Zebrabot
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
|
 p.3 #15 · Third Party Collar for 70-200 F/4? | |
M635_Guy wrote:
Zebrabot wrote:Manfrotto doesn't know what they're doing either. How many dozens of incompatible plates do they have now?
The only system where you can mix and match anything is with products that are acra swiss-ish. Note the -ish part as every maker has their on spin on how it should work, but all the parts fit together.
I have a whatever was cheapest mix of Acratech (my favorite by far even though their stuff has some dumb flaws they've still not corrected) Kirk and Novoflex. All the parts fit and play nicely with each other. There's some other random stuff like a bracket from Stroboframe, which has a relic proprietary dovetail on the bottom. I can go out and get Strobrofram branded plates OR mill that bitch into arca swiss dimensions and have not have to worry about stand-out dead-ended systems from one company.
Nikon on the other hand is "neutral" by offering stupid stuff like single 1/4x20 threads on tripod feet for 6.5 pound lenses. Unless you take a grade 8 bolt and torque that lense into a solid block of granite, it's going to flex, get loose and fall off.
Again, a personal message to the person/team at Nikon who designs telephoto lense feet. You're an idiot, and you bring shame to Nikon. Quit now.
You sound a little bitter - have you had a lens flex, get loose and fall off? I'm all for robust design, but even if we're talking really long primes with a D3s/D4 hanging off the back, what evidence do you have that the bolt Nikon chose isn't up to the task?
I'm only aware of a couple (photography) plates from Manfrotto - their rectangular and their hex. I know they have several different video plates that are matched to their video panning heads, but whatever. I don't get why they do it that way, and as a former user of one of their heads, I have to say their clamping system doesn't inspire confidence (though I did like the safety built into the quick release function). Manfrotto lacks a useful L-bracket, which is my favorite part of the A/S system (I know they have one, but it isn't one I'd leave on my camera 99% of the time like I do my RRS bracket). Personally, I don't like Manfrotto's system, and I think they are in serious trouble with the number of affordable A/S options coming on the market these days. Their big advantage is their brand name and how established they are with channels/stores. Time will tell, I guess.
Ultimately, it isn't in Nikon's interests to choose a mounting system, for a lot of reasons. Primary among them is it gives incentive for a company to come up with a better solution without having to worry about incumbency from an OEM like Nikon or Canon. Heck, it might even give Manfrotto the opportunity to move to something better.
I'm not bitter, just annoyed nikon can be so stupid.
I use my equipment, and can assure you that a single 1/4x20 screw for such a lense is not suitable at all, and it will work loose. The 300mm lenses which are about the same size have two threaded holes, so that's a plus to prevent the single screw from working loose.
Even crappy video cameras have what's called a "VHS pin" to prevent the camera from rotating loose from the tripod or video head. Having a second point to secure something that is used to apply torque is old old old news.
Even cameras come loose from camera mounting plates. A non-skit type bottom can help a but, but it it not completely rigid, and things like a cork plate still slide off and flex enough to make a long lense vibrate.
I use blue threadlocker to keep my cameras on their plates, and prefer no threads at all on lenses if not needed. The more adapters and junk you stack up the less rigid your setup becomes and the more vibration problems you will have.
Mamiya has always provided dual 3/8 and 1/4 tripod (through use of a crappy insert most people never remove) mounts on their cameras and lenses and integrated index holes so you can use a plate that will never twist off.
It only took them about 12 seconds to think this through.
If you can design super awesome lenses why would you drop the ball on the mounting foot? It's lazy and makes no sense at all.
It's sort of like how crappy Zeiss lense caps are. I toss those back into the box and replace them with camera store dollar bin vivitar and tokina caps from the 1980s.
|
? (btw - none of those things dictate wheel diameter). There aren't any licensing or IP issues at all there, and nobody is going to invent a new wheel, right? Why not get together and make it easy on everyone?? 