What is the best plate and clamp system?

[DanoPhoto]

@Neuro - Thanks for the details. I do use the Black Rapid strap, so any advice there is also welcomed. The Manfrotto plates have a strong D-ring that I attach the BR clip to, so that will be missed when I make the change.

[DanoPhoto]

@HDNighthawk - thanks for the AS & Wimberly endorsements. They look to be the top of the line. Would rater spend more now, than have regrets later.

[Dr Croubie]

Thanks guys from me too.

The main reason I want to go A-S is for the L-brackets, otherwise i'd just get manfrotto and be done with it (they do have L-brackets, of sorts, but don't look the best). I'm definitely going a 'custom-made' 7D bracket rather than a universal, if not least for the cable-entries from the side and the anti-rotation flange will fit snugly.

Is there any practical difference between the Kirk and RRS Brackets? (And apparently Markins makes them, but I can't figure out their website). They're not much different from what I can see, nor in price, anyone have good/bad experiences with either? There's absolutely no hope of buying either in Aus, best I can see is $140 from B+H plus a rip-off $30 shipping, nothing on fleabay, no grey-import online aussie shops, best I can do is find a european shop, their shipping is way cheaper, or get my mum to pick one up in Hong Kong in a month.

If it weren't for the L-brackets, i'd probably be perfectly happy with the manfrotto system(s) with sliding plates for lens-ring-mounts. Best thing is, everyone around here stocks manfrotto. For an A-S system i'll have to find somewhere around here that stocks Wimberly, and get a P10/P20 plate or so.

Or a hybrid system, like an A-S L-bracket onto an adapter with a manfrotto plate to a manfrotto head, has anyone done that? I'm thinking like these, everyone makes a version. It's an extra link in the chain for instability, I know, and probably more expensive, but is it worth it? (ie, camera with A-S L-bracket, to a QR-clamp, with a manfrotto plate underneath, and then every lens-with-tripod-ring has a manfrotto plate. Too much hassle?)

[neuroanatomist]

@Neuro - Thanks for the details. I do use the Black Rapid strap, so any advice there is also welcomed.

Here's the thread on BlackRapid with Arca-Swiss. Basically, I attached the BR lug to a small AS clamp with some LocTite Blue.

The Manfrotto plates have a strong D-ring that I attach the BR clip to, so that will be missed when I make the change.

The Manfrotto is not designed to support the weight of the camera. Check out the images I posted in this linked thread, after a little test to the point of failure.

[DanoPhoto]

Well, alrighty, then. Not going to do that again. Thanks for the link!

Putting an order in for the plates and clamps this weekend.

[neuroanatomist]

The main reason I want to go A-S is for the L-brackets otherwise i'd just get manfrotto and be done with it (they do have L-brackets, of sorts, but don't look the best)....Or a hybrid system, like an A-S L-bracket onto an adapter with a manfrotto plate to a manfrotto head, has anyone done that? I'm thinking like these, everyone makes a version. It's an extra link in the chain for instability, I know, and probably more expensive, but is it worth it?

Getting an L-bracket was a big part of why I made the switch from Manfrotto, although I'm going to wait and get one for the 1D X, then move the generic Wimberley P-5 camera plate from the 5DII to the 7D (where it's not terribly necessary, since I use the 7D almost exclusively with the 100-400mm which has a P-20 plate on the collar).

I don't think the idea of a hybrid system is worthwhile - too bulky and still has the same bit of play associated with the Manfrotto plates (at least, with the RC2). A long time back, I looked a the Manfrotto 341 L-bracket and decided is was not great, just as you did. But soon after I converted to AS (by converting my Manfrotto 468MGRC2 head with a Wimberley C-12 clamp), Manfrotto announced new L-brackets that look pretty nice (Q2 = RC2) - not sure if you've seen them, but maybe worth a look?

Is there any practical difference between the Kirk and RRS Brackets?

Not from what I've been able to tell, from a usage of construction standpoint. For me, Kirk is a bit more convenient because B&H sells them, meaning basic shipping is overnight since they're close, whereas RRS takes over a week to arrive.

[Dr Croubie]

Thanks again, I'm leaning a bit more towards the Kirk, just because there's more clearance camera-clamp around the remote-control sockets, with a little slot for the covers to slide into (as long as the keeper-tab doesn't break off). Still, it'll be down to a choice of what I can actually get my hands on, it's going to be a B&H order probably, and stuff as much as I can in a box to get the shipping cost down.

Now i'm looking at ballheads, any particularly nice recommendations?
I found an interesting solution from Arca-Swiss themselves, the P0 Monoball, it's really like and will go well with my light-weight-hiking wishes. First stupid thing with it though, is that there's a version with a clamp, that isn't "arca-swiss" compatible, so I'd have to buy the screw-mount one and an extra AS clamp. But the pano-head on top is definitely a good thing, otherwise i'd be having to level at the tripod legs or buy a plate like the manfrotto 338 underneath to make for exactly level (or a pano-head above the ballhead, like a manfrotto 627).
That, and it's the cheapest AS at B&H, still has the aspherical ball like the Z1, and is only 280g instead of 680g.

Other nice one i've noticed is the Acratech Ultimate, nice and light at 327g including plate clamp, but no top-pano. Looks a bit chunkier than the A-S P0 though, and having the integrated-clamp makes for a lot more stable than screwing on a clamp (i've already got a direct-screw-to-camera ballhead, and don't particularly like how it unscrews itself in portrait mode. Although I suppose that's not the worst problem once i've got the L-bracket for portrait-mode instead.)

Anyone have any other favourite ballheads in that sort of range to recommend? IE, lightweight <500g/1lb, holds 8kg or better (for which the 055cxpro is rated, i'm probably going for that tripod), and in the $200-300 range, I don't mind paying a bit more if i do it once and properly and it lasts me a few good years.

[Dr Croubie]

So here's my wishlist so far:
Just under $1k, so Aussie customs can't complain, although that's still fairly pricey for my incom level (which is approximately nada, so this may take a while to afford).
L-bracket for the camera, P10 for the Samyang (100L macro tripod ring), QRC2.5 to turn the monoball into A-S compatible, and the LRP-1 to make for balancing and panoramae for lenses without tripod rings (and double as a macro-rail but without the fine-tuning, real rail comes later).
And that totally didn't work, site down-scaled my screenshot gif.
Kirk QRC-2.5 Quick Release Clamp for Arca-Type Plates - 2.5" Base $85
Kirk LRP-1 Long Rail Quick Release Plate - 6.5" $125
Kirk L-Bracket $140
Wimberley P10 Arca-Type Quick Release Plate for Telephoto Lenses - 3.3" (84mm) $52
Arca-Swiss Monoball P0 with Panning System $230
Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 3-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black) $304
Ripoff shipping to Aus $79 (conincidentally the same as they charge for a single item)
Total $1013 shipped (I need a job).

Comments/suggestions? Cheaper/better alternatives?