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[OM] Tripod collars on lenses

Subject: [OM] Tripod collars on lenses
From: Dr Peter Gilbert <peterg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 18:08:20 +1000
Hi gang

here's a topic that has bugged me for ages. It relates to tripod collars on lenses (both with and without).

Situation One- lenses with tripod collar.

Does anyone find that the QR plate fitted to the tripod mounting collars on Zuiko's , (either a Bogen/Manftrotto hex plate QR, or even one of the smaller Bogen/Manfrotto rectangular AR plates) collides with the plate fixed to either camera bottom (if no MD attached) or onto the MS/Winder?

If so, what do other people do? I have a QR plate on my 65-116 TAT, which is OK if I want to put it onto my tripod head, but if I want to put it onto a macro-focus rail, clearance becomes a real problem.

I use the smaller Manfrotto rectangular plates (because I got sick of the big bulky hex plates) and I keep one on each lens with a collar, and each body/MD/Winder2. Why is this such a problem for Zuiko's? Are our tripod mount collars physically much closer to the camera body than on other brands of lenses? Is this due to compact size of OM eqt?

I sometimes feel that the best option is to remove the AR plate off the camera body/MD/winder when I want to fit a lens with a collar/QR, but then I think "that defeats the purpose of a QR system"

Situation Two   - lenses with no tripod collar

eg 180/2.8, 200/4 , 50-250/5, 65-200/4  (others ?)

these Zuikos don't have tripod collars and yet all are relatively heavy lenses to have hanging out into space with unit mounted via QR plate on camera bottom. Not so bad for a horizontal format, but for verticals, as soon as I flop the ball head over, I start to get a slow twisting action happening (lens/camera combo starts to twist on the plate, not the ball head moving) unless I have *really* tightened the QR plate screw thread.

Do other people have this problems and if so, what do you do to counter it or at least minimise it?

These two things annoy the heck out of me. Everything else about our OM's is so lovely - why all the problems with tripod mounting. Is it because space and compactness were important OM design considerations ?

The Really Right Stuff company that makes mega- $$$$ QR system plates for the Arca Swiss style heads has something that I have wondered about. It seems to be a strip of metal (aluminium?) bent at a right angle, which effectively extends along the bottom of the camera and up one side, flush against the body. There is a QR plate attached to the bottom and a separate QR attached to the *side* (ie vertical piece). For lenses without collars, i think the idea is that instead of flopping the tripod head over, you use the side-mounted QR, so the camera would be mounted vertically on the tripod head.

Has anyone seen one of these? has anyone made something like this for their OM gear? Any other ideas?

cheers

peter


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