Arca-Swiss QR supports very long rails so that you can slide a lens or camera system to get the exact balance point. the rails generally are not lever-locked and have a very wide contact surface. there won't be any movement, rotation, or looseness. there are probably about a dozen ball head and plate manufacturers making plates, heads and other accessories, so it's probably the most interchangeable of the QR systems. the plates are relatvely low profile and have a lot less projection than the Manfrotto QR plates. ones like them tend to catch on everything and have odd bits sticking out. the Kirk QR plates are a lot less obtrusive. i prefer Kirk plates over other vendors because they generally have a 1/4 standard tripod mounting socket for the times when you need to use a standard tripod without removing the plate. the plates are attached with a hex screw and key and are very secure. the Kirk and many other camera-specific plates have ridges or an edge so that they align with the back of the camera and prevent rotation on the plate.
the L brackets are very light compared to the Manfrotto but stiff enough. you will have to ask Kirk whether it blocks the release or not. they usually have cutouts specifically designed to allow access to all features. some of the camera-specific plates have replacement camera strap mounting points if they obscure the one on the camera. i can't find a description of the 308RC in my US catalogs, so you will have to tell me which it is closest to from the current US list. there are many vendors of Arca-Swiss compatible ball heads, most of which start with large and go up from there. the smallest ones i generally see are like the Manfrotto 488RC2 in size and go up from there. the action seems to be around the size of the 468RC2 in size. Herb... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Studdert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 11:18 PM Subject: Re: New camera plate announced > For those not "in the know" what are the advantages of the Arca-Swiss QR system > over the Manfrotto snap in system? Also have you used the "L" brackets? I used > to use the Manfrotto 340 Elbow bracket when I had a P67 but it's not suitable > (and too heavy) to use with my Mamiya 7 gear. The Kirk plate looks interesting > but it appears that it will obscure the film spool release like the 340 bracket > :-( > > Also do you know if there is an Arca-Swiss QR compatible ball head that's > around the same size as the Manfrotto 308RC?
