universal QR plate for my markins Q3?

i received my markins q3 ballhead today. i also got the dedicated QR plate for my 1d mark III but i also need a universal plate that will fit the tripod rings of a couple of my lenses as well as my 30d.

so will all arca swiss type QR plates work?

for example, will a kirk QR plate work?

are there aftermarket universal plates that will work?

thanx .

ed rader

Ed,

I'm sure that RRS, Markins, Kirk and others will offer you a universal lens plate if you approach them.

I've got a Markins PL-55 lens plate which I believe is considered to be a "universal" plate.

If you chose the specially designed Q3 clamp with the screw knob, I'm pretty sure that virtually any of the manufacturers plates would be useable.

My two concerns about trying to use just the one plate for a variety of lens are a) The inconvenience of constantly having to swop the plate between lenses plus the wear and tear involved. And b) The very "universal" nature of the plate means it cannot be designed for best balance on all your lenses. Some of the long tele's have longer than normal plates to allow the camera and lens to sit on the tripod in a state of near balance.

Lowner wrote in post #6112837
Ed,

I'm sure that RRS, Markins, Kirk and others will offer you a universal lens plate if you approach them.

I've got a Markins PL-55 lens plate which I believe is considered to be a "universal" plate.

If you chose the specially designed Q3 clamp with the screw knob, I'm pretty sure that virtually any of the manufacturers plates would be useable.

My two concerns about trying to use just the one plate for a variety of lens are a) The inconvenience of constantly having to swop the plate between lenses plus the wear and tear involved. And b) The very "universal" nature of the plate means it cannot be designed for best balance on all your lenses. Some of the long tele's have longer than normal plates to allow the camera and lens to sit on the tripod in a state of near balance.

thanx Richard -- first off i use my tripod 99.9% for landscapes with my main camera, and i have a dedicated markins QR plate for that camera.

but in the event that i ever want/need to use my lenses with tripod rings with my tripod i'll need a universal plate....or if i want/need to use my back-up camera (30d) with tripod.

so the plate would be something that i would keep in my bag that may never get used but may someday be needed in a pinch....and i only need one and really don't want to spend $50 .

i had heard that some plates weren't compatible with some heads but i forget the specifics.

ed rader

Ed,

try wimberley plates...

link- http://www.tripodhead.​com/products/lens-plates-main.cfm

I found that all my lenses that I have a tripod mount ring for all used the same tripod mount ring and therefore all used the same mount plate. I just bought two of the RRS L84 plates, one for my black tripod ring mounts and one for the white tripod ring mounts and I switch the tripod ring mounts between the lenses and not the mount plates themselves. Ill do that for now until I decide I dont like having to do that and buy a couple more mount plates

ben_r_ wrote in post #6113394
I found that all my lenses that I have a tripod mount ring for all used the same tripod mount ring and therefore all used the same mount plate. I just bought two of the RRS L84 plates, one for my black tripod ring mounts and one for the white tripod ring mounts and I switch the tripod ring mounts between the lenses and not the mount plates themselves. Ill do that for now until I decide I dont like having to do that and buy a couple more mount plates

my use would be so infrequent and possibly non-existent that one plate is all i'll need. the only lens with trpod ring that i use with a plate now is my 100-400L but i ise it with a manfrotto plate on a monopod with 3229 tilt head.

i may at some point want to, say, do a landscape with my 70-200L f4 IS and then i'd like to have a universal plate to screw to my new $17 tripod ring (which i'll probably never use either) .

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #6113512
i may at some point want to, say, do a landscape with my 70-200L f4 IS and then i'd like to have a universal plate to screw to my new $17 tripod ring (which i'll probably never use either) .

ed rader

LOL - - I use the Kirk Plate on mine with the Q3 but not sure if it's interchangeable with the 100-400 lens.

Except for cost, I don't understand the logic of not having an appropriate lens/camera plate for all the gear you use frequently. The reason for the AS system or any other QR system is convenience. IMO, it defeats the purpose if you have to attach a plate each time you use your support system or you choose not to use a particular piece because it doesn't have a plate.

jhom wrote in post #6113661
Except for cost, I don't understand the logic of not having an appropriate lens/camera plate for all the gear you use frequently. The reason for the AS system or any other QR system is convenience. IMO, it defeats the purpose if you have to attach a plate each time you use your support system or you choose not to use a particular piece because it doesn't have a plate.

Jhom -- like is said, i use the 100-400L with a manfrotto tilthead. therefore i leave a manfrotto plate on the tripod ring because it's the only plate i've ever used with that lens.

now, since i have a different tripod system i'd like to have a universal plate that i can leave in my camera bag in the event i want to use that lens or another lens or my back-up camera with the tripod.

i know the answer to that is to buy a $300 QR for the monopod and spend another $300 on plates but that's a waste of money for what i'm doing and not going to happen !

ed rader

Tsmith wrote in post #6113539
LOL - - I use the Kirk Plate on mine with the Q3 but not sure if it's interchangeable with the 100-400 lens.

what would be ideal for my purpose is a $30 generic plate. i know adorama sells one but there's also a kirk plate on ebay for a pretty reasonable price.

ed rader

30 bucks. free shipping.... this is what i will probably get............

http://www.adorama.com …o=arca%20plate&​item_no=29

ed rader

Yep.
A generic plate will work.

I use a Novoflex plate on my 80-200L.

It won't work with a RRS lever type QR however.

For a long lens, like the 100-400 you might want to consider a longer lens plate, to make balancing out of the rig possible...

Drawback (IMO) is, that you need to rotate the QR 90 degrees to use it (camera plate runs parallel to the film plane, lens plate runs parallel to the lens axis. That's why I went for a square plate)

René Damkot wrote in post #6115109
Yep.
A generic plate will work.

I use a Novoflex plate on my 80-200L.

It won't work with a RRS lever type QR however.

For a long lens, like the 100-400 you might want to consider a longer lens plate, to make balancing out of the rig possible...

Drawback (IMO) is, that you need to rotate the QR 90 degrees to use it (camera plate runs parallel to the film plane, lens plate runs parallel to the lens axis. That's why I went for a square plate)

that's what i meant earlier when i said there were incompatibility issues that i couldn't remember.

i use the manfrotto 3229 tilt head with my 100-400L and it works very well. there's more slop in the connection but for a monopod i don't think it matters.

what does matter to me is the range of motion and being able to quickly attach and remove the monopod.

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #6115213
i use the manfrotto 3229 tilt head

I think you already know about this: Click?

René Damkot wrote in post #6115326
I think you already know about this: Click?

yes. i like that solution. i was thinking that if the markins QR head didn't work for me on my ballhead i could mount it on a tilt head to use with my monopod.

what i don't like about that idea is i would have to buy expemnsive plates for everything....unless i can get arca plates with a "wingnut" like the manfrotto plates.

i honestly only use a couple of my lenses with tripod...16-35 and 24-70L....and the one thing i do like about the manfrotto system is i only need a couple of plates because they can be removed and installed easily and without tools.

ed rader