Really Right Stuff (RRS) - quick release plates

[Tom V]

I've had my eyes on getting outfitted with Really Right Stuff quick release plates on my tripods, lenses, and cameras.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/

Their website shows no information about using their products on the Fuji S2.

Anybody out there use Really Right Stuff products? How do you use your Fuji S2 with the system?

[Ron Green]

Tom:
I use plates on all long lenses and on the body. Many are RRS but the one for the S2 is from Kirk. They make both a bottom mount and an L mount. check it out here. All fit Arca Swiss type receivers.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/lbracketso.html

[Swampy]

I'm using a bogen quick release plate on a ball head. Used it with up to nikkor 80-200mm on the camera, not on the lens. Doesn't complain one bit.

Only time it did complain... It has a release lever and a lock for that release lever that actually swings out the same way as the release lever. I wasn't paying attention (Isn't that how most accidents happen????) and I thought I was unlocking th lever, instead of releasing the camera. Needless to say, at 5 1/5 feet up on the tripod, the camera strap got hung up on the ball head and I just had to sit there for a minute while my camera swung back and forth under the head, not a scratch to be had, before I cleaned the poop out of my pants. (Maybe this should have gone under my what is the worst post before...).

Bryan

[Tom V]

I have some Bogen quick release plates for my 4x5 camera, and for use on my big Bogen tripod. I don't think they are that great for me. The quick release lever is easy to hit; I have to adjust the spring and angle of the lever every year; the camera spins on the plate unless you REALLY crank the screw in; the plates are of varying sizes (slightly) , so each one fits a little differently. Their six-sided design results in an uncomfortable point sticking out the back which means removing it whenever the camera is around my neck.

To me, the quick release is quick, possibly too quick, but fiddling with the plates, removing them and reattaching them negates any speed savings of having the plates.

I am ready to try something else.

[bjnicholls]

Joe at RRS is working on a Fuji S2 L-bracket, I'd expect it to show up soon on the website. I'm sure the Kirk L-bracket would be excellent. I'm using a single semi custom plate on my S2 while I wait.

I highly recommend the RRS lever action QR clamp, it's the biggest improvement in the Arca-compatible system since RRS started making custom plates. It's faster and safer to use and the lever folds for a nice compact profile.

[Panoramic Denis]

I've been an RRS user for years, including right angle plate for F5, dedicated plate for Mamiya 645, knob replacement on Foba ball head, plates for view cameras. I even used one on a RoundShot Super 220VR.

RRS products were arguably far more refined than Kirk for a long time; I had been a user of a Kirk bracket for the 80-200 2.8D. It appears that the competition has been to the benefit of us users. The design and finish of Kirk stuff is much improved.

Today, each manufacturer has worthwhile stuff. Long live the Arca-Swiss standard QR system!

[Tom V]

Thanks guys for the info and comments on the RRS & Kirk stuff. I will wait for the RRS S2 plate before I plunge. This will all happen at once, plates tripod, ballhead, lottery.

[bjnicholls]

What ballheads are you looking at?

[Tom V]

Swiss Arca B1 - seems to be the standard
Kirk (never had considered them)

I have a medium Bogen ball, a medium Bembo ball, and some smaller non-spectacular ones. The Bogen is not really up to the task when it comes to making small adjustments, it is possibly not as smooth as others. I have never used a class-a ball. My years of tripod and camera stand heads is limited to Majestic Gear Heads and cumbersome 3-ways.

[Panoramic Denis]

Don't fail to look at Foba ball heads. I (and more famous outdoor photographers) have found them very stable and dependable. The big one is on the bulky/heavy side, but that's just more stabilizing inertia.

BTW, the new Bogen video tripods are particularly interesting for the video "bowl" style leveling stage. I've been wanting something like that, but the Gitzos are a bit spendy.

[steve bingham]

The two plates from RRS I used to use with my Nikon N90s fit even BETTER with the S2!!! Ask them.

[bjnicholls]

I couldn't wait for RRS - I have the Kirk L-bracket on order. I'll post when it arrives...

[steve bingham]

Kirks are great - and a LOT faster and easier to get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[teski]

I have the Kirk S2 L-Bracket with the BH-3 ballhead on my Gitzo 1228 Carbon Fiber tripod and couldn't be happier with the combo. It's all very solid even with heavier lenses. I highly recommend them. In addition, their customer service is fantastic. I know someone that had an issue after a couple of years and Kirk took care of them without any hassle.

Teski

[bjnicholls]

You really like the L bracket? I just got the Kirk S2 plate delivered and find it to be very poorly designed. The "L" is so thin that it flexes without effort. Leaving access to the battery drawer and connectors is difficult, but there is room to make the arm 1/8" thicker and they could have made a contact point near the strap lug that would at least help dampen some of the vibration.

The L-bracket for my F100 is solid in either orientation. I will see if shimming the Kirk bracket makes it any better, but my first reaction is to return it and get the much cheaper single plate. There's no point to getting a solid ballhead and tripod only to have the bracket vibrate like a tuning fork.

The photos let you imagine more substance, but the aluminum arm at the front is the only support for the L dovetail:

http://www.kirkphoto.com/bls2.jpg

They could have added a fillet for more stiffness as shown their design for the F100:

http://www.kirkphoto.com/blf100.jpg

I think I'll return it and wait until RRS offers their design. I'm don't want to pay $150 only to have to diddle with making the part work.

[teski]

Ya...I have the same little bit of play that you are seeing, but it hasn't been an issue yet with my S2 and 28-70 attached. I haven't tried it with heavier lenses, but with those, I'd have the lens on the tripod instead.

BTW...I just got off the phone with Really Right Stuff, and they are not going to make an L-Bracket for the S2 as they couldn't come up with a design they liked. So it's either the Kirk L-Bracket or a regular plate.

Take care,

Teski

[Panoramic Denis]

I just ordered a Kirk L bracket, so I'll be very interested to see if it is stiff enough. I plan to use it mainly with 20mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses ... not too taxing.

BTW, another option is a regular plate and the generic RRS B16 "converter" L bracket, though the combination starts to get spendy.

[teski]

You should be totally fine with that L-Bracket.

As for the option of the generic RRS L-Bracket, I think it would cover the battery tray and connectors would it not? I don't have any experience with this bracket though.

Teski

[steve bingham]

WHY? I am with bj on this one. Let the ball head do the work unless the design is solid!!!!!!! And why would anyone doing landscape HAVE to have something that sort of works. My apologies for bring so negative.

[teski]

You're not being negative Steve...It's your opinion and that's why we're all here...

I hear what you are saying and I was concerned when I received my L-Bracket about the slight and I mean slight play on the vertical portion, but I decided to give it a try and see and it didn't cause any problems for me, so I don't feel that I'm putting up with something that sort of works. It fully works for me.

Teski

[Panoramic Denis]

Originally posted by teski
As for the option of the generic RRS L-Bracket, I think it would cover the battery tray and connectors would it not? I don't have any experience with this bracket though.

Teski [/B]

I've not used it, but agree with you about "coverage." Still, it attaches via another Arca-Swiss base plate, so it's possible to quickly remove it (the L bracket), without tools to get to concealed parts. I'll bet it's heavy.

[bjnicholls]

Obviously different folks have different takes on what is acceptable. I'm sending mine back tomorrow. Just so anyone who is considering the L-bracket has a sense of how flexible this bracket is, it will flex visibly if you rest your hand on the grip to run the controls. That's not acceptable to me and I have to give credit to RRS. They've held their standards rather than cater to demand and marketing a compromised product.

I'll stick with the plate I have and rotate the ballhead. That makes more sense to me than spending $160 for a convenience that negates nearly $1000 of solid ballhead and carbon fiber tripod. At least if you decide to buy, you'll know what you're getting.

[bjnicholls]

I got enough comments from folks who don't get flex with their Kirk S2 L brackets that I decided to do a shot to show how bad the flex is. That image is attached as a gif animation. However, when I reinstalled the bracket to do this photo, I discovered that the base of the L has a slot at the screw retainer. This allows you to slide the arm of the L until it makes contact with the camera body, thus preventing the spring action I've shown in the image.

So the bracket can be made functional, at least a lot better than with the arm away from the camera body. However, Kirk gets demerits for 1) not providing instructions that explain the slot and reason behind it, and 2) providing a design that will chafe the side of the camera. I may put a little vinyl tape on the body at the contact points.

Mystery solved. Bracket is kludgey and expensive but workable.

[Tom V]

BJ,

Nice flex!

You have provided the world a service. Thank you.

I assume that with the L bracket and the camera oriented vertically, using the FireWire Port/USB port is impossible. Can those ports be used when the camera is horizontal?

[Panoramic Denis]

Originally posted by bjnicholls


So the bracket can be made functional, at least a lot better than with the arm away from the camera body. However, Kirk gets demerits for 1) not providing instructions that explain the slot and reason behind it, and 2) providing a design that will chafe the side of the camera. I may put a little vinyl tape on the body at the contact points.

Mystery solved. Bracket is kludgey and expensive but workable.

This reminds me of why I switched from Kirk to alternatives years ago. Did anybody else use the old Kirk bracket for the 80-200 f2.8D? Remember how bulky and heavy it was compared to the F&L (with which I replaced mine)? Shortly after I got the F&L, I discovered RRS, which I adopted as the source for all subesquent plates until now ...

I will say that Kirk shipped my S2 bracket the day I ordered it, so I'll soon know how it works for me.

[bjnicholls]

The Kirk plate provides full access for the firewire port, the main connection panel and the battery drawer. The vertical dovetail is forward of the firewire port, the leading edge is inline with the lens mount.

It sounds like RRS isn't going to make an S2 L-bracket. I've had great performance from my Kirk single plates for the F100 and Xpan, so I don't want to paint them as incompetents.

As I noted, if you mount the bracket and slide it into contact with the camera side as the slotted screw mount provides, you can't do the sproing that I've illustrated. I can't figure out why Kirk didn't make the hole align with the correct body contact, except if they had to allow slop because the bracket is bent to shape rather than machined (bad if true).

Kirk could easily have made this bracket better using a fillet like the F100's - unless they put the bend in the L-arm after machining. If the bracket came out of a large, solid block of aluminum, a fillet would be easy to do, just program the CNC to leave a web of metal. If they went cheap and dirty, they could have machined it from a long skinny block and then bent the arm to a right angle. In that case, a fillet wouldn't be impossible. If the bracket wasn't heat treated after bending, it would be made brittle by the stress and you couldn't use a strong alloy since they won't bend, they break.

Let's just say that I don't hold Kirk in the high regard I did before I bought this bracket. I've met Joe Firmage, a very nice and honest guy who is the new owner of RRS. I'll do business with them whenever possible.

[Panoramic Denis]

Received my Kirk plate today. It does flex, but not a great deal. I've added a pad between it and the body.
It seems light enough to leave on the camera even when I'll be shooting off the tripod, which the RRS plate on my F5 was not. Of course, the F5 was so heavy, I didn't want to add any weight.
Yes, it should be stiffer. But lacking a real alternative, I'll use it.

[bjnicholls]

Yeah, if I didn't want to have a quick way to set up verticals for panoramas, I'd go with the single plate. I decided to hang on to mine as well.

[Marty Megapixel]

Has anyone tried one of the Custom Brackets for the S2? Theyare at custombrackets.com.

Let me know your thoughts.
M.