[YossarianKL]

A lot of the podcasts on photography I listen too (Photofocus, TWIP, etc) rave about L-brackets for their camera. I would really like to use one but I can not find one that seems to fit the K200D.

ReallyRightStuff is apparently making one for the K-7. Would that work for the K200D? I don't have a K-7 nor can get to a store around me that even carries Pentax cameras (are there camera shops anymore?)

The price is also a concern. ReallyRightStuff looks great, but the prices are really high. I already have 2 ballheads that are quick release (Manfrotto.) An investment in L-plates would mean new ball heads?

I know there are universal L-brackets, but appear cumbersome and not something you can keep on the camera and just use when you need to. I keep my quick release plate on my camera and use the D-ring to attach to my R-strap.

[Ratmagiclady]

A lot of the podcasts on photography I listen too (Photofocus, TWIP, etc) rave about L-brackets for their camera. I would really like to use one but I can not find one that seems to fit the K200D.

ReallyRightStuff is apparently making one for the K-7. Would that work for the K200D? I don't have a K-7 nor can get to a store around me that even carries Pentax cameras (are there camera shops anymore?)

The price is also a concern. ReallyRightStuff looks great, but the prices are really high. I already have 2 ballheads that are quick release (Manfrotto.) An investment in L-plates would mean new ball heads?

Not necessarily. ... I don't know if any are made for the Manfrotto QR, but you can generally just replace the camera platforms for an Arca-type, if you can find a suitable L-plate, which is much cheaper. (I don't know if there are any for K200ds, but something's probably pretty close. If you're planning on an upgrade at any point, maybe if one to fit that model would work well enough for now, that'd be a reasonable purchase.

[Al_in_the_Shire]

There are no L plates made for the K200 that I know of.

As for the universal L plates

The universal one from RRS will not fit the K200 as the mounting holes are off.

The Kirk universal L plate requires you to have a camera specific plate, and they do not make one for the K 200 so as it stands, it will not work either

Acratech makes a universal L plate that WILL work with the K200 and they make a camera plate that will also work with the K200 ( that plate will not work with the Kirk L plate however)

This thread

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/field-accessories/66603-universal-l-brackets.html

had some interesting work arounds and suggestions in it.


Your Manfrotto ball heads would have to have the clamp replaced with one from RRS, Kirk, Acratech or some other Acra compatible clamp. You would not have to replace the entire ball head. It isn't hard to remove the clamp from your current ball head and replace it with a new one.

[YossarianKL]

Thanks so much for the info.

I do have one other question

Your Manfrotto ball heads would have to have the clamp replaced. It isn't hard to remove the clamp from your current ball head and replace it with a new one.

Exactly how can you do this without a blowtorch? That is all I could find on how to do it. I don't think I l'm allowed to have such a thing in my apartment. I'm not that skilled.

[Ratmagiclady]

Thanks so much for the info.

I do have one other question



Exactly how can you do this without a blowtorch? That is all I could find on how to do it. I don't think I l'm allowed to have such a thing in my apartment. I'm not that skilled.

Hrm. Most platforms should just bolt down from the top, under where the camera plate rests.

Where was this resource that suggests a blowtorch, (I presume they didn't mean 'cutting torch'? There are other ways to apply a heat difference if they're just fastened on there stubbornly. ) and what specific models of ballhead do you have?

Also, what purpose do you have in mind for this setup?

If you can't find an L-plate like you like for your camera model, anyway, you might want to look toward other solutions. (For instance, I simply plan to get an L-plate or something to attach to my tripod, down the road: in my case, it's because I use a variety of different film bodies and custom brackets would start adding up pretty quickly.) But, let's see what we're dealing with, here.

[YossarianKL]

This is the link I found on removing a clamp from a ball head.

http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/replacing-quick-release-part1.html

I currently have two ball heads from Manfrotto. The 222 joystick head and I just purchased about a month ago the 488RC2.

I've been thinking about using an L bracket to shoot panos with. I also like to take photos in portrait mode when I hand hold but on a tripod with lower light situations it is not a fast quick zip into the tripod mount.

There is fussing with levers and dials that I just want to reduce.

[Al_in_the_Shire]

I can't help you with the joy stick, but the 488 will unscrew. Some clamps are secured with a screw from the top, and some just screw on to the post that comes out of the ball. You need a vice or a pair of pliers to hold the post and the clamp unscrews on the Manfrotto's. No blow torch is needed. It will be tight, but it will come off.

[Ratmagiclady]

Ah, there we are. They joystick head may be of a piece or otherwise odd: but you can still get an Arca clamp that'll screw to one of that head's special plates just like a camera. Less elegant of a solution, but it'd be compatible for you. (And you may find a clamp like that useful in a lot of other places: anything you can bolt it to. )

[YossarianKL]

I think this will solve my joystick to arca-Swiss issue

http://www.kirkphoto.com/SQRC-3265_Manfrotto_3265_Quick_Release_Clamp.html

It could probably be a temp solution for my other manfrotto ball head too.

[interested_observer]

I purchased a Kirk L bracket for my K20. I also have a K100, which I believe is the same size as the K200. The L-bracket for the K20 fits very nicely on my K100 and has no problems.

[Al_in_the_Shire]

Kirk no longer offers the L plate for the K20.

Only RRS has them. In addition, the K20 is just a hair (4mm) deeper - front to back - than the K 200 so it might be a crap shoot if it will fit. The k100 and K 20 have the same dimensions front to back.

K100 129 x 93 x 70 mm (5.1 x 3.7 x 2.8 in)
K 200 134 x 95 x 74 mm (5.3 x 3.7 x 2.9 in)
K 20 142 x 101 x 70 mm (5.6 x 4 x 2.8 in)

This is one of the wonderful things about shooting Pentax gear. You get a nice camera, but no one wants to support it with 3rd party accessories.

I would bet however, that the Kirk L plate for the K 20 would have fit the K 200. There is enough slop in Kirk's machining to probably have made it work. They certainly do not hold to exact tolerances. At least on their ball heads.

And yes, I own a Kirk BH 1 and can back that statement up.

[YossarianKL]

I'm eyeing the universal L plate from Arcatech. They also carry a archa-swiss plate for the K200 ( is that the same as saying K200D?)
It will work with the Kirk clamps, right?

[Al_in_the_Shire]

The camera plate from Acratech is the 2138. If you look at it, you will see why it fits so many Pentax cameras. The screw is in a slot and not a single hole. So it can be positioned to fit. I'm not so sure this is such a great solution, but, it's about as close as you will get to a camera specific plate for the K200.

It is sad that a company like RRS would make an L plate for the Canon XSI, including a plate for it with a grip, when the vast majority of Canon XSi owners are still trying to figure out where to put the film in, and yet not make one for a camera like K200.

[YossarianKL]

Well I purchased the 2138 plate and an Acratech base clamp from B&H. I'm gradually moving towards a whole arca-Swiss system.

The plate works great but now I don't have a D ring to attach my Black Rapid camera strap to. I would like to be out and about using my tripod with my new base clamp on occasion. I was using the Manfrotto camera plate but of course while having a convient D ring it isn't arca-Swiss style.

One solution might be to buy a Black Rapid connector ring and another arca-Swiss type clamp with a tripod thread. Connect the connector ring to the second arca-Swiss clamp and attach that setup between my camera plate and my camera strap. This seems to me to be now three connection points between me and my camera when it isn't on a tripod. I'm too sure if that is a good idea.

Is this the only solution currently? Is it a safe solution?

This arca-swiss migration is proving to be a little more expensive than I thought.