Quick releases and field cameras

[Richard Ross]

I have been using the old venerable Bogen 3028 Super 3D head with a Wista DX for many years as well as a Velbon PH-253 for backpacking. I am finally getting the urge to upgrade to a nice ballhead with an Arca style quickrelease for general use and have a question (which is probably easily answered by my marching down to Samy's camera if I had the time) about the two styles for the quick release lock: knob vs lever. The lever would seem to be easy to use under the large bottom plate of a field camera, but is the knob also easy to use or is the clearance a bit tight as I imagine?

[Peter De Smidt]

It really depends. I tried one of the Really Right Stuff lever clamps, and it didn't work well with my D200 on a RRS L-bracket. (Yes, I know, that's a very different application.) It was very hard to grab the lever to release the clamp. In addition, the knob types tend to be usable with a wider array of plates, as they have a greater clamping range. My Arca B1 has the knob type clamp, and I've used this with a number of cameras, including a Toyo 45AX, and it's worked fine. For a field camera, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of the cheaper Arca style quick release plates on Ebay (or elsewhere.) I bought one recently for making a panoramic slide, and the quality was very good. I'd only resort to something like a RRS plate for something like an L-bracket for an slr, where the fit is very important. It's true that the lever is a little lower profile, but this should be that big of an advantage, especially for a 4x5 field camera.

[timparkin]

I have been using the old venerable Bogen 3028 Super 3D head with a Wista DX for many years as well as a Velbon PH-253 for backpacking. I am finally getting the urge to upgrade to a nice ballhead with an Arca style quickrelease for general use and have a question (which is probably easily answered by my marching down to Samy's camera if I had the time) about the two styles for the quick release lock: knob vs lever. The lever would seem to be easy to use under the large bottom plate of a field camera, but is the knob also easy to use or is the clearance a bit tight as I imagine?

The clearance under my Ebony would make a screw knob quite difficult to use. I'm happy with the lever knob although my RRS lever clamp is having a problem releasing when the lever is opened.. I shall be looking at a different make if possible and send my current one for servicing. Beyond the levers lack of desire to release on occasion, caused possibly by wear/corrosion on the pin that the clamp travels on. The lever clamp has behaved very well.. Never a problem with it coming loose accidentally and is a joy to use when you can just drop the camera onto the tripod and close the lever for guaranteed safety.

My worry about screw clamps has always been the possiblility that a bit of gravel or rock could get caught and give the impression that you have tightened down hard when in fact the rock could crumble and let your camera drop. With a lever clamp, if you had a peice of debris in between the clamp plates, it either would not close or be very stiff.. You know for a fact that if it closes, you have a good grip.

Tim

[Keith S. Walklet]

My wife and I have older RRS plates and a special replacement knob for the quick-release lock. I don't recall if it was a Kirk or RRS product. It is a star-shaped knob that was designed for limited clearance applications, like under a view camera.

But, as Tim mentioned, care must be taken with the screw lock QR to make sure that you don't get a false lock. I bounced an SLR off the pavement that way... :-(

[Ivan J. Eberle]

The problem I have with screw knobs is that they're not by definition really quick-release, or --more importantly-- instantaneously clamping.

I still use an old and battered Manfrotto Super Heavy Duty Ballhead with a superb snap-in Q/R that uses the confounded hex-plates for my 4x5. (To be fair, the more recent hex plates are not nearly as bad, what with the points rounded off, as were the originals with the sharply cast points.) The simple reason for still using the hex-plate for LF (despite also having a considerable investment in Arca stuff) is because I haven't found a better suiting nor as indestructible a Arca Q/R clamp to date.

The closest may be the either the Novoflex Q-Plate or new style Arca B2 lever plate. Each has quirks.

The Q-plate requires rotating a collar to lock it down, and this is awkward without the protruding screw-in post that keeps falling out. (the collar can be sticky in cold weather, too.) Works okay for MF, but coupled with the Classic 5 ballhead, it was a wickedly expensive solution that probably isn't very well suited to LF. The Classic 5 itself has a poorly functioning design for the pre-tensioning that doesn't have nearly enough friction for LF or large telephotos. Too, the anodizing is soft.

The newer style Arca brand Q/R that has the lever with a safety catch is very close to what I'm looking for, but I've so far resisted it for its crudely sharp edges and the fiber-filled plastic safety catch that appears fragile (I take the occasional spill off-trail so these are serious considerations).

[Bob Salomon]

Linhof's QuickFix I and QuickFix II are lever operated quick releases developed specifically for large format cameras. But they are not Arca compatible. The Berlebach 150 quick release is an Arca compatible quick release that is knob operated but is very fast.

[Brian Ellis]

If I were using a ball head with a 4x5 camera I wouldn't get a RRS ball head, either screw or lever. I have the screw type that I use with my digital camera and it works fine but the knob is under the lens and there's much more clearance between the lens of a DSLR and the screw knob than there would be between the knob and the bed of a LF camera. I would think a lever would present a similar problem.

I've gotten a "false lock" twice with the DSLR and the RRS head and as a result the camera has fallen off the tripod when I let go of it, once onto a concrete sidewalk and the other time on to my garage floor. I now am very careful to make sure the clamp is really locked on the camera.

[rfesk]

I have been using a "quick release" system for several cameras including a 5X7 Sinar Norma (now sold) and my Busch Pressman that is fast, light and secure. And cheap.

Using a 1/4# aluminum plate approximately 3 inches X 4 inches I drilled and tapped one end and mounted it on the ball head. Then drilled and tapped a 1/4" threaded hole on the other end located where there would be plenty of bearing surface for the camera. I then salvaged a 1/4" screw from a flash bracket.

To mount the camera you rest it on the plate (which is attached to the ball head), line up the screw from below and tighten it. Very fast.

To keep the camera from rotating on the aluminum plate I installed two nylon screws at one end to keep it from rotating.

This setup offsets the camera backwards from the ball head a couple of inches. But this arrangement actually balances the press type cameras such as Pressman better. On the Sinar Monorail you simply balance the camera over the ball head.

I will try to post a photo of my set up sometime if anyone is interested.

[Matus Kalisky]

I "upgraded" to ballhead with arca style quick release (with a knob, not lever) and it works perfectly with my Tachi 4x5. There is not too much space to access the knob, but it posses no problem at all.

[Pete Roody]

The Novoflex Q=Base is the best Arca style quick release imho. It is also the only quick engagement Arca compatible quick release. Just drop in the camera. Novoflex should mate it to a compact 3-way pan tilt head (forgetabout ballheads with large format) and they would have an unbeatable Arca compatible head. Better than anything Arca makes. You can screw it on your existing heads to add a quick release.