Re: Reminder: Don’t use Arca plates without safety pins
RT-- wrote:
Never leave the neck strap mounted when on a tripod. It might get caught in your lever clamp, and drop your camera. 🙃
Never say never. I almost always leave the neck strap on the camer that I use almost exclusively on the tripod. (Ironically, my camera for handheld photography usually just has a wrist strap attached.)
While I suppose you might carelessly get a strap caught in a level clamp,I’ve never had that issue. Beyond that, the straps are useful for several reasons even with a tripod. I do a sort of “loop and twist” of the strap around the ball head, so if I were to lose control of the camera while attaching or removing it (it happens) the strap would catch the camera before it hit the ground. The neck strap is also useful for “holding” the camera while juggling it and a couple of lenses during some lens changes — especially when one lens has a good and the other doesn’t.
Never use a lever clamp if you're not using plates from the same manufacturer exclusively. Check the adjustment monthly, and whenever working in a different temperature.
Again with the “never” thing!
Most plates from reputable manufactures are made to the same spec and can be used with other brands. I regularly use a Kirk plate/bracket on tripods with RRS BH-55 and Acratech Ultimate ball heads. Yes, do check that they all fit well, but then don’t worry.
Screw clamps adapt to whatever plate you're using. They might be slower to operate, but at least you know the camera is mounted tightly. They won't unscrew on their own either.
Levers can attach with more force than you are likely to be able to produce by turning that little knob on the manual clamp. I’ve sued both That being said, with levers you do have to develop good practices to ensure that nothing impedes the full range of motion on the lever and that it is adjusted correctly.
The design of safety pins and clamp slots varies between manufacturers, and causes anything from reduced range of movement to total incompatibility when trying to mix brands.
I always remove the safety screws because I like to slide my camera into place. Never had anything drop either.
I don’t use the safety screws either, since they can make it a bit more awkward to attach and remove gear. I have had one or two close calls, always due to my momentary inattention. With that in mind, I can understand why some like the extra security fo the pins, but I prefer to just be careful… and wrap that strap around the ball head!
YMMV.
;-)
Nov 04, 2025 at 12:14 PM
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