[ProfessorBuzz]

I have a 2-point mounting setup which is bascally an Arca rail for the foot of the A* 600mm and a Y at the front that supports the front of the lens.
Am looking for a way to ALSO hold the K1 rigidly. It has a Arca style L bracket on it, using the camera landscape orientation.
I want more rigidity - any suggestions on a specific rail/bracket setup for 3-points?
I've spent ages looking online but not seen anything that really works.
Suggestions?

[tuco]

Maybe mount a monopod to the cantilevered camera body that applies a little upward force. I have a Pentax 6x7 Takumar 600/4 and use that technique with that beast of a lens. It can be little inconvenient though.

[UncleVanya]

I have a 2-point mounting setup which is bascally an Arca rail for the foot of the A* 600mm and a Y at the front that supports the front of the lens.
Am looking for a way to ALSO hold the K1 rigidly. It has a Arca style L bracket on it, using the camera landscape orientation.
I want more rigidity - any suggestions on a specific rail/bracket setup for 3-points?
I've spent ages looking online but not seen anything that really works.
Suggestions?

Can you use a longer rail and a spacer to allow the camera and the lens to both mount directly and the y support out in front still? Look at some of the macro rails people put together from other parts for ideas?

[K-Three]

Having trouble picturing it all, but wondering if a really long AS rail would be part of it:
amazon.com : HITHUT PU-350 350mm Universal Long Quick Release Plate Dual Dovetail Slide Rail with D-Ring Screw for Ball Head Tripod Mount DSLR Camera Arca Swiss Compatible : Electronics?tag=pentaxforums-20&
Possibly get an even longer one machined?
Would likely need to have a block of some kind (wood? Metal? 3D print?) between the rail and the camera, as the lens foot is lower than the camera base.
I think this is going to lock you into landscape mode, won't let you easily rotate to portrait mode.
Is this with a gimbal or a ball head or a pan/tilt head?

Edit
I think Uncle V and I are on the same page,
Another thought, have you looked at the SmallRig gear? they have lots of bits and bobs that might go together to do what you are trying to accomplish

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Last edited by K-Three; 04-16-2022 at 09:09 AM. Reason: Kept thinking about it,

[gofour3]

Not sure if this is what you're after, I have the Manfrotto 359 long lens support to secure the camera end when I'm using long telephotos. (Pentax 67 M*800/6.7 in this case)



It works well to reduce shutter vibrations, though it's time consuming to lock everything down each shot.

Phil.

[jlstrawman]

If you have done a Google search under "long lens support", and none of those options work, you may have a problem.

DIY load balancer / QR assembly / BG adapter - PentaxForums.com

[wadge22]

I did something like @UncleVanya and @K-Three mentioned. I used a spacer and a long 1/4-20 screw with a very long arca plate to bridge between the bottom of the camera body and the tripod mount on the lens. As mentioned, no rotating to portrait, or even just to level (this is why I moved away from this method: I use a monopod and tilt head most often, and you really want the rotation of the tripod collar for that setup). It's definitely not convenient to take on and off, you have to tighten the screws into the camera bottom and the lens tripod collar every time, because with the plate projecting far enough back to reach the camera it is in the way of rotating the camera onto the lens mount.
I didn't have the Y type support at that time, although I do now, and you would be able to use both together to get the three point setup you're talking about: you would just connect the long arca plate to the arca plate of the Y bracket with a double arca clamp like in this item (the long plate screwed to the camera and lens would take the place of the short one in that item).
One note about the spacer is that you would really need it to be exactly the correct size. I was working in a machine shop when I got this setup, so I was able to surface grind a thick washer to the correct size, which I had measured to within a thou with gage blocks. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have access to that precision, since you're applying a ton of force with the screw and could really damage something if you were even a tiny bit off on the thickness of the spacer, or with any spacer that has any bit of squish to it, or with anything without near-perfectly parallel faces. For this reason I wouldn't recommend a 3D printed plastic spacer or hand sanded wood or the likes. I can get the exact thickness for you next week, if you're interested (my setup was also for a K1 and A*600, so should directly apply I would think). I'm pretty sure it was exactly .200, but I will double check that when I get back home if you would like.

[K2 to K50]

This is only 2-point, but supports are at the lens foot, and the camera base.

Sirui Telephoto Lens Support Plates | Sirui Professional Tripods

I recall seeing something else recently, but cannot find it just at the moment.

[ProfessorBuzz]

Thanks eveyrbody! I've rigged a second plate and stack of fender washers for the moment. Will experiment with it and let you know what I think.