plate question, markins q3t head

So, after trying them in store, and really agonizing over it, I have finally decided to go with the gitzo 1541T over the 1541. Decided on the markins G3t. however, I read that the plate they have for 5d2 (52U I think) is not that great. Can I just use a generic arca type plate? how do I know what other 3rd party plate fits?
Any does anyone have any feelings regarding the knob release vs the lever release?
thanks.

Many and I mean many users prefer the Lever release but myself I just like the Knob. Most any of the plates should work fine. I use Kirk plates on all my stuff when attached to the Markins.

i'm going through this myself and the feedback is mixed wrt to lever release clamps and mixing and matching with other brands of plates. i would try and match it if possible or at the very least verify that the the two will work.

i wouldn't use a generic plate. those are better for when they don't make a plate for you specific camera. you can get a plate from RRS, wimberley, or kirk and they'll be pretty much the same shape. i'm pretty happy with my plate from acratech. it's the same size as my RRS plate. a markins plate i bought is much wider than the others i have.

I have an RRS L-plate on my 5DII. It works fine. I would not want just a regular plate as that just seems too limiting.

I am very happy with the RRS plate for the gripped 5DII. I can't imagine a better working plate unless it was an L plate.

klr.b wrote in post #9984713
i wouldn't use a generic plate. those are better for when they don't make a plate for you specific camera. you can get a plate from RRS, wimberley, or kirk and they'll be pretty much the same shape. i'm pretty happy with my plate from acratech. it's the same size as my RRS plate. a markins plate i bought is much wider than the others i have.

thanks. so regardless of manufacturere they shoot fit in the markins q3t head?
and what is special about L plates? does it allow you vertical mounting? do I need an additional plate to make the L plate work? (any adaptor between the head and the L plate?
thanks.

An L plate wraps around the end of the camera ("L" shape) and has the Arca-Swiss style plate cut into both arms, so going to portrait orientation is as simple as releasing the plate from the clamp, reorienting the camera and retightening the clamp. The camera's mass stays centered over the tripod head; if you don't have an L plate and want to shoot portrait, the camera will be hanging off to the side of the head, a potentially less-stable arrangement.

You want the RRS L plate.

I only prefer the lever release as its just as secure and much quicker and easier to release allowing you to get your camera on and off faster when needed.

thanks. looking at the L plates, it appears nice for portrait orientation shooting. but looking at the pictures, I am thinking there must be an adapter that goes between the head, which is a female, and the L plate, which is a female also, for it to click in. Am I wrong on that? can I just buy the L plate and it will fit in to the head?
Thanks.

You just buy the L plate - it fits into the Arca-Swiss style clamps in either orientation. It's basically the same thing you'd get if you welded two regular plates together at right angles to each other, except with a bunch of engineering so you can still reach the remote release, USB port, video port, . . . without removing it.

thanks Jon.
Oh and Ben-r, your review of the system is the reason I bought it. It was as good and detailed of a thread as I have seen. thanks.

kevindar wrote in post #9986914
thanks Jon.
Oh and Ben-r, your review of the system is the reason I bought it. It was as good and detailed of a thread as I have seen. thanks.

Very welcome Sir. Glad it helped you make the decision that was right for you.