BlackRapid + Arca-Swiss

[neuroanatomist]

Many of you will know that I frequently recommend Manfrotto tripods/monopods, as I think they represent a great compromise between quality and value. I have a Manfrotto tripod and a monopod (both carbon fiber), and Manfrotto heads for both of them. Along the way, I picked up a BlackRapid RS-4 strap, and found it to be a very convenient way to carry my gear - it supports a gripped body with a white L zoom and is comfortable to carry all day, leaving hands free while still allowing a rapid grab-and-shoot.

Initially, there was some inconvenience - the BlackRapid system connects via a tripod socket, and obviously the Manfrotto quick release plates do so as well. The stock D-ring on the RC2 plates is not adequate for connecting the BlackRapid strap - if anyone doubts that, see the images posted in this linked thread. So, for several months I had to swap back and forth between the FastenR-2 for the strap and the RC2 for tripod/monopod mounting, unscrewing one and attaching the other each time.

Late last year, BlackRapid came to the rescue with the FastenR-T1 - it replaces the Manfrotto D-ring with a more robust lug to connect the BR strap:



For users of BlackRapid straps with Manfrotto heads/plates, this was a great solution - simply unclip the carabiner-like ConnectR-2 from the D-ring and mount the camera/lens on the tripod/monopod head.

However...while I've been very happy with the Manfrotto legs and heads, the RC2 plates are the weak link in the chain. There is a bit of play between plate and clamp, and no way to lock it down tightly. No concern about detachment - the connection is safe and even has a supplemental lock, but that little bit of play makes critical adjustments a bit more of an effort. Manfrotto does have other QR plate/clamp systems, e.g. the RC4 which is more robust. But the plates for that system are much larger hexagons which extend well beyond the bottom of the camera or tripod foot.

So, for quite some time I've been thinking that I would eventually switch to the Arca-Swiss system. Definitely, if I end up getting a supertele prime, I'd need a gimbal head, which would almost certainly be the Wimberley II. But also, I've been thinking of getting an L-bracket, and the Manfrotto offering there just doesn't seem convenient. If I do end up getting a 1D X, I'll be looking at a Kirk or RRS L-bracket for that.

So, I decided to take the plunge and orderArca-Swiss-type clamps/plates to replace the RC2 clamps/plates. Going in, I knew this would leave me with a problem, the same problem I initially had with the Manfrotto and BlackRapid - a return to swapping back and forth between the camera/lens plate and the BlackRapid FastenR-3 lug. Some time back (when I initially raised this issue about the Manfrotto + BR), Bob Williams mentioned that his RRS lens plate for the 100-400mm had a tripod socket to accept the BlackRapid FastenR-3 lug. I checked, and the Wimberley P-5 camera plate also has a separate 1/4"-20 threaded hole for the FastenR-3 lug:



I'm sure anyone reading this immediately noticed what I missed at first - even though this solution means there's no need to remove the camera plate, I'd still need to remove the FastenR-3 lug to mount the plate into a clamp! Not nearly so quick or easy as unclipping a carabiner.

As a side note here, even though the RSS lens plate which Bob has does have a separate 1/4"-20 threaded hole, the Wimberley P-20 lens plate does not.

The solution to this problem took a bit of digging to find, but in retrospect is pretty simple and obvious. Attach the FastenR-3 lug to a small Arca-Swiss type clamp, and leave that in place, then simply unclamp that from the camera/lens plate when mounting to a tripod.

There are two likely candidates for the small clamp, the Kirk 1" (left) and the RRS B2-FAB (right):



Why did order both of them? Hint: it wasn't just for the photo op. The first one that turned up in my Google searching was the RRS clamp (it was also mentioned by Jonathan Huyer in his Galapagos trip report). While it certainly would work, I was in for a bit of a surprise when I turned the RRS clamp over:



There are two little nubs on the bottom of the RRS B2-FAB, 2mm high and right on either side of the1/4"-20 threaded hole. I gave RRS a call, their suggestion was either to 'mash the rubber ring of the BlackRapid FastenR down' onto the nubs, or 'just file them off'. I wasn't keen on either, thus, I ordered the Kirk 1" clamp (which has the added benefit of being sold by B&H, so UPS ground is overnight for me, vs. a week from CA).

So, I've now switched out the Manfrotto clampon my 468MG headfor a Wimberley C-12 clamp, added another C-12 clamp to the Manfrotto 234 tilt head on my monopod, have a P-5 plate on my 5DII and P-20 plates on my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS. As for the BlackRapid, a little Loctite Blue 242 on the threads of the FastenR-3, 24 hours of curing in the Kirk clamp, and my BlackRapid Arca-Swiss quick release solution is ready to go:



Hope this helps anyone with Arca-Swiss type QR plates who's considering a BlackRapid strap, and vice versa.

--John