p.1 #1 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
The RRS arrived today, last week the Kirk arrived, and a couple of months ago the Smallrig arrived.
The Smallrig is the lightest and smallest and cheapest, but for me there is too much instability when mounted vertically. The Kirk has beefier construction compared to the Smallrig, but unfortunately and surprisingly there is still quite a bit of play when the camera is mounted vertically, and also the AF mode button is partially blocked.
The RRS is the most expensive, and the heaviest, but the construction is the most solid of the three, there is zero movement when the camera is mounted vertically, there is clearance that allows the Nikon remote receiver to stay mounted to the 10-pin connector at all times and not interfere with mounting the Z9 onto my ball head clamp, and they designed the L side so you still have full access to the AF mode button. RRS is the only one that features an additional stabilization pin that goes inside the Z9 base.
p.1 #4 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
Edward Teller wrote:
Thanks. Next question: Which one is the most comfortable in the hand during use? And is it as comfortable as the naked camera? (Not impossible.)
it essentially fits and feels like their previous L components. right hand grip is clear. lens grip open. of course there is more on the left side as usual. and previously (the past almost 3 months) i have had a "universal" base plate on which has a different contour to it vs the "naked" grip. either way you know there is something extra is there. now you get to choose between something that works well to your own self with relative structural functionality/rigidity
p.1 #5 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
Edward Teller wrote:
Thanks. Next question: Which one is the most comfortable in the hand during use? And is it as comfortable as the naked camera? (Not impossible.)
Good question. And I imagine the answer will vary depending on the individual. For me, I prefer the feel with nothing mounted to the camera, but not an option as a regular tripod shooter. I don't know that I personally notice much difference in feel between the Kirk and RRS, although the ergonomics of accessing the AF selector easily favors the RRS and that does make a difference to me. The Smallrig felt cheap, not confidence inspiring. All IMO of course.
p.1 #6 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
lukemeup wrote:
$270? uhm. no further comments.
Yes, their current pricing is steep, even by RRS standards. Those of us who preordered in Nov/Dec did not pay that much, it was closer to the Kirk price. For me, worth the price difference due to the aspects I noted, most especially the stability when shooting tripod mounted verticals.
p.1 #7 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
which was sorta like the point of L brackets from day one. everything has some level of compromise in it, and opinions, for what they are worth, will vary along with each individual's rationale
p.1 #9 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
mach250 wrote:
when you say vertical play does the camera/lens sag or what is happening?
When mounted vertically on L side of the Kirk, and more so the Smallrig, I can hold the top of the Z9 and move the camera back and forth rather gently and see significant movement, the L plate is not remaining in position against the camera side. This kind of instability does not inspire confidence for shooting in less than perfect wind conditions which I encounter fairly regularly, as I see the potential for small vibrations to affect sharpness in this case since movement is possible.
Regardless of what I think about this instability, a well designed L plate should be rock solid when mounted vertically. The addition of a stabilizing pin on the RRS may be why their design is so solid. If an L plate is going to be loose when mounted vertically, then I'd rather save the bulk, weight, and cost and use just a base plate.
p.1 #10 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
mach250 wrote:
when you say vertical play does the camera/lens sag or what is happening?
Every plate has a pit of play if you put leverage on the camera. Your connection to the tripod head also matters, because that can move too even if your plate is solid.
Hudson Henry has a YouTube video (Z9 accessories) where he shows you the SmallRig, Arcatech, and Kirk plates and you can clearly see the camera shaking a little bit when he grabs/taps the camera with every plate. That might give you an idea of what to expect. None of them appear to sag on their own. My SmallRig plate doesn't flex nearly as much as his does in the video when he puts leverage on it, I am guessing the vertical bracket screws were loose on his. No setup is 100% solid, so you need to be using a remote or similar anyway if you want to guarantee stability on a tripod regardless of the plate you have.
I have the SmallRig L bracket - it's more than solid enough for me, and wind doesn't make it shake. My only complaint is it's a little tight on the strap ring if you have the plate centered and the anti-rotate peg in place. It doesn't contact it, but it prevents it from moving. I may exchange it for a universal plate, I haven't made up my mind yet.
Just be careful with RRS - there is a recent thread here where two different people had L-brackets with obvious QC issues (one wrecked his camera grip) and RRS told them both to pound sand. With how overpriced their stuff is, they should have just replaced the brackets or at a minimum, requested the brackets be shipped to them for investigation - to me, that is unacceptable customer service.
p.1 #12 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
CanadaMark wrote:
Every plate has a pit of play if you put leverage on the camera. Your connection to the tripod head also matters, because that can move too even if your plate is solid.
Hudson Henry has a YouTube video (Z9 accessories) where he shows you the SmallRig, Arcatech, and Kirk plates and you can clearly see the camera shaking a little bit when he grabs/taps the camera with every plate. That might give you an idea of what to expect. None of them appear to sag on their own. My SmallRig plate doesn't flex nearly as much as his does in the video when he puts leverage on it, I am guessing the vertical bracket screws were loose on his. No setup is 100% solid, so you need to be using a remote or similar anyway if you want to guarantee stability on a tripod regardless of the plate you have.
I have the SmallRig L bracket - it's more than solid enough for me, and wind doesn't make it shake. My only complaint is it's a little tight on the strap ring if you have the plate centered and the anti-rotate peg in place. It doesn't contact it, but it prevents it from moving. I may exchange it for a universal plate, I haven't made up my mind yet.
Just be careful with RRS - there is a recent thread here where two different people had L-brackets with obvious QC issues (one wrecked his camera grip) and RRS told them both to pound sand. With how overpriced their stuff is, they should have just replaced the brackets or at a minimum, requested the brackets be shipped to them for investigation - to me, that is unacceptable customer service....Show more →
Hi Mark,
If you check that thread you'll see a correction was posted a week or more ago (I was one of the 2 people) - neither mine nor the OP's RRS plates were the problem - the crease in the MB-D18 was designed in by Nikon. As corrected in that thread, the crease is seen in its exact same form on every new MD-D18, verified in unboxing videos and from product pics by other reviewers.
There may be some variability in the Smallrig L-plate as it sounds like you find yours solid - mine is not, it's actually the worst instability when mounted vertically of any L-bracket I've owned by any brand (I've had more than a dozen over the past few decades). And yes I know how to position and tighten an L-plate 😁 I'm likely more critical of such things because I strive for critical sharpness in my landscape files and print 50” wide or larger, and in past tests I did there have been issues with certain brackets when mounted on the L side. My bet is that many users will not notice, so it really depends on the individual photographer and their requirements.
p.1 #13 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
Ross Martin wrote:
Hi Mark,
If you check that thread you'll see a correction was posted a week or more ago (I was one of the 2 people) - neither mine nor the OP's RRS plates were the problem - the crease in the MB-D18 was designed in by Nikon. As corrected in that thread, the crease is seen in its exact same form on every new MD-D18, verified in unboxing videos and from product pics by other reviewers.
There may be some variability in the Smallrig L-plate as it sounds like you find yours solid - mine is not, it's actually the worst instability when mounted vertically of any L-bracket I've owned by any brand (I've had more than a dozen over the past few decades). And yes I know how to position and tighten and L-plate 😁 I'm likely more critical of such things because I strive for critical sharpness in my landscape files and print 50” wide or larger, and in past tests I did there have been issues with certain brackets when mounted on the L side. My bet is that many users will not notice, so it really depends on the individual photographer and their requirements.
Right, but that makes the situation arguably even worse. RRS didn't seem to be aware the grip was made like that (big red flag for the company that designed the bracket), and they still put the blame back on the customer. Furthermore, they claimed to have consulted with their engineers and determined that the indent was caused by a misaligned grip (i.e. customer's fault). In my mind that is even worse, because it leaves room for only two possibilities, 1) They either lied to the customer by saying they checked with engineering, or 2) They put a product to market without even knowing how the MB-D18 was designed. There is no scenario where they should have responded to the customer in the way they did.
There was a second person who had QC issues as well and RRS told him something like "these things happen" and again didn't offer any resolution or ask for the product to be returned for inspection. It also just doesn't make any sense from a business perspective. I work in Marketing for a living, and choosing to lose customers who like to buy your ~1000% markup products rather than spending a few dollars to make it right is utterly baffling to me. The right thing to do, especially for such a 'premium' brand, would have been to replace the customer's plate no questions asked, and ask for the defective product back so they can address the issue with their manufacturer to help ensure it doesn't happen again.
My SmallRig bracket is not 100% solid in vertical orientation (no bracket is in my experience) but it's good enough such that it won't flex unless you leverage the camera against it. I'm not sure if I like how tight it is against the left strap ring though, so I may go back to a universal design of some kind regardless. It's slim pickings at the moment for Z9 brackets unfortunately.
Markins products are actually my favorite, however they are usually so slow to get anything to market that I end up buying something else first.
p.1 #14 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
i really doubt RRS said "these things happen" and had no resolution. there are more than a few out there that tell info with more than a few factual tidbits "redacted". like "a friend bought X for me at a store and it was defective but i have no receipt and neither does my friend and i want it fixed for free". this occurred a few years before they ever sold their product for retail and even then it's limited today. there is more to this too.
and this sort of stuff happens to other manufacturers too.
you need to see what happens in the airline business and what people think they get when the buy a ticket to fly. they neglect to read the contract of carriage.
i've been around and i see/have seen both sides. i'll back up anyone who has their ducks in a row.
there are responsible individuals and then there is that other side.
myself just had the original EN-EL18d battery replaced by Nikon due to excessive camera and charger calls for recalibration. i had it since 12/24/2021 and it started to act up at the end of 02/22. did the requested recals multiple times and then started the process. after i sent them the receipts and data plates off of both batteries (yes i had 2 only issue with one though) they then requested the battery back for "testing". must have failed as i just got a new one delivered today. now we could say they secretly knew there was an issue but the second battery stayed with me fully usable and in use and it took a week due to stocking issues. its on the charger.
oh, i find more than a few issues with marketing departments.
p.1 #15 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
My SmallRig seems every bit as solid on the side mount as any RRS I have had (5+). So I'm thinking it's variations in manufacturing.
I've always loved RRS, but early on I got them more because there wasn't anything comparable. I only got one Kirk and it was nice too, but the arca mount wasn't exactly the same as all my RRS so my quick clamp didn't work correctly with it. I never tried another Kirk but from what I've read it seems that issue was resolved years ago, nobody seems to have a quick clamp issue moving between it and others in the comments I've read.
I have one Leofoto L bracket (RRS copy) from when they had no shame and exactly copied RRS, it was solid. SmallRig for Z9 is my first of their products. I like RRS feel better and certainly the SmallRig price, but I got it because it was shipping. It looks from the pic that the RRS might be too deep for the L usb-c cable I use but no way to know without testing. I really like PD when doing tripod work and the L end keeps the cable from sticking out in the way.
p.1 #16 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
jbledsoe wrote:
My SmallRig seems every bit as solid on the side mount as any RRS I have had (5+). So I'm thinking it's variations in manufacturing.
I've always loved RRS, but early on I got them more because there wasn't anything comparable. I only got one Kirk and it was nice too, but the arca mount wasn't exactly the same as all my RRS so my quick clamp didn't work correctly with it. I never tried another Kirk but from what I've read it seems that issue was resolved years ago, nobody seems to have a quick clamp issue moving between it and others in the comments I've read.
I have one Leofoto L bracket (RRS copy) from when they had no shame and exactly copied RRS, it was solid. SmallRig for Z9 is my first of their products. I like RRS feel better and certainly the SmallRig price, but I got it because it was shipping. It looks from the pic that the RRS might be too deep for the L usb-c cable I use but no way to know without testing. I really like PD when doing tripod work and the L end keeps the cable from sticking out in the way....Show more →
I agree with you that there is likely some variation on the Smallrig manufacturing, and perhaps they had a bad batch, because there are numerous folks complaining about the weakness in vertical mode and it appears Smallrig pulled the product from the US webpage. When mine arrived the L side did not even touch the body, it was sticking out like a vibrating tuning fork. I can’t imagine that’s what they intended.
I have zero brand allegiance on these items and have owned Markins, Kirk, Smallrig, RRS, Acratech. Smallrig definitely gets credit for being first out the door for most cameras, for the low price, and for designing the Z9 bracket to allow for AF selector access (better than Kirk did, which surprises me, I have always liked Kirk's stuff).
p.1 #18 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
Thank you very much for alerting me to the wonderfully useful [and new discovery for me] Henry Hudson review.
I've narrowed my L-bracket choices down to Kirk or ProMediaGear, does anyone have any insights ? I know Kirk put out a V2 so I'd be comparing that vs the PMG edition
p.1 #19 · Really Right Stuff RRS L-Plate for Nikon Z9 arrived
if you are willing to pay $245-$250 for either the Kirk or PMG think a little longer. the RRS is simply built smarter, simpler and with more functional thought. oh, and the most structurally sound.
the
here it is in my day bag with the 14-30/4, 70-200/2.8FL and the 24-120/4 mounted on the body. a bag meant for smaller kits the TT Retrospect 7 v2
