could with the RRS plates I already had, and I got a lot of helpful answers...here is the thread

[Laramie]

Great...I will look at that thread, thanks!

[Maxdave]

The Giottos MH-1000 with 652 QR clamp is not ARCA compatible, but the Giottos ball heads with the 655, 656, 657, and 658 QR clamps are (I do not believe the 659 is available in North America). The ball heads with these assemblies are the MH-3300-658, MH-1300-658, MH-1300-657, MH-1301-656, MH-1302-655, and the MH-1303-655. I think these are the only Giottos ballheads that are ARCA compatible, and most are available in North America (try B & H and Adorama for details).

There is a possibility you will have to remove the Giottos safety pin from these QR clamps to fit all ARCA plates from all manufacturers (this has been reported on the Forum by other users).

Giottos sells their own ARCA standard plates and an L-bracket to fit these ballheads. As far as I know, all Giottos plates fit ARCA standard clamps ....

Maxdave

[Laramie]

Originally Posted by Maxdave

The Giottos MH-1000 with 652 QR clamp is not ARCA compatible, but the Giottos ball heads with the 655, 656, 657, and 658 QR clamps are (I do not believe the 659 is available in North America). The ball heads with these assemblies are the MH-3300-658, MH-1300-658, MH-1300-657, MH-1301-656, MH-1302-655, and the MH-1303-655.

I purchased the ballhead for a trip and didn't think threw what QR plate I needed/wanted.

Since the 652 is removeable on my MH-1000, will any of the Arca-compatible Giottos assemblies work on my MH-1000?

[Maxdave]

Hi cowboylife

Please realize all what follows is theoretical. I have never done a switch as you suggest, but a little research leads me to believe it is indeed possible.

All the ARCA compatible QR clamps seem to connect to the ballhead stem the same way, with an Allen head bolt. Two reviewers on the Adorama and B & H websites seem to indicate what you suggest is possible:

"This MH-655 comes with a 3/8 screw . If your tripod , or tripod head , has a 1/4screw sticking up you'll need to order the 3/8-to-1/4 reducer bushing B&H # GIG1141 ($4.95) ."
"Mounts beautifully to Giottos 1001 ball head and replaces the "stock" circular top plate, leaving a low profile, clean look. Comes with special screw and allen wrench for that purpose. Very firm and steady with no play or wobble."

The design of the 655, 656, 657 and 658 is identical. They only vary in the length of the clamp jaws, and the stated weight bearing capacity. The 655 is 40mm long, the 656 50mm, the 657 60mm and the 658 90mm. The width of the clamp opening is constant to allow ARCA compatibility. The weight of the clamps increases with length of course, as does the stated capacity. There is a very small price spread on these clamps, amounting to less than $10 from smallest to largest.

For reasons unknown to me, Adorama has a lower price on both the clamps and the ballhead/QR clamp combinations as compared to B & H. Also the Adorama price structure on the clamps is odd, with the 655, 656 and 657 all costing the same.

Maxdave

[neumanns]

I see the giottos ball head has a Female 3/8 mount, with a screw that goes threw the QR clamp.

Is the QR Clamp also 3/8 threaded....The reason I ask is my ballhead has a 3/8 male stud.

But if the QR plates are threaded then they would mount on a male head or a female head with the supplied screw.


Is that confusing enoufgh...

[ben_r_]

I HIGHLY recommend ANYTHING made by RRS. There stuff is all of the finest quality!

[Maxdave]

Hello neumanns

I found this picture on the Giottos web site of a MH-3300, MH-1300, MH-1301 or MH-1302 ballhead (can't tell which, as they are all designed alike, just different sizes) with what looks to be either the MH-657 or MH-659 Quick Release Assembly (again, can't tell which). The QRA is definitely threaded. I think the diagram shows how it is connected to the ball head.

I have no such drawing of the MH-3000, MH-2000, MH-1000 etc. series, but since they and the MH-3300 etc. series both accept the 621, 631 and 652 non Arca Swiss compatible QRAs, I would suspect they work the same way.

The only way to know for sure is write the marketers of the Giottos tripods/ball heads/QRAs:

In Canada
DAYMEN PHOTO MARKETING LP
100 SPY COURT, MARKHAM, ONTARIO, L3R 5H6
PH: (905)944 9400
FX: (905)944 9401
E-mail: info@daymen.com
Website: www.daymen.com

In the United States
HP MARKETING CORP.
MR. BOB SALOMON
ADD.: 16 CHAPIN ROAD, PINE BROOK, NJ 07058, U.S.A
PH: (973)808-9010 x15
FX: (973)808-9004
E-mail: bob@hpmarketingcorp.com
Website: www.hpmarketingcorp.com

Maxdave

[neumanns]

Thanks maxdave, I had found that cut away and was still undecided. But I think I will just do the smart thing and get one that cost more but I'm thinking I will only ever have to buy one.

[RPCrowe]

Originally Posted by Maxdave

The only way to know for sure is write the marketers of the Giottos tripods/ball heads/QRAs:

Maxdave

When I want info on Giottos products, I usually go to the Adorama website which carries a pretty full range of Giottos equiment. I have found the Giottos website to be fairly uniforrmative regarding the individual pieces of equipment.


I have the MH-1300 Giottos ball head with their MH-657 release assembly. I can use Arca Compatible plates with this QR system but, I have to open the base totally and slip the plate in from the top. I can mount my RRS L-bracket and a Kirk lens plate using this system. The culprit is the safety tab on the MH-657 which slides out of the way to allow Giottos plates to slip in. There is no groove in either my RRS L-plate or my Kirk lens plate which will allow the plates to slide into the Giottos base.

The solution would be to either file a groove in the plates or to remove the safety tab. I have done neither and use the MH-657 by opening it totally and dropping in the plate. The safety tab works to hold the plate in the base dovetail but, to remove the plate, you must totally open the base. This is slow but, I dont usually need to switch lenses on my tripod with any rapidity.

If I removed the safety tab from the Giottos MH-657, I would not have the insurance of the tab to keep my lans/camera unit attached to the base if the locking knob somehow came loose. However, I have a KIRK MPA-1 for my monopod which is a Manfrotto Swivel tilt head with Kirk Quick Release. that Kirk QR doesn't have a safety tab and I operate quite well with it.

Giottos has a pretty full line of plates for cameras and lenses which are all Arca Compatible but, they do not have any camera specific plates such as those distributed by RRS. I absolutely love my RRS L-bracket for my 30D.

[Ultimate CC]

i love the arca swiss z1, awesome head...

[argyle]

Originally Posted by cowboylife

Ok, here's my list of tripod/heads/plates, etc...

Bogen 3033 legs with Bogen 3047 3-way head.
Bogen 055xprob legs - no head
Velbon 530 CF legs - Giottos MH-1000 with 652 plate
Slik QR plate on my cheapo monopod.
Small 3 way head that came off the Velbon.

So, I want to keep all three tripods.
- I like the 055 for macro since I can made the center column horizontal.
- I like the Velbon CF for my travel/hiking tripod.
- I hate to get rid of my 3033 legs since they are so heavy/stable.

I just bought the Giottos MH-1000 ballhead. I feel like I made a big mistake. I know it's going to be expensive to get setup. But I want something universal like RSS or ARCA, but I don't really know much anything about them.

Also, I plan to get a RSS "L" bracket for the new 5D IF/when it gets updated.

Thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated.

It can be done, but you're probably looking at a very expensive proposition:

1.) Bogen 3033 with 3047 3-way head: Get rid of the 3-way and replace with a ballhead (Markins M10 or RRS BH-40). This will be several hundred dollars, plus you'd need a RRS lever clamp, either the B2 LR II or the B2 AS II, depending on which ball head you go with. The clamp is another $120 on top of the ball head, so you're at or nearing the $400 mark.

2.) 055XPROB needs a head. Same recommendation as item 1 above.

3.) Velbon 530 with Giottos head: Since you already have the head, you might as well keep it. You can sell it and replace it with either the Markins or RRS heads mentioned above, but you probably won't get much for the Giottos, so you'd need another couple hundred to replace it with a Markins or RRS head. Again, depending on which head you'd have, either of the RRS lever clamps mentioned earlier would work, but another $120 or so.

To do all this, you're probably looking at close to $1000 or so. A better option: sell everything and replace with a Gitzo Explorer series tripod (maybe the 2530EX). The Explorer series has legs that are adjustable independently, as well as a tilting center column to facilitate macro shooting in the field. This Gitzo model goes for about $575 for the legs, add a Markins M10 and RRS clamp and you're probably at about the same price point as trying to modify all three of your existing tripods. Plus, you'd only have the single tripod to deal with. Sell off what you have now, and you can probably knock a few hundred off the price of the Gitzo setup.