L-Brackets for 7D: Kirk vs RRS... thoughts?

jJulian,

We have a problem getting RRS kit here in the UK. We have to import it ourselves and the problem is a scam operated by Royal Mail and HM Customs! It needs to be challenged in Court.

Kirk on the other hand is stocked by one UK supplier. That same supplier approached RRS at my instigation a couple of years ago to see if a deal could be struck. Sadly RRS refused to deal. They could do good business here but choose not to.

I'm not a fan of the bidirectional plate on the RRS bracket. I do like the slimmer profile though.

I've had RRS and Kirk L brackets and plates. I only use RRS now.

jdizzle wrote in post #10560404

forget the L bracket, look at this Zeiss glass!! you never mentioned you were rolling with zeiss! lol. ok, I'm gonna go now as I'm not really bringing anything worthy to this thread. well, apart from zeiss glass but thats a whole another topic.

IMHO Kirk are just as well made, machined from just as good materials as RRS. Maybe even stronger in some case, but maybe too a fault.

But RRS are better more inventive designers. They end up with sleeker end results just as strong but not the proverbial brick poop house in stature. To the contrary, engineered to be very svelte.


Sometimes they take their engineering too far as well though ( Eight hundred dollars to turn a camera upside down? Anyone? No takers? I didn't think so)

Well, I really like RRS service, customer support and not to metion their fantasticly engineered products..
I get my stuff by the day after I order (even though I have to pay tax )
There is someone I can talk with at the other end of the telephone wire
Smaller company that seems to have created "better" products

...and maybe I'm sonfused, but aren't you talking about an "L" bracket (not grip)

Lowner wrote in post #10566286
jJulian,

We have a problem getting RRS kit here in the UK. We have to import it ourselves and the problem is a scam operated by Royal Mail and HM Customs! It needs to be challenged in Court.

Kirk on the other hand is stocked by one UK supplier. That same supplier approached RRS at my instigation a couple of years ago to see if a deal could be struck. Sadly RRS refused to deal. They could do good business here but choose not to.

That's sad that you can't get RRS w/o having those issues. Do you have any friends here in the US that can send it to you? That would be your best bet. The other option is to visit the US and buy it directly from RRS.

Mastamarek wrote in post #10566730
forget the L bracket, look at this Zeiss glass!! you never mentioned you were rolling with zeiss! lol. ok, I'm gonna go now as I'm not really bringing anything worthy to this thread. well, apart from zeiss glass but thats a whole another topic.

Hehe! I'm evil when it comes to posting gear. I love the Zeiss 21 and I'm definitely going add to the collection down the road.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #10566786
IMHO Kirk are just as well made, machined from just as good materials as RRS. Maybe even stronger in some case, but maybe too a fault.

But RRS are better more inventive designers. They end up with sleeker end results just as strong but not the proverbial brick poop house in stature. To the contrary, engineered to be very svelte.


Sometimes they take their engineering too far as well though ( Eight hundred dollars to turn a camera upside down? Anyone? No takers? I didn't think so)

There's no doubt that both companies make great products. I just like the RRS look a lot better.

Me too!

I personally like RRS, but I haven't owned any Kirk items yet. I just like the fit and finish of my RRS l-bracket so much it's hard to go with another company.

Also it matches my tripod ball head so that's a plus!

Julian,

"Do you have any friends here in the US that can send it to you"?

Be very carefull making those kind of suggestions. If and when I need an A-S plate for the 1dS MK4, you might well get a PM!

But that may not solve the problem. If the package is caught by Customs, even if not opened we still get charged for opening, repacking and extra delivery charges. My RRS package was never opened, yet it cost me around £40 in extra charges, even though RRS had paid for delivery to my door.

Yes, its a con, but it's being perpetrated by government organisations and presumably with their (the Governments) tacit consent. Paying the duty I would not mind, thats legal. It's the rest I object to.

MrGreen wrote in post #10564603
Not sure what you mean by the Kirk being non bi-directional but I can't see any difference between the left or right side of the dovetail on mine. I have the L-bracket for the 7D and grip and it's given me no issues yet whatsoever. I can slide it in my ballhead mount any way I please, not just one way.

I would highly doubt there is much practical difference between the RRS and the Kirk. Both companies make awesome stuff, so get whatever is available to you at the best price.

Mr.Green, as said, RSS bottom dovetail is square shaped and so the clamp on the tripod and the screw release position does not change for me...

the reason i chose the Photoclam head over the Markins was because of this... the position of the control knobs and the U channel is all on the right left side and i found this a bit more comforting...

i guess it's a minor quirk... but anywhoo... i do like the slimmer profile.

Lowner wrote in post #10566286
jJulian,

We have a problem getting RRS kit here in the UK. We have to import it ourselves and the problem is a scam operated by Royal Mail and HM Customs! It needs to be challenged in Court.

Kirk on the other hand is stocked by one UK supplier. That same supplier approached RRS at my instigation a couple of years ago to see if a deal could be struck. Sadly RRS refused to deal. They could do good business here but choose not to.

Lowner, sadly, i don't attend london fashion weeks any more... but from what you say, UK customs just sucks...

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #10566786
IMHO Kirk are just as well made, machined from just as good materials as RRS. Maybe even stronger in some case, but maybe too a fault.

But RRS are better more inventive designers. They end up with sleeker end results just as strong but not the proverbial brick poop house in stature. To the contrary, engineered to be very svelte.

Sometimes they take their engineering too far as well though ( Eight hundred dollars to turn a camera upside down? Anyone? No takers? I didn't think so)

lol... $800 for wut?

Lowner wrote in post #10566286
We have a problem getting RRS kit here in the UK. We have to import it ourselves and the problem is a scam operated by Royal Mail and HM Customs! It needs to be challenged in Court.

wow, that's terrible.

kinghong1970 wrote in post #10569968
lol... $800 for wut?

their fancy pants tripod.

adam8080 wrote in post #10566634
I'm not a fan of the bidirectional plate on the RRS bracket.

Me either. It makes the camera very unsteady when it's placed on a flat surface - especially when there is no lens mounted on the body. I definitely prefer the RRS bracket on my 5D MKII.

kinghong1970 wrote in post #10569968
...


lol... $800 for wut?

RRS Camera Rotation Device