# Moving fm Manfrotto to RSS/Arca-Swiss but still need geared head



## jonathan7007 (Apr 15, 2013)

This weekend finally kinda gave up on Manfrotto head/attachments. This is going to cost me but... I plan to switch over to the RSS gear I'll need for simple pano experimentation. I am only interested in single row pano right now, but the panos I tried included a couple that needed a nodal rail. I am losing confidence in Manfrotto, so I figured it was time to switch.

(Searched whole CR forum for posts on geared heads and read everything returned.)

I had trouble getting my whole support combination to stay level through the "swing". Surprisingly my wonderful very heavy old-style Gitzo Tele-Studex 309 seems to have a spirit level that's inaccurate! (I will have to confirm that with some other levels and a known level surface right away.) I had found Manfrotto's L-bracket but trying to use it this weekend found it's a kludge compared to the RSS. I believe it introduced some flex and alignment change. I have a pano rotator from Manfrotto (300N) but think I can stick with that. 

The RC4 quick-release is still a little looser than I'd like. Yes, it's better than my RC2 plates but still not great. I was using my Manfrotto 410 geared head with the RC4 plate as the camera attachment -- not rotation. Is there any Arca Swiss standard equivalent? Some searches today turn up nothing. I have seen one shooter say he just bought the clamp "adapter". I do architecture and real estate so want to continue to use a geared head for that. Is there a geared head for about $300 that uses to Arca Swiss quick release? Yeah, I saw the $1,600 block of goodness that Arca Swiss makes... clients here aren't paying the margins for that.

From my experimentation I take it that the tripod has to offer the rotator a perfectly level plane of swing. Can I just give up a head altogether and have the rotator on the tripod as the "head", then place a nodal rail on the rotator, then, of course, the camera on the rail? That takes a source of error (the head) out of the "stack". 

I know I'll need one RSS for each body, so I think I'll stick to one L-clamp for my 1DsMk3. 

Thoughts? Suggestions?

jonathan7007


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 15, 2013)

If you like your geared head, maybe keep it and use the Kirk adapter to concert the RC4 to an AS-type clamp. 

http://www.kirkphoto.com/SQRC-3271_Manfrotto_3271_Quick_Release_Clamp.html


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 15, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> If you like your geared head, maybe keep it and use the Kirk adapter to concert the RC4 to an AS-type clamp.
> 
> http://www.kirkphoto.com/SQRC-3271_Manfrotto_3271_Quick_Release_Clamp.html


 
I've bought two of the Kirk clamps a few years back when they were selling them on ebay for $20. They allow you to attach a manfroto plate to it so it converts to AS.
The extra height of the stackup is more noticible than a person would expect. You still have the issue securing the manfroto plate tightly. I tried to find a way to attach the Kirk Clamp directly to the manfroto head, but with my RC2 head, it wasn't or didn't seem possible. 

They make a AS clamp that will attach without having to stackup QR plates.
http://www.kirkphoto.com/Universal-Quick-Release-Clamps.html


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## pensive tomato (Apr 15, 2013)

Long time lurker, first time poster.

As stated before, if you like your 410 gear head, you can replace the whole plate, keeping it stable, and making Arca-Swiss compatible. I did it using the plate and clamp developed by Hejnar Photo:

http://www.hejnarphotostore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16_17

I liked it better over the Kirk solution, which basically gives a clamp but doesn't get rid of the issue of a potentially loose Manfrotto plate. I went in the direction of Hejnar's solution over a year ago after quite a bit of research and I've been very happy every since (no commercial ties, just a happy customer!).

You can also look at some of the solutions at Hejnar's Photo for dealing with parallax error, or if you're looking at a comprehensive and precise solution for panos, then there are also the RRS solutions:

http://reallyrightstuff.com/Items.aspx?code=PanoPkgs&key=cat


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## jonathan7007 (Apr 15, 2013)

Thanks for the specific suggestions, and I will look closely at the links. Earlier tonight I kept looking and few other geared heads. The 405 is too big. The Arca Swiss 4D (geared version) looks great but the only price I saw was about 1100 euros before delivery. The bigger Cube is terrific, too, I am sure. But too expensive for this market. 

So these adaptive arrangements seem like a good idea. I'd like to eliminate the RC4 plate looseness. I am willing to get a local machine shop involved, too. 

Time to research Kirk, too.

Again, thanks.


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## jonathan7007 (Apr 17, 2013)

Hey Pensive, that solution from Hejnar is EXACTLY what I was looking for and I had thought I'd have to find a machine shop to do it. Great! So I will look for a simple rail from Hejnar, Kirk, or RSS to shift the camera back behind the node...


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