[littledrawe]

This makes me want a Q just a little more! Since I would prefer to use it with the pentax adapter and I didn't want to mess with trying to get the OEM tripod foot.

[baro-nite]

they wanted to know "what size would be best?

Certainly needs some length as most adapted lenses on the Q are front-heavy. But maybe not 3"? That makes the adapter quite a bit bigger for storage. And most lenses that need that much plate will have their own tripod foot. On the other hand, I might actually use this as a replacement for the foot on my DA*300, as it will be a bit less bulky than the OEM foot + Arca/Swiss plate I have now. So maybe they could offer both a short plate and a long one?

[GXRUser]

This is great - thanks for your work in putting this together Panoguy!

One observation - and I don't mean to nit-pick, but.....would it be possible to include the safety stop screws with the arca-swiss plate? I bought a used plate once a while ago that came without these screws, and they are very hard to find unless you want to buy a bag of 100. For myself, the safety stop screws are a must.

As far as the length of the plate, it all depends on the length and weight of the lens a person is going to use. I think 100mm is a good "standard" but it will be nice if they offer length options.

Also a very nice feature are the 2 different size removable end ridges.

I think 100mm is too long for my use. I would like to see a 50mm option.

[hnikesch]

The only thing holding me back is what Q/K adapter to get. I really do not need the leaf shutter, since I am using K and M lenses. So the Pentax adapter is really probably overkill, but I still have not really made up my mind.

I don't want to hijack the thread but I just received my Pentax OEM K 2 Q adapter and have noticed an overall increase in sharpness of my images using K and M lenses. I believe that a slight camera movement even at fast shutter speeds causes a slight shift in scans of the rolling shutter causing a mismatch in scan lines thus reducing the overall sharpness of images with my old shutterless adapter when hand holding. That is the only thing I can think of to explain what I am seeing. I guess what I am trying to say is if you are planing to hand hold old lenses you may want to consider the Pentax adapter.

Count me in for a foot

Hans

[panoguy]

I think 100mm is too long for my use. I would like to see a 50mm option.

Thanks for the feedback! The OEM foot is ~40mm, and the assumption is that they are intended to be attached directly to a tripod (no lens plate or QR) so the balance should be okay with that length..

[panoguy]

One observation - and I don't mean to nit-pick, but.....would it be possible to include the safety stop screws with the arca-swiss plate?

It looks like there are two threaded holes for the safety stops.

Yes, there are. The only questionable part is that my prototype only included "countersunk" screws of that diameter

I've heard back, and the lack of safety-stops in my prototype was an oversight. The production units will include (removable) safety-stops on the lens plate.

[stormtech]

I've heard back, and the lack of safety-stops in my prototype was an oversight. The production units will include (removable) safety-stops on the lens plate.

That's great - thanks for checking up on this!

[GXRUser]

Thanks for the feedback! The OEM foot is ~40mm, and the assumption is that they are intended to be attached directly to a tripod (no lens plate or QR) so the balance should be okay with that length..

I would be very happy with 40mm (instead of my suggested 50mm)

[crewl1]

Maybe someone with a DA*200 can check to see what is needed to balance that lens as it is probably the most common long one that will be used with this option?

[baro-nite]

Maybe someone with a DA*200 can check to see what is needed to balance that lens as it is probably the most common long one that will be used with this option?

That would be me, then. With the DA*300 foot on the Pentax (OEM) adapter, and an 80mm arca/swiss plate on the foot, the DA*200, lens cap off and hood in shooting position, and a small arca/swiss plate on the Q (but no other accessories), the balance point is right at the front of the 80mm plate. Personally if I am using the DA*200 on the Q I will likely be using my side-mount gimbal setup, in which case a short foot isn't a problem. (The lack of a rotating collar is.)

[snostorm]

Hi panoguy,

This looks great! I'm in for one for sure. Thanks for following up on this!

One suggestion though. Instead of the 1/4-20 hole in the bottom of the clamp pied being centered like on this example, it would be a good idea, IMO to drill the 1/4-20 hole offset and drill and tap a smaller hole (similar to how the Arca Swiss plate pictured is drilled) the clamp can be attached to an Arca Swiss plate via 1/4-20 screw, with the extra smaller screw head placed in the slot of the plate to prevent rotation.

Scott

[panoguy]

Instead of the 1/4-20 hole in the bottom of the clamp pied being centered like on this example, it would be a good idea, IMO to drill the 1/4-20 hole offset and drill and tap a smaller hole (similar to how the Arca Swiss plate pictured is drilled) the clamp can be attached to an Arca Swiss plate via 1/4-20 screw, with the extra smaller screw head placed in the slot of the plate to prevent rotation.

Hey Scott,

If I understand correctly, the second screw would also have to be nearly 1/4" in diameter. The slots on lens plates (for their mounting screw) are only slightly smaller than this, so anything much smaller wouldn't permit rotation. I'm not sure the size of the clamp permits two such holes. If I misunderstood, please let me know...

[GaryH]

I will be in for one also, the Arca swiss one

[Hornet]

I'm also in for an Arca Swiss one. Now if it only rotated 90 degrees....

[Heinrich Lohmann]

(Executive summary: well-made replacement for Pentax tripod foot for $35, or in a package with an arca-compatible universal lens plate for $65. Ordering details to come!)



The News:

My good friends at Fanotec Professional Photographic Accessories (the creators and manufacturers of the entire Nodal Ninja panoramic photography product line) have reverse-engineered the removable "foot" for the DA*300/4, and the DA*60-250/4, which also fits the Pentax Adapter Q to K. They spent considerable effort to engineer a replacement tripod mounting solution that fits precisely into the wedge-style clamp found on these three current Pentax products, and any future ones using the same removable foot design. Consistent with their other unique products, they are not content to simply "copy" a design, but rather sought to improve it.

So, what I can show below is a "production-finish prototype" made from high-strength aluminum, with a brass and steel clamp mechanism and steel attachment screws. The parts for this prototype look CNC milled and hand-assembled, and only the knob is not representative of the final product (it will be smaller). Given the small market for Pentax parts, their proposed production run of 50-100 units might also be individually milled. The finish is excellent (smooth, satin-anodized black, with all edges rounded off), and if it is like their Nodal Ninja products that I've abused for nearly a decade, it will be very, very durable.





The Deal:

You can see in the photo that the design has two "parts." One is the upright clamp that grabs onto the wedge areas of the lens collar or adapter, and the other is the arca-compatible "universal" lens plate. These parts will be available together in a "package," but for those that don't use arca-style mounting equipment (Manfrotto RC2, etc.), the upright clamp unit can be purchased alone, making it a (lower-cost) alternative to the hard-to-find Pentax OEM foot.

Before I go further (and in case you missed the summary), I know you want to know "how much does it all cost?" For a limited production run of 50-100 units, Fanotec will charge $35 for the upright clamp alone (which is basically the Pentax OEM part with a smaller footprint), and $65 for the package including the clamp and 100mm "universal" lens plate package. I think the universal lens plate will be offered alone in the future, but I don't know the price.



The Details:

The upright clamp is sized for the DA*60-250/4 lens (slightly taller than the DA*300 foot), and attached to the universal lens plate (100mm or ~4" long) by 4 steel screws, meaning it can be reversed if you don't like where the (prototype) knob is. Also, the upright clamp tower has a 1/4" thread on the bottom as well, so it can be taken off the arca-plate and attached to different types of quick-release plates (Manfrotto RC series or other proprietary types) or possibly even an L-bracket!

One interesting departure from the Pentax design is where the knob is in relation to the moving "wedge" part. In the Pentax design, you turn the knob and it "pushes" the wedge inward toward the mount, but in this design, turning the knob "pulls" the wedge from the opposite side, giving a stronger clamp action! Another difference is that the knob in this design is only active when it is pulled out (like a watch knob). It spins freely when pushed in, meaning you cannot accidentally loosen your tripod mount!

Finally, the supplied "universal" lens plate includes two different thicknesses of a removable "ridge" for using the lens plate with any other lens or accessory, as well as the shorter steel screws to attach the ridges, and a "captive" 1/4" screw that slides in the channel down the middle to attach the plate to a different tripod mount. There are also screw holes for "safety stops" if your arca-mount is compatible with them.

Here are additional photos of the parts and some different views:

Count me in for a foot