Looks like I might need to wait for the eventual Peak Design field bracket designed for this camera.
I think that various manufacturers are trying different ways of keeping the battery door accessible. Here it looks, as best as I can tell, tht RRS decided that they wanted the structural base of the L=bracket to extend across the full width of the camera — which is a bit more stable when you put the camera down.
That created a challenge for designing the portion that extends to the battery side. They added this sort of “loop” effect on that end of the base plate to match the contours of the camera’s grip. But I suspect that could have impacted the ability to get th battery out of the camera — not by blocking the door but by making it hard to reach the battery. I wonder if that odd little cutout in that part of the base plate is to allow the user to get a finger on the batter and remove it more easily?
My (much) older L-bracket for the Canon 5DsR simply stops before it would interfere with the battery access at all. That works pretty well on the older, wider big DSLR bodies. But on smaller cameras, where the battery door takes up a larger percentage of the camera’s base width, it starts to leave a pretty short base plate and the camera sits on it with less stability when it isn’t on the tripod.
I’ve used brackets with the shorter base plate, such as my Kirk L-bracket for the Fujifilm XT5. The bracket works fine on the tripod, but its shortened length beneath the camera feels truncated.
As an aside, I really wish that more camera manufacturers would put remote releases someplace other than on the side where the cable path interferes with the L-bracket. Using the RRS L-bracket on my old Canon system, the Canon remote release’s plug has a 90 degree bend, so I can plug it in and route the cable through a gap in the L-bracket without that awkward step of sliding the L-bracket away from the camera body.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I must be missing something. Why are people so negative on this design compared to others?
To me it’s seems like it's a poor design choice. That gaping hole is where most people prefer it to be solid in order to rest their pinky and have a solid grip. I think the Smallrig design with the lever that flips out is a better design for accessing the battery door. The more I've been using the Smallrig on my A7RVI, the more I like it and getting used to it. Still not a fan of the integrated key tool design they went with. I wish it were not right on the edge where I tend to hold the camera with my left hand and the magnet could be stronger to hold it more securely.
gdanmitchell wrote:
I must be missing something. Why are people so negative on this design compared to others?
There are a few choices. If you look at how close the battery compartment is to the edge the plate can either have a cutout for clearance (RRS) or have a metal curve that protrudes further out (Smallrig). I think the RRS will just barely work for me as a person with wide but short fingers. Longer fingers might exceed the curvature. I plan to get an RRS in addition to the Smallrigs on order.
It is going to come down to a matter of personal preference, I think.
For my part, I don’t really wrap my hand (especially the little finger) around the grip in such a way that this would actually be a problem, so I think I’d be fine with it. (I already use two cameras with L-plates that don’t extend beneath the grip/battery compartment, and it is never an issue when I pick up the camera and shoot handheld. I’d rather not have a little opening/closing tab there, either.
I’m also very much not a fan of having to slide the L section out from the bracket in order to even use a remote release. That seems like poor. design (on the part of the camera companies), and the sliding L units are a poor solution.
People use cameras with L-brackets, for God’s sake. It seems nuts to put all of those ports right where an L-bracket has to fit.
Personally, I really think that it is overdue for camera and plate designers to get together and work out some better solutions.
gdanmitchell wrote:
It is going to come down to a matter of personal preference, I think.
For my part, I don’t really wrap my hand (especially the little finger) around the grip in such a way that this would actually be a problem, so I think I’d be fine with it. (I already use two cameras with L-plates that don’t extend beneath the grip/battery compartment, and it is never an issue when I pick up the camera and shoot handheld. I’d rather not have a little opening/closing tab there, either.
I’m also very much not a fan of having to slide the L section out from the bracket in order to even use a remote release. That seems like poor. design (on the part of the camera companies), and the sliding L units are a poor solution.
People use cameras with L-brackets, for God’s sake. It seems nuts to put all of those ports right where an L-bracket has to fit.
Personally, I really think that it is overdue for camera and plate designers to get together and work out some better solutions. ...Show more →
I think you're used to a big DSLR camera where the grip is large and an L-bracket or plate extending into that area is not all that beneficial, but once you use a Sony camera you will probably find an L-bracket or plate that extends and gives your pinky a place to rest beneficial and desirable.
I've thought of having the Arca Swiss "grooves" in the bottom plate of the body. I don't know why the camera makers don't seem to do that? Accessory makers deal with the AS groove shape all the time so don't what proprietary (??) or not considerations there might be?
I have a "cage" on my A6700 which surrounds the body with a range of threaded and a few un-threaded holes, a couple of cold shoe, etc. The left side bar is pulled forward, all those connectivity considerations at work there. The right side has several attachment spots, too, but also fits snuggly against the body as part of a gripping surface when nothing attached.
Maybe the grooves and/or L could be on the right. There seems to be less need for "out the side" features there but the shutter and other top controls may be impacted more if tilted over to the right.
Maybe attach/swivel the rear panel from the top?
There 6 connector ports on the left side of the A7Rvi - 5 different connectors. Put 6 (2 rows of three "USB-C" ports on a vertically swiveling bat, it can rotate from pointing out to the left or out pointing to the rear. It might be time for more "adapters" and saying farewell to those analog historic connectors..
All of this could grow the size and an AS right grip space may not be comfortable?
