p.5 #1 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
I think its good to note that the SmallRig L Bracket and the Half Cage with L Bracket are two different things. The L Bracket has had a history of dimensional problems with the Arca-Swiss clamp, and the Half Cage with the cage detached has a really irregular and bumpy profile in the front. My preference would be the simple L Bracket if the dimensional problem has been corrected.
p.5 #2 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
I own one of the Smallrig ones and love it. Nice minor grip extension too for those with slightly larger hands but still wishing to keep the camera 'small'. It's a bit of a niche product but I'll be buying a second one for my other body as soon as I'm back from this trip
p.5 #3 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
i bought a sunwayfoto plate, and needed the screw on the bottom, since i lost mine. I emailed them about getting a .02 screw, and they denied me. Customer service like that goes a long way. I since have sold my knock off leofoto head (same company).
I bought a plate for my A7R2 (soon to be sold) from Amazon, and it has markings of "LB-A7M2" on it. Works pretty good, but not perfect. Paid $20. Buy once, cry once right?
p.5 #4 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
Okay update here just got the Smallrig from China and on my RRS Pano head that's on the BH 40. Pictured here it works both horizontal and vertical. So I have no issues with it as reported earlier. Maybe there standard lever lock but not on the panning head
p.5 #5 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
I rec'd my Small Rig L plate on Friday. Very nice. Love the "extended grip", easy access to battery, slide out side plate for easy access to side ports, seemingly bombproof magnet holder for the hex wrench, and it works just fine with my arca swiss clamps. It's replacing a simpler L plate. For me, it was a worthwhile purchase.
p.5 #8 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
Shout out to Fred. Recommended Markins which I had never heard of. They were out of stock for awhile but I finally got my L bracket. It is so much smaller or maybe thinner is a better way to describe it. Had a Kirk and RRS Plate and this is exactly what I was looking for. Less is more Thanks Fred!
p.5 #9 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
I ordered the Gabale L-bracket for the A7RIII based on the many positive recommendations on this thread. It arrived yesterday, and is being returned today - it is nicely made, but it does not fit the RRS lever release clamps very well.
EDIT: It turns out that the issue seems to be a quality control problem with the RRS lever clamps, and not a fault with the Gabale L-bracket.
p.5 #10 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
molson wrote:
I ordered the Gabale L-bracket for the A7RIII based on the many positive recommendations on this thread. It arrived yesterday, and is being returned today - it is nicely made, but it does NOT fit the RRS lever release clamps I have on both of my ball heads.
I have the same Gabale L bracket. I use all RRS lever clamps on my tripods and monopods and have the same issue as you do. ,The bracket doesn't fit perfectly because the tab on the bottom of the bracket conflicts with the RRS screw, which is just barely not flush.
If you offset the calema just a few millimeters to the right when you slide it in to avoid this conflict it fits fine.
The other two choices are :
File down the RRS screw so it fits perfectly flush.
Remove the tab from the L bracket.
I don't use this tab mount for anything so that will be my choice eventually. For now I just offset, no issues.
p.5 #12 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
1bwana1 wrote:
I have the same Gabale L bracket. I use all RRS lever clamps on my tripods and monopods and have the same issue as you do. ,The bracket doesn't fit perfectly because the tab on the bottom of the bracket conflicts with the RRS screw, which is just barely not flush.
If you offset the calema just a few millimeters to the right when you slide it in to avoid this conflict it fits fine.
The other two choices are :
File down the RRS screw so it fits perfectly flush.
Remove the tab from the L bracket.
I don't use this tab mount for anything so that will be my choice eventually. For now I just offset, no issues.
It does not fit because the dovetail portion of the L-bracket base is simply too wide to allow the lever clamp to close. One of the clamps I can get closed if I apply a great deal of force but it feels like it might be causing damage; the other clamp won't close at all.
p.5 #13 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
What I found on mine was that because the screw on the RRS clamp was not flush it pushed the plate up. That makes L-bracket base seem like it doesn't fit and clamp will not close exactly as you describe.
Try offsetting the L-bracket in the clamp and see if it closes.
To confirm that this was the issue on mine, I just ground down the screw so that it fit flush. The L bracket now works perfectly.
The L-bracket is perfectly flat in machining, so this really looks like a RRS issue to me.
p.5 #14 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
So I got that bracket I posted a photo of on this page, and it doesn't fit my Acratech GP head in vertical position that well. So i bought one for $30 on amazon, and it fits much better. Has an extending side as well. Battery door needs to be placed on the plate to be able to change with bracket on, but I don't like that, so I just left it be.
p.5 #16 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
Dustin Gent wrote:
i bought a sunwayfoto plate, and needed the screw on the bottom, since i lost mine. I emailed them about getting a .02 screw, and they denied me. Customer service like that goes a long way. I since have sold my knock off leofoto head (same company).
I bought a plate for my A7R2 (soon to be sold) from Amazon, and it has markings of "LB-A7M2" on it. Works pretty good, but not perfect. Paid $20. Buy once, cry once right?
And I've had excellent service from Sunwayfoto multiple times. I hope nothing has changed over there.
p.5 #18 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
Dustin Gent wrote:
i bought a sunwayfoto plate, and needed the screw on the bottom, since i lost mine. I emailed them about getting a .02 screw, and they denied me. Customer service like that goes a long way. I since have sold my knock off leofoto head (same company).
I bought a plate for my A7R2 (soon to be sold) from Amazon, and it has markings of "LB-A7M2" on it. Works pretty good, but not perfect. Paid $20. Buy once, cry once right?
stevesanacore wrote:
And I've had excellent service from Sunwayfoto multiple times. I hope nothing has changed over there.
Yeah sunwayfoto US pretty much told me to kick rocks. Same distributor as Leophoto, Desmond, etc out of Happy Valley Oregon. Hopefully I got a person on their last day or something, but for a company that is basically a knock off, that wasn't their best look.
p.5 #19 · A7R III L-plate...cheap/solid or buy/cry?
Dustin Gent wrote:
Yeah sunwayfoto US pretty much told me to kick rocks. Same distributor as Leophoto, Desmond, etc out of Happy Valley Oregon. Hopefully I got a person on their last day or something, but for a company that is basically a knock off, that wasn't their best look.
OK, I worked directly with the company in China. Always quick polite responses and fast turnaround on a repair. Didn't know they even had a distributor here in the US. You may want to contact them directly but of course for one little screw, it may be hard to justify shipping costs.
Thanks Fred!
