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Base plate for Vanguard 265AB - Recommendations

tigershoot
Posted 04/01/2018 - 23:23 Link
For this first time since 1981 I have bought a new tripod! I am just getting used to this supposed arca-swiss 'standard' that I have soon discovered is anything but. I purchased a 50mm plate from Amazon under the Neewer brand as one of the reviews mentioned it fitted his Vanguard.
Well, the one that arrived today is a totally different profile to the official Vanguard one. Do any of you folks have any recommendations as to which ones are best? The official one is £20 which frankly is a total ripoff for what is a small plate and screw.
K3iii, K3ii, K-5, K-x, DA150-450mm, DA16-85WR, DA16-45, DA18-55WR, DA18-135WR, DA35 F2.4, M100mm F4 Macro, DA55-300mm, FA50mm 1.4, AF360 Flash, AF540 Flash
JohnX
Posted 06/01/2018 - 16:06 Link
AFAIK only some Vanguard tripods are Arca-swiss compatible. If you've bought one of them, then any Arca-swiss plate should fit.
bforbes
Posted 06/01/2018 - 18:34 Link
JohnX wrote:
If you've bought one of them, then any Arca-swiss plate should fit.

I'm afraid that's not how it works on mine.
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The Vanguard system uses a central safety pin with no recesses for the safety screws of a normal Arca plate. Also some Arca plates are too wide to drop in between the dovetail and the pin.
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PS I found a 60/70mm Arca plate with a narrow underside land does work. With the safety screws using the edges of the head as the stop.
PPs. it's not possible on mine but could you replace the Vanguard Clamp with a standard one link to Ebay
Edited by bforbes: 06/01/2018 - 18:50
tigershoot
Posted 06/01/2018 - 22:48 Link
It has a TBH-50 ball head. The profile at the bottom of the edges of the Vanguard plate is sharp. Some of the plates I have seen, including the one I got on Amazon are a flat vertical side with a v-shaped notch only half the way up. As such the plate doesn't fit all the way into the edge. I will post photos in the morning to show you what I mean.
K3iii, K3ii, K-5, K-x, DA150-450mm, DA16-85WR, DA16-45, DA18-55WR, DA18-135WR, DA35 F2.4, M100mm F4 Macro, DA55-300mm, FA50mm 1.4, AF360 Flash, AF540 Flash
tigershoot
Posted 07/01/2018 - 08:50 Link
Here is a photo to show what I mean. You can see that the base plate has very little purchase due to it being a different shape.

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K3iii, K3ii, K-5, K-x, DA150-450mm, DA16-85WR, DA16-45, DA18-55WR, DA18-135WR, DA35 F2.4, M100mm F4 Macro, DA55-300mm, FA50mm 1.4, AF360 Flash, AF540 Flash
bforbes
Posted 07/01/2018 - 08:59 Link
In my case the plate would not actually go in. As long as the plate sits flat and the clamp grips it, I'd say that was OK.

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