Arca Swiss Mounting Plate and Ritter 8x10

[matts]

I am at a loss right now and I am wondering if anyone can help me. I am assuming it is user error, but I am stumped.

I use Arca swiss style plates on all my cameras. I like the Acratech plates so I use those most often. When I attach any Arca plate (I have tried multiple brands) the plate itself still spins on the camera despite the fact I can have tightened the plate as much as I can (not overly tight, just the normal tightness I use on all cameras. I am using a non-adapted screw for the connection. When I attach the camera directly to the tripod it is rock solid! It almost seems like the screw is a little too long for the connection, but I can tighten that screw tight, and the plate still moves a lot. Now I do not have a problem going headless, but I really like using a head!

Does anyone have any tips as to what I might be able to do? I do not want to tighten to much and cause damage, but beyond that I am not sure what to do! My other camera's do not have this issue at all.

I have even borrowed other heads, but it is obviously (I think) not a head issue it is a mounting plate issue. As I stated earlier I have tried multiple plates.


Thanks All for any advice you may have!

[Alan9940]

I have that exact issue with my old MF folder cameras. To fix, I have a roll of thin cork material that I cut to the same size as the plate; for one of the cameras I have to use a double layer. Placing the cork material between the plate and the camera takes up just enough thread that I can tighten things right down. And, the cork helps keep the camera from twisting on the plate. However, I've never tried this solution with LF.

[Keith Pitman]

If the screw is too long, get a shorter screw—it’s a hardware store item. Alternately, file the screw down.

[Ari]

If the screw is too long, get a shorter screw—it’s a hardware store item. Alternately, file the screw down.

Agree, sounds like the mounting screw you're using is a tad too long.
If you don't find it at the fastener store, B&H and Adorama have photo-specific screws from a lot of the major brands.

[cowanw]

Also something like this
https://www.jobu-design.com/Surefoot-NXM--Multi-Position-55_p_29.html

will prevent rotation with its shelf on one end.

[Alan9940]

If the screw is too long, get a shorter screw—it’s a hardware store item. Alternately, file the screw down.

Not necessarily so easy to do. The Really Right Stuff plates, for example, need a specific length of the screw shank without threads to allow the screw to thread into the plate, then slide up/down the plate. I looked and looked at my local hardware store for a shorter replacement screw that would work, but no luck.

[matts]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I did take the camera and my base plate to the hardware store and I found a solution! They filed the screw down for me for free! On a side note it made some of the fine folks that work at my small town hardware store super excited to see my camera. It was a fun afternoon.

[Keith Pitman]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I did take the camera and my base plate to the hardware store and I found a solution! They filed the screw down for me for free! On a side note it made some of the fine folks that work at my small town hardware store super excited to see my camera. It was a fun afternoon.

That’s why I said hardware store, not Home Depot!

[Jim Andrada]

The QR plates for Mamiya 645/RB67, etc have pins that fit into holes in the camera body. They don't spin. It's not beyond the realm of possibility to drill a couple of small holes into the camera baseplate and use one of the Mamiya plates, or drill a couple of small holes into a regular plate and run a small screw into the camera base plate. Holes only have to be a few mm deep. and if there's a tripod socket, it goes a lot deeper than anything you'd need for spin prevention. The other thing that would work is to just screw (or glue if it's a wooden camera) a small piece of wood or aluminum etc to the baseplate so it bears against the front or back of the QR plate.

[nguyenhm16]

Check out these Kwik Stand plates:

https://store.kesslercrane.com/products/mounting-grip/kwik-release.html

Saw them in a Ben Horne blog post or video.