Best tripod (with quick release) for GR

Ishpuini · 05-13-2019, 05:09 AM

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Hello all,

Not sure whether this shouldn't rather be in the accessories forum, but I'm putting it here because my question is specifically for the various GR cameras.

I have used various tripod systems over the years, each with their specific quick release plates. The ones I used the longest are various tripods, monopods, heads with the Manfrotto RC2 system, until I switched to Arca Swiss compatible 3 Legged Thing more recently. Even though the quick release plates for the latter are smaller than the RC2 ones, even the smallest ones (in my case the one that came with my first PeakDesign Sling) are still gigantic on the GR III, and they cover the battery/card compartment.

So I'm looking for an alternative solution for my GR III.
- Most important is the small footprint of the quick release so it can stay on the camera for extended periods. Alternatively if is there is a system that mounts quickly without a plate that would be even better.
- I'm not sure about the size. On the one hand I would like sth with the same tiny form factor as the GR III, and I might even live with tabletop for some situations, but on the other hand I realize that in order to really provide a stable base for long exposures etc, I need sth more substantial... Alternatives for both are welcome...

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

grtz, Wim

Last edited by Ishpuini; 05-13-2019 at 06:36 AM.

**UncleVanya** · 05-13-2019, 06:15 AM

Would this size plate work on the GR? Fotasy 25mm Arca Swiss Plate, Small Tiny Quick Release Plate fits Arca-Swiss Standard Clamp for Camera Tripod Ballhead https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V9M66TM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_r2w2Cb8VK37FK?tag=pentaxforums-20&

aaacb · 05-13-2019, 06:40 AM

I don't think any plate could allow opening the battery door, they're right next to each other, seems like less than 1cm from the center of the tripod screw to the door but I haven't measured. My tentative plan, if I find tripod use to be limited by battery life, is to get an external battery pack and charge via usb c.

**UncleVanya** · 05-13-2019, 04:35 PM

Take a measurement. I can use a small plate on my gx-1 and lx-7 cameras. On one I think I had to turn the plate so the long dimension was aligned to the lens.

Ishpuini · 05-14-2019, 01:02 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Would this size plate work on the GR? Fotasy 25mm Arca Swiss Plate, Small Tiny Quick Release Plate fits Arca-Swiss Standard Clamp for Camera Tripod Ballhead amazon.com : Fotasy 25mm Arca Swiss Plate, Small Tiny Quick Release Plate fits Arca-Swiss Standard Clamp for Camera Tripod Ballhead : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20&

Could work indeed. I'll take a measurement as you suggested in your follow-up.

Originally posted by aaacb

I don't think any plate could allow opening the battery door, they're right next to each other, seems like less than 1cm from the center of the tripod screw to the door but I haven't measured. My tentative plan, if I find tripod use to be limited by battery life, is to get an external battery pack and charge via usb c.

... but I fear that indeed the battery door would be blocked by any plate. It sits very close to the tripod screw.

And also... even if a narrow plate would leave the door free, it would protrude to the front and back of the camera in a way to seriously impact ergonomics.

Are there systems that are plate-in-plate? Imagine an Arca Swiss plate with instead of a screw an opening for a smaller plate. If the larger plate is tightened, it could transfer the pressure to tighten the smaller plate inside as well? Might work I think, but does this exist?

But perhaps I should just look for a solution without quick release plate. Are there quick release systems without a plate? I.e. that grip into the screw hole but don't require screwing?

I'm guessing I'll probably settle on just using what I have, but I don't want to do that without having considered all the options... ;-)

Wim

Ishpuini · 05-14-2019, 02:11 AM

Ah, I think I found a solution: Really Right Stuff BPnS-S Narrow Plate for Point BPNS-S PLATE

I'll have to take a closer look, but this might just keep the battery door free (it does on some other compact cameras). Shame that it's rather expensive in Europe (almost 50 EUR), and ordering it from B&H will be about as much with shipping costs and import taxes...

**UncleVanya** · 05-14-2019, 02:38 AM

Originally posted by Ishpuini

Ah, I think I found a solution: Really Right Stuff BPnS-S Narrow Plate for Point BPNS-S PLATE

I'll have to take a closer look, but this might just keep the battery door free (it does on some other compact cameras). Shame that it's rather expensive in Europe (almost 50 EUR), and ordering it from B&H will be about as much with shipping costs and import taxes...

Let me look at the smaller plate I have. It came with a very compact ball head but I think spares are available.

stevebrot · 05-14-2019, 08:54 AM

Originally posted by Ishpuini

But perhaps I should just look for a solution without quick release plate. Are there quick release systems without a plate? I.e. that grip into the screw hole but don't require screwing?

A few years ago I was shopping for a small Arca-Swiss plate for use with my Bessa R3M. It was a long search, but eventually I did find a 25mm plate with anti-twist lip that fits that camera and a few others on my shelf. Does it get much use? The short answer is no. Keeping a QR plate on a camera that is almost never used on tripod turned out to not be a very bright idea.

The plate I have is a Fittest FP-25. The clamp has become somewhat hard to find, but there is an eBay vendor that still has them for less than $10 USD with free shipping.

25mm mini Quick Release Arca Swiss fit Plate NEX 3 5 6 7 OM-D RX1 XE1 XE2 BMPCC 6921147701558 | eBay

The photos on the listing show clearly the potential difficulty for all short plates, in that clamp tightening might be a pain due to clearance. The RRS BPnS-S in the comment above is even shorter (20mm) and may be a better match size-wise, but may still be clumsy to mate to the clamp. BTW, a compact clamp made for smaller plates is highly recommended.

Steve

(...no relationship to RRS or eBay vendor at the above link...)

stevebrot · 05-14-2019, 09:23 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

The plate I have is a Fittest FP-25.

The UniqBall UPL25 is essentially identical...

https://uniqball.eu/shop/accessories/upl-25-quick-release-plate/

(Hungarian company)

Steve

Ishpuini · 05-15-2019, 12:18 AM

@stevebrot Tx for the tips!

I've looked closer at all these small Arca Swiss plates, and it looks like none of them will keep the battery door accessible...

Not even the RRS one, even though it's the one that comes the closest. The screw hole on the GR III is just too close to the door... I guess I'll just have to keep a hex tool handy...

05-13-2019, 05:09 AM	#1
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727	Best tripod (with quick release) for GR Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Hello all, Not sure whether this shouldn't rather be in the accessories forum, but I'm putting it here because my question is specifically for the various GR cameras. I have used various tripod systems over the years, each with their specific quick release plates. The ones I used the longest are various tripods, monopods, heads with the Manfrotto RC2 system, until I switched to Arca Swiss compatible 3 Legged Thing more recently. Even though the quick release plates for the latter are smaller than the RC2 ones, even the smallest ones (in my case the one that came with my first PeakDesign Sling) are still gigantic on the GR III, and they cover the battery/card compartment. So I'm looking for an alternative solution for my GR III. - Most important is the small footprint of the quick release so it can stay on the camera for extended periods. Alternatively if is there is a system that mounts quickly without a plate that would be even better. - I'm not sure about the size. On the one hand I would like sth with the same tiny form factor as the GR III, and I might even live with tabletop for some situations, but on the other hand I realize that in order to really provide a stable base for long exposures etc, I need sth more substantial... Alternatives for both are welcome... Thanks in advance for sharing your experience! grtz, Wim Last edited by Ishpuini; 05-13-2019 at 06:36 AM.

05-14-2019, 08:54 AM	#8
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Ishpuini But perhaps I should just look for a solution without quick release plate. Are there quick release systems without a plate? I.e. that grip into the screw hole but don't require screwing? A few years ago I was shopping for a small Arca-Swiss plate for use with my Bessa R3M. It was a long search, but eventually I did find a 25mm plate with anti-twist lip that fits that camera and a few others on my shelf. Does it get much use? The short answer is no. Keeping a QR plate on a camera that is almost never used on tripod turned out to not be a very bright idea. The plate I have is a Fittest FP-25. The clamp has become somewhat hard to find, but there is an eBay vendor that still has them for less than $10 USD with free shipping. 25mm mini Quick Release Arca Swiss fit Plate NEX 3 5 6 7 OM-D RX1 XE1 XE2 BMPCC 6921147701558 \| eBay The photos on the listing show clearly the potential difficulty for all short plates, in that clamp tightening might be a pain due to clearance. The RRS BPnS-S in the comment above is even shorter (20mm) and may be a better match size-wise, but may still be clumsy to mate to the clamp. BTW, a compact clamp made for smaller plates is highly recommended. Steve (...no relationship to RRS or eBay vendor at the above link...) Last edited by stevebrot; 05-14-2019 at 09:08 AM.

05-14-2019, 09:23 AM	#9
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by stevebrot The plate I have is a Fittest FP-25. The UniqBall UPL25 is essentially identical... https://uniqball.eu/shop/accessories/upl-25-quick-release-plate/ (Hungarian company) Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 05-14-2019 at 09:28 AM.

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05-13-2019, 06:15 AM	#2
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Would this size plate work on the GR? Fotasy 25mm Arca Swiss Plate, Small Tiny Quick Release Plate fits Arca-Swiss Standard Clamp for Camera Tripod Ballhead https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V9M66TM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_r2w2Cb8VK37FK?tag=pentaxforums-20&

05-13-2019, 06:40 AM	#3
aaacb Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,724	I don't think any plate could allow opening the battery door, they're right next to each other, seems like less than 1cm from the center of the tripod screw to the door but I haven't measured. My tentative plan, if I find tripod use to be limited by battery life, is to get an external battery pack and charge via usb c.

05-13-2019, 04:35 PM	#4
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Take a measurement. I can use a small plate on my gx-1 and lx-7 cameras. On one I think I had to turn the plate so the long dimension was aligned to the lens.

05-14-2019, 01:02 AM	#5
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya Would this size plate work on the GR? Fotasy 25mm Arca Swiss Plate, Small Tiny Quick Release Plate fits Arca-Swiss Standard Clamp for Camera Tripod Ballhead amazon.com : Fotasy 25mm Arca Swiss Plate, Small Tiny Quick Release Plate fits Arca-Swiss Standard Clamp for Camera Tripod Ballhead : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20& Could work indeed. I'll take a measurement as you suggested in your follow-up. Originally posted by aaacb I don't think any plate could allow opening the battery door, they're right next to each other, seems like less than 1cm from the center of the tripod screw to the door but I haven't measured. My tentative plan, if I find tripod use to be limited by battery life, is to get an external battery pack and charge via usb c. ... but I fear that indeed the battery door would be blocked by any plate. It sits very close to the tripod screw. And also... even if a narrow plate would leave the door free, it would protrude to the front and back of the camera in a way to seriously impact ergonomics. Are there systems that are plate-in-plate? Imagine an Arca Swiss plate with instead of a screw an opening for a smaller plate. If the larger plate is tightened, it could transfer the pressure to tighten the smaller plate inside as well? Might work I think, but does this exist? But perhaps I should just look for a solution without quick release plate. Are there quick release systems without a plate? I.e. that grip into the screw hole but don't require screwing? I'm guessing I'll probably settle on just using what I have, but I don't want to do that without having considered all the options... ;-) Wim

05-14-2019, 02:11 AM	#6
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727 Original Poster	Ah, I think I found a solution: Really Right Stuff BPnS-S Narrow Plate for Point BPNS-S PLATE I'll have to take a closer look, but this might just keep the battery door free (it does on some other compact cameras). Shame that it's rather expensive in Europe (almost 50 EUR), and ordering it from B&H will be about as much with shipping costs and import taxes...

05-14-2019, 02:38 AM	#7
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by Ishpuini Ah, I think I found a solution: Really Right Stuff BPnS-S Narrow Plate for Point BPNS-S PLATE I'll have to take a closer look, but this might just keep the battery door free (it does on some other compact cameras). Shame that it's rather expensive in Europe (almost 50 EUR), and ordering it from B&H will be about as much with shipping costs and import taxes... Let me look at the smaller plate I have. It came with a very compact ball head but I think spares are available.

05-15-2019, 12:18 AM	#10
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727 Original Poster	@stevebrot Tx for the tips! I've looked closer at all these small Arca Swiss plates, and it looks like none of them will keep the battery door accessible... Not even the RRS one, even though it's the one that comes the closest. The screw hole on the GR III is just too close to the door... I guess I'll just have to keep a hex tool handy...