PZ-1 Grip Quick Release

**tonyzoc** · 10-24-2022, 11:20 AM

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.

I couldn't find an answer to this so...
The Z-1/PZ-1 and p variants have an extender grip and the grip has a quick release plate for a tripod. Is this for a Manfrotto tripod? Are there multiple standards for plate type tripod quick releases. I have a Slik tripod and they use a screw in post for quick release but it does require screwing the post into the camera.

**UncleVanya** · 10-24-2022, 06:39 PM

Originally posted by tonyzoc

I couldn't find an answer to this so...
The Z-1/PZ-1 and p variants have an extender grip and the grip has a quick release plate for a tripod. Is this for a Manfrotto tripod? Are there multiple standards for plate type tripod quick releases. I have a Slik tripod and they use a screw in post for quick release but it does require screwing the post into the camera.

I own one of those grips. They don’t have any quick release built in. They have simply a 1/4 inch tripod socket metal insert in the overall plastic - unless there’s a completely different grip I’m unaware of.

**UncleVanya** · 10-24-2022, 09:00 PM

This shows the bottom well.

Pentax FD grip w/strap for Z-1 - PentaxForums.com

While it looks similar to arca swiss in the images, that’s an optical illusion. The bevels are plastic and are outside the diameter of the metal. They don’t provide any grip surfaces.

Not a Number · 10-25-2022, 01:31 AM

Blog with photos of grip:
https://simonhawketts.co.uk/2015/09/08/pentax-z-1-pro-35mm-slr/

**tonyzoc** · 10-25-2022, 04:27 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

I own one of those grips. They don’t have any quick release built in. They have simply a 1/4 inch tripod socket metal insert in the overall plastic - unless there’s a completely different grip I’m unaware of.

The OEM grip/extension has a silver metal plate on the bottom and there are edges on each side similar to a Manfrotto quick release plate. I'm 99% sure that plate is designed for a quick release system...maybe it's Pentax proprietary?

**UncleVanya** · 10-25-2022, 05:04 AM

Originally posted by tonyzoc

The OEM grip/extension has a silver metal plate on the bottom and there are edges on each side similar to a Manfrotto quick release plate. I'm 99% sure that plate is designed for a quick release system...maybe it's Pentax proprietary?

When you posted I went and found pictures since my grip wasn’t with me at the time. The pictures do make it look like a quick release but it isn’t. I grabbed my pz-1 which has the Fd grip on it and carefully examined it. My conclusion:

If there’s a way to use it as a quick release; I wouldn’t trust it. The edges of the plate don’t stick out past the plastic except for a tiny amount on the left and right. The plate is very thin, there are no bevels, it’s a flat steel plate sitting on a plastic grip. The bevel appears to be designed as a cosmetic and structural component. The bevels appear to smooth the transition to the rest of the grip and avoid leaving gaps where your hands might catch on the grip. They also likely increase the contact area of the plastic to the plate.

I’ll also add that every past discussion and description I’ve read suggested nothing about this being a quick release plate. If it is one, it’s super obscure and it would be much simpler to add an arca plate to the grip using the tripod socket. Remember also this grip was designed with a hand strap and the socket was there to use infrequently since the strap was the main purpose of the grip.

**tonyzoc** · 10-25-2022, 08:04 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

When you posted I went and found pictures since my grip wasn’t with me at the time. The pictures do make it look like a quick release but it isn’t. I grabbed my pz-1 which has the Fd grip on it and carefully examined it. My conclusion:

If there’s a way to use it as a quick release; I wouldn’t trust it. The edges of the plate don’t stick out past the plastic except for a tiny amount on the left and right. The plate is very thin, there are no bevels, it’s a flat steel plate sitting on a plastic grip. The bevel appears to be designed as a cosmetic and structural component. The bevels appear to smooth the transition to the rest of the grip and avoid leaving gaps where your hands might catch on the grip. They also likely increase the contact area of the plastic to the plate.

I’ll also add that every past discussion and description I’ve read suggested nothing about this being a quick release plate. If it is one, it’s super obscure and it would be much simpler to add an arca plate to the grip using the tripod socket. Remember also this grip was designed with a hand strap and the socket was there to use infrequently since the strap was the main purpose of the grip.

This makes sense, and i see no documentation anywhere referencing the bottom plate as a quick release. But, why even have that metal plate there at all? The camera body has a metal tripod mount in plastic, as do most bodies today. Why not a smooth bottom, rubber pads and a metal tripod socket? I always assumed it was built that way for some function. I've never seen a battery grip or motor drive for any camera make that had a bottom raised plate with edges.

After examining the base a little closer... I guess the plate is raised to make room for the wrist strap, which attaches to the bottom. Without the raised plate the camera wouldn't sit flat. Still its a weird design.

Last edited by tonyzoc; 10-25-2022 at 08:29 AM.

garywakeling · 10-25-2022, 10:50 AM - **1 Like**

I have a pentax quick shoe adapter that may use that plate, I will check when I get home, it is like this one Very Good!! Pentax 645 Quick Shoe for 645 67 w/ Box | eBay
It holds a 645 and 67 so should be fine with the 35mm, I believe they made a QS 10 or QS 20 plate which was rectangular that fits

garywakeling · 10-25-2022, 01:18 PM

Experiment and test trial worked , yes the plate is indeed compatible with the Pentax 645 and 67 Quick Shoe in the link above. From memory they also sold a 35mm plate as an optional accessory , nice that they included it on the base of the grip. Unlike the current manufacturer systems that squeeze the sides to clamp, the pentax system has a system more like a hotshot, where you slide the foot in and then the lever on the quick shoe raises the whole base to clamp the foot in place, typical Pentax thinking and doing their own thing

**tonyzoc** · 10-25-2022, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by garywakeling

Experiment and test trial worked , yes the plate is indeed compatible with the Pentax 645 and 67 Quick Shoe in the link above. From memory they also sold a 35mm plate as an optional accessory , nice that they included it on the base of the grip. Unlike the current manufacturer systems that squeeze the sides to clamp, the pentax system has a system more like a hotshot, where you slide the foot in and then the lever on the quick shoe raises the whole base to clamp the foot in place, typical Pentax thinking and doing their own thing

Great to know. So it is a tripod quick release. One more reason why I think the PZ-1p is such a great camera.

**UncleVanya** · 10-25-2022, 07:11 PM

Wow! I’ve never even seen that accessory. You taught me something new.

garywakeling · 10-26-2022, 02:20 AM

Originally posted by tonyzoc

Great to know. So it is a tripod quick release. One more reason why I think the PZ-1p is such a great camera.

Yes I do like my Z1 too, the grip just made it work so well

Happy to have filled in the knowledge base

**UncleVanya** · 10-26-2022, 05:40 AM

From what I can find the base is the same for 35 and 67/645 but the plate is different.

This eBay link shows a paired 35mm plate with the large 645 base:

EXC+++ PENTAX QUICK RELEASE TRIPOD SHOE w/QUICK RELEASE ADAPTER PLATE NICE, RARE | eBay

garywakeling · 10-26-2022, 06:38 PM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

From what I can find the base is the same for 35 and 67/645 but the plate is different.

This eBay link shows a paired 35mm plate with the large 645 base:

EXC+++ PENTAX QUICK RELEASE TRIPOD SHOE w/QUICK RELEASE ADAPTER PLATE NICE, RARE | eBay

Yes there is also a 35mm small rectangular base that was designed for the slimmer bodies. I still use my square connector with the K1 and Battery Grip, our cameras have extra girth nowadays and the convenience of the square base means that I can quickly switch from horizontal to vertical if required

The 35mm base is exactly the same size as the base on the Z1 Grip

**UncleVanya** · 10-26-2022, 07:20 PM

Originally posted by garywakeling

Yes there is also a 35mm small rectangular base that was designed for the slimmer bodies. I still use my square connector with the K1 and Battery Grip, our cameras have extra girth nowadays and the convenience of the square base means that I can quickly switch from horizontal to vertical if required

The 35mm base is exactly the same size as the base on the Z1 Grip

What do you think of this vs. Arca Swiss in terms of stability and ease of use? I'm floored that I have never seen it before.

10-24-2022, 11:20 AM	#1
tonyzoc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 992	PZ-1 Grip Quick Release 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. I couldn't find an answer to this so... The Z-1/PZ-1 and p variants have an extender grip and the grip has a quick release plate for a tripod. Is this for a Manfrotto tripod? Are there multiple standards for plate type tripod quick releases. I have a Slik tripod and they use a screw in post for quick release but it does require screwing the post into the camera.

10-25-2022, 10:50 AM - 1 Like	#8
garywakeling Moderator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,759	I have a pentax quick shoe adapter that may use that plate, I will check when I get home, it is like this one Very Good!! Pentax 645 Quick Shoe for 645 67 w/ Box \| eBay It holds a 645 and 67 so should be fine with the 35mm, I believe they made a QS 10 or QS 20 plate which was rectangular that fits Last edited by garywakeling; 10-25-2022 at 10:55 AM. Reason: extra info

10-26-2022, 06:38 PM	#14
garywakeling Moderator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,759	Originally posted by UncleVanya From what I can find the base is the same for 35 and 67/645 but the plate is different. This eBay link shows a paired 35mm plate with the large 645 base: EXC+++ PENTAX QUICK RELEASE TRIPOD SHOE w/QUICK RELEASE ADAPTER PLATE NICE, RARE \| eBay Yes there is also a 35mm small rectangular base that was designed for the slimmer bodies. I still use my square connector with the K1 and Battery Grip, our cameras have extra girth nowadays and the convenience of the square base means that I can quickly switch from horizontal to vertical if required The 35mm base is exactly the same size as the base on the Z1 Grip Last edited by garywakeling; 10-26-2022 at 06:38 PM. Reason: extra info

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
K3 Mk.III and K1 Mk. II Quick Release plate for Battery Grip at KEH	oneill	Pentax Price Watch	4	06-21-2021 05:16 PM
Arca Swiss Quick Release Plate for K-3 w/grip	HenrikDK	Pentax K-3 & K-3 II	7	07-19-2015 08:10 AM
Universal Quick Release Tall L-Bracket for K-3 and grip	RockvilleBob	Pentax K-3 & K-3 II	4	01-25-2014 03:35 AM
Quick release plate on battery grip questions	bwDraco	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	8	07-13-2012 01:37 PM

10-24-2022, 06:39 PM	#2
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by tonyzoc I couldn't find an answer to this so... The Z-1/PZ-1 and p variants have an extender grip and the grip has a quick release plate for a tripod. Is this for a Manfrotto tripod? Are there multiple standards for plate type tripod quick releases. I have a Slik tripod and they use a screw in post for quick release but it does require screwing the post into the camera. I own one of those grips. They don’t have any quick release built in. They have simply a 1/4 inch tripod socket metal insert in the overall plastic - unless there’s a completely different grip I’m unaware of.

10-24-2022, 09:00 PM	#3
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	This shows the bottom well. Pentax FD grip w/strap for Z-1 - PentaxForums.com While it looks similar to arca swiss in the images, that’s an optical illusion. The bevels are plastic and are outside the diameter of the metal. They don’t provide any grip surfaces.

10-25-2022, 01:31 AM	#4
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Blog with photos of grip: https://simonhawketts.co.uk/2015/09/08/pentax-z-1-pro-35mm-slr/

10-25-2022, 04:27 AM	#5
tonyzoc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 992 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya I own one of those grips. They don’t have any quick release built in. They have simply a 1/4 inch tripod socket metal insert in the overall plastic - unless there’s a completely different grip I’m unaware of. The OEM grip/extension has a silver metal plate on the bottom and there are edges on each side similar to a Manfrotto quick release plate. I'm 99% sure that plate is designed for a quick release system...maybe it's Pentax proprietary?

10-25-2022, 05:04 AM	#6
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by tonyzoc The OEM grip/extension has a silver metal plate on the bottom and there are edges on each side similar to a Manfrotto quick release plate. I'm 99% sure that plate is designed for a quick release system...maybe it's Pentax proprietary? When you posted I went and found pictures since my grip wasn’t with me at the time. The pictures do make it look like a quick release but it isn’t. I grabbed my pz-1 which has the Fd grip on it and carefully examined it. My conclusion: If there’s a way to use it as a quick release; I wouldn’t trust it. The edges of the plate don’t stick out past the plastic except for a tiny amount on the left and right. The plate is very thin, there are no bevels, it’s a flat steel plate sitting on a plastic grip. The bevel appears to be designed as a cosmetic and structural component. The bevels appear to smooth the transition to the rest of the grip and avoid leaving gaps where your hands might catch on the grip. They also likely increase the contact area of the plastic to the plate. I’ll also add that every past discussion and description I’ve read suggested nothing about this being a quick release plate. If it is one, it’s super obscure and it would be much simpler to add an arca plate to the grip using the tripod socket. Remember also this grip was designed with a hand strap and the socket was there to use infrequently since the strap was the main purpose of the grip.

10-25-2022, 08:04 AM	#7
tonyzoc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 992 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya When you posted I went and found pictures since my grip wasn’t with me at the time. The pictures do make it look like a quick release but it isn’t. I grabbed my pz-1 which has the Fd grip on it and carefully examined it. My conclusion: If there’s a way to use it as a quick release; I wouldn’t trust it. The edges of the plate don’t stick out past the plastic except for a tiny amount on the left and right. The plate is very thin, there are no bevels, it’s a flat steel plate sitting on a plastic grip. The bevel appears to be designed as a cosmetic and structural component. The bevels appear to smooth the transition to the rest of the grip and avoid leaving gaps where your hands might catch on the grip. They also likely increase the contact area of the plastic to the plate. I’ll also add that every past discussion and description I’ve read suggested nothing about this being a quick release plate. If it is one, it’s super obscure and it would be much simpler to add an arca plate to the grip using the tripod socket. Remember also this grip was designed with a hand strap and the socket was there to use infrequently since the strap was the main purpose of the grip. This makes sense, and i see no documentation anywhere referencing the bottom plate as a quick release. But, why even have that metal plate there at all? The camera body has a metal tripod mount in plastic, as do most bodies today. Why not a smooth bottom, rubber pads and a metal tripod socket? I always assumed it was built that way for some function. I've never seen a battery grip or motor drive for any camera make that had a bottom raised plate with edges. After examining the base a little closer... I guess the plate is raised to make room for the wrist strap, which attaches to the bottom. Without the raised plate the camera wouldn't sit flat. Still its a weird design. Last edited by tonyzoc; 10-25-2022 at 08:29 AM.

10-25-2022, 01:18 PM	#9
garywakeling Moderator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,759	Experiment and test trial worked , yes the plate is indeed compatible with the Pentax 645 and 67 Quick Shoe in the link above. From memory they also sold a 35mm plate as an optional accessory , nice that they included it on the base of the grip. Unlike the current manufacturer systems that squeeze the sides to clamp, the pentax system has a system more like a hotshot, where you slide the foot in and then the lever on the quick shoe raises the whole base to clamp the foot in place, typical Pentax thinking and doing their own thing

10-25-2022, 01:47 PM	#10
tonyzoc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 992 Original Poster	Originally posted by garywakeling Experiment and test trial worked , yes the plate is indeed compatible with the Pentax 645 and 67 Quick Shoe in the link above. From memory they also sold a 35mm plate as an optional accessory , nice that they included it on the base of the grip. Unlike the current manufacturer systems that squeeze the sides to clamp, the pentax system has a system more like a hotshot, where you slide the foot in and then the lever on the quick shoe raises the whole base to clamp the foot in place, typical Pentax thinking and doing their own thing Great to know. So it is a tripod quick release. One more reason why I think the PZ-1p is such a great camera.

10-25-2022, 07:11 PM	#11
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Wow! I’ve never even seen that accessory. You taught me something new.

10-26-2022, 02:20 AM	#12
garywakeling Moderator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,759	Originally posted by tonyzoc Great to know. So it is a tripod quick release. One more reason why I think the PZ-1p is such a great camera. Yes I do like my Z1 too, the grip just made it work so well Happy to have filled in the knowledge base

10-26-2022, 05:40 AM	#13
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	From what I can find the base is the same for 35 and 67/645 but the plate is different. This eBay link shows a paired 35mm plate with the large 645 base: EXC+++ PENTAX QUICK RELEASE TRIPOD SHOE w/QUICK RELEASE ADAPTER PLATE NICE, RARE \| eBay

10-26-2022, 07:20 PM	#15
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by garywakeling Yes there is also a 35mm small rectangular base that was designed for the slimmer bodies. I still use my square connector with the K1 and Battery Grip, our cameras have extra girth nowadays and the convenience of the square base means that I can quickly switch from horizontal to vertical if required The 35mm base is exactly the same size as the base on the Z1 Grip What do you think of this vs. Arca Swiss in terms of stability and ease of use? I'm floored that I have never seen it before.