p.1 #1 · QD swivel compatibility with SmallRig plates
I'd like to rig up QD style sling (in the style of the sadly discontinued Blackrapid QD) by adding a QD swivel to an existing sling, which will connect to the socket on a SmallRig base plate mounted on a body. I'm currently trying to decide on which QD swivel to get, preferably one with a recessed button or one that uses a twist lock instead of a push button.
There are some reports of incompatibilities between some sockets and swivels due to slight differences in the expected position of the ball bearings, e.g. this Youtube video (timestamp 4:25) showing that Magpul swivels don't work with the sockets on 3LT brackets:
If anybody on this board has a SmallRig base plate and a QD swivel that securely connects to it, could you please reply with the model of your QD swivel? Thanks!
p.1 #2 · QD swivel compatibility with SmallRig plates
Maybe consider a different brand of L-bracket. My Magpul QD locks tight with RRS plates. I'd also look for brands that use a stainless steel insert for the QD socket since aluminum is quite a bit softer and would wear quickly enough from the QD pin to be out of tolerance.
p.1 #3 · QD swivel compatibility with SmallRig plates
Yeah, if you hit a dead-end with the smallrig, find a used RRS Plate here and the standard QD pins work perfectly. I use them for my wrist and shoulder straps and will probably never go back to the traditional "lug" based straps.
p.1 #4 · QD swivel compatibility with SmallRig plates
Sadly nobody else seems to manufacture low-profile camera-matched base plates for the A7CR. Leofoto has one that doubles as an L-bracket (which I don't need), but it's much thicker. Standard base plates that aren't flush with the camera edges tend to catch on my handbag when I slide the camera in and out, which is a pretty big annoyance since that's how I carry around the camera 80% of the time.
There's a whole discussion on this thread about whether or not the steel insert is necessary (and it also points out an additional failure mode - the steel insert can pop out), that seemed inconclusive... some manufacturers add the steel socket and others don't. Given that my setup is usually under 1kg and I have the black base plate (so any wear should reveal an easily spotted silver mark), I think I'm reasonably safe, although I'll probably add a safety tether just to be sure.
p.1 #5 · QD swivel compatibility with SmallRig plates
I ordered some Grovtec swivels (they have a model with a twist-lock that seems a bit more secure than the standard push-button mechanism) and they fit just fine. Seems like Smallrig sockets are standards-compliant!
p.1 #6 · QD swivel compatibility with SmallRig plates
I have a smallrig L for my Z6 III that connects without issue to a Magpul QD. But it is pushbutton QD. As noted in a previous message I cannot see a stainless insert where the QD mates to the L on the SmallRig. Every other L with a QD slot I have seen has a SS insert. I use the smallrig with a redundant connection - one to the body and one to the lens. And the biggest lens I have on the Z6iii is a 100-400, relatively light. At 1kg setup the QD feels like an overkill.
