p.1 #1 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
i remember all the exitement over the Arca Swiss P0 and the then new slidefix rail/clamp system that was going to replace the standard AS rail and clamp. i have heard not a word of either for quite some time.
p.1 #3 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
I've still got my P0, and it's great. The head is fantastic -- an excellent design, and very intuitive. You have to use an L-bracket with it if you want to shoot in portrait, since it is very clunky to use flopped over. That, to me, is a pretty minor limitation.
The Slidefix mini clamp system hasn't been developed further, which is little surprise given how slowly Arca-Swiss seems to move. It's still got potential, though.
It's worth remembering that the original Arca system was first adopted by medium and large format shooters, and then by 35mm wildlife photographers who needed to support heavy, bulky gear. It's now worked its way much farther down to become the standard for advanced consumer use, which is great -- but it's an overbuilt spec for a lot of what it currently gets used for. A lower profile system with smaller plates and L-brackets would be a real benefit for the latest generation of mirrorless cameras.
I would probably get a Slidefix clamp for the P0 if there was an excellent dedicated L-bracket for my NEX-7. The lower profile of the slidefix system is a natural for it. I keep wondering if RRS or one of the new import lines might release a few slidefix plates/brackets, though I know it means making a major commitment to a new system that might not take off.
p.1 #7 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
I love mine.. It's lightweight and great for simple panos as the panning table is above the ball. Simply level the head not the legs and off you go. I even got the AS Slidefix L bracket which also works very well and is adjustable for when I upgrade to a bigger body.
p.1 #8 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
on Brackets: when i started with the AS system one of the main points was simple its design gave me the ability to retain my plates on my cameras and lenses w/o adding undue bulk/weight. in short once they're on the stay on. the AS adjustable has very limited application as access to certain ports is highly limited (i'm being nice). it is rather bulky. with its bulk and chosen build materials its pretty heavy (255gms (just over 1/2lbs vs 153gms approx 1/3lb). swapping between multiple bodies is an exercise in itself. not a real world option in a work related environment. if i borrowed lots of Dslrs it would be a good choice but if you invest in a body that you are going to have and use for a period of years this is not an option. resale on good L brackets is generally quite good.
Slidefix: a "good" idea that came too late. i say this with some restraint. too many invested in the original system. splitting the AS system in this case has done little in its favor. you need to convince RRS or Kirk (AS will only do limited options) to support it and they've had 2 years to look it over with no comment or any commitment to the concept. the point that was raised about the mirrorless cameras is to an extent valid but for the most part limited and most of said cameras are handled with the current AS plate system when properly designed. certain camera designs are very limited and limiting (most of them are just interested in design too not the usability) the bulk/size reduction would end up just limited too. using my X10 as a reference RRS has done an outstanding job of integrating the AS plate into the base of a rather low depth camera body and actually made it nore handleable too. this design was originated for the X100 and i can see carrying through the XPro 1 while maintaing the use of the same baseline componentry design and concept. its give and take. you subtract weight in the plate (going slidefix) and then add it to the clamp (slidefix/standard AS hybrid clamp), that is if you want to remain interoperable.
p.1 #11 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
Your tone suggests you're fishing for confirmation of your original skepticism. Interesting.
Clearly, not a lot of people here have these, or at least few are talking about it (though there are 3 replies, not 2, fwiw). Those who do have it like it.
p.1 #12 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
excuse me you are correct it is 3 satisfied owners with 4 replies. corrected
i have no tone. just interested to see if the idea caught on. a very short time after its intro the clamor just ceased. it is never mentioned when people ask "what lightweight ballhead should i buy?".
p.1 #13 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
I would have bought one if I could have found/got one in the us that had full size arca
clamp on it - it appeared that you had to get the one with the clamp in order to have the index marks if I recall correctly, so I passed on just buying one with no clamp and adding
a full size arca clamp instead. I ended up getting an acratech GP-S head
which works great.
p.1 #15 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
oh you can get then from B&H here too by just standing by a few weeks and save enough to get a real good lever design. it is just never brought up anymore.
p.1 #16 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
Just re-read the thread and wanted to comment on your remark about the Jtec L plate for the NEX 5N. Other than the unfriendly sharp corners it works OK. The 90 degree orientation takes a little getting use to. I don't think RRS had a plate at the time I got the Jtec but the aluminum is the same so its not quite junk.
p.1 #17 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
after handling one just because it is made from the same alloy doesn't make it not junk. it's what you do with it. it is simply poorly executed. and sometimes waiting showing a little patience lends itself to a more usable solution. especially at that price.
p.1 #18 · Remember all the love for the AS P0? whatever happened to it?
Couldn't wait as a six week overseas trip was starting and as I said it works ok, just has those sharp corners. Unlike the RRS on my 1ds2 this one only goes on the camera when a tripod is going to be used. But $40 would have been a better price.
