Best Arca-Type Clamp for the Old Arca Base Rail?

[Frank Petronio]

I came upon a good old Arca with the fat base rail, whose profile allows you to place it along the track of an Arca-Swiss compatible clamp. In years past I had a B1 ballhead and it worked like a charm.

But nowadays I rather use a pan-tilt head and just mount the clamp to the tripod screw. And rather not pay $100 for just a clamp. But I remember some off-brand Arca-style clamps did not clamp the Arca base as well as the old B1 head did - their angles were off slightly.

Of all the cheaper eBay-Chinese knock-offs, which clamp holds the OEM Arca base rail the best?

[Peter De Smidt]

Make sure to get one with a screw lock, as opposed to a lever lock. The screw ones have a greater range. I have a giotto version, and it's ok. The finish isn't as smooth as on the more expensive one, but it works fine.

[Keith Pitman]

Kirk. You can find them on Ebay. Several sizes available at different prices. Or direct from Kirk. I think they have free shipping this weekend.

[Peter De Smidt]

The Kirk's are better than the Giottos. With the Kirk I have, the clamp bar, the part that get's screwed in to hold the rail, isn't as thick as the main clamp. This allows the whole thing to sit flat on a head and still be used. With the Giottos, the clamp bar is flush with the rest of the clamp, which means that if the clamp is fixed to a flat surface, the clamp bar will drag on the surface. I had to make a spacer bar out of aluminium stock so that the Giottos would work on my panoramic rotator.

[Peter De Smidt]

See: http://www.giottos.com/MH-3.htm for the giottos. I have the MH 658 (As well as one Kirk and one Really Right Stuff. Yes, I'm a fan of Arca style clamps.) In the picture of the MH 658, there's a part labeled "Arca Swiss Standard". That the part that I referred to as the "clamp bar." On a ball head, there's nothing under this, and so it's bottom being flush with the clamp body isn't a problem, but if you try on mount the clamp on a big flat head, such as a Gitzo RS5 pan/tilt head, you'll have to fashion a spacer or you won't be able to use the clamp, since the force holding the clamp body to the tripod head will also hold the clamp bar frozen in place.