Whoops!.......Plop!!

I have often bemoaned the fact that I can't afford a Manfrotto, or other tripod of that ilk.
However, today I was glad of it.

After taking some photos of Liverpool and whilst putting my equipment away, I unscrewed the tripod quick release plate from my camera (the camera case is too tight to put it away with the plate fitted).

The plate slipped from my hand, made once bounce and disappeared into the River Mersey As I only got the tripod for my last birthday, I was gutted.

Quick visit to 7DayShop, and £1.79 later I have a new plate on its way to me

I wonder what that could have cost me if I had an expensive tripod

manfrotto is £10.00 for the plate.

James

That's not as bad as I'd thought. Shame I can't afford the rest of it.

To be honest, I hadn't realised the plate could be bought seperately, but I suppose it makes sense; there must be more butter fingers out there like me

.. I also want a second one for the bottom of my flash bracket and then another for a flash when they're on the bracket. The 'frotto ones are pretty good, but much of the stuff is "mildly" overpriced.

Bret

Doesn't it depend on the QR on a Manfrotto - they have several different types of QR and plate as I recall.

I use a Markins Arca Swiss plate which is incredibly snug to the camera so stays permanently in place - and at €50 a pop it needs to!

The lens plates are even more expensive, so the Bigma and the 50-250 share a plate.

Having to remove the plate from whatever it's attached to rather negates the 'quick' part of its name.

I have standardised my kit around Manfrotto mono/tripods and have a QR plate fitted to every camera and lens that I use most often.

I also bought plates for every long lenses, it just makes life very easy. Having to keep on screwing and unscrewing the quick release plate is really troublesome.

On the lenses they remain attached to the tripod ring and if I am going out without the tripod or monopod I will quickly remove the ring and leave it at home.

Red snapper release plates also are very reasonably priced. I think they are a great investment, having a few plates already attached to the kit

EDIT: Apologies, I just realised that the plates remain attached only on my lens rings. I used to keep one attached to the camera body too but it kept on bugging me as it was constantly on the way rubbing in the palm of my hand everytime I wanted to compose an image and hated that feeling in the hand, so reverted to removing it.
Anyway I hardly use the tripod on the camera with wider lenses, but might look at it differently once I start getting into taking shots with wide angle lenses where I would need the tripod

Ah but the Manfrotto wouldnt have bounced, it would have buried itself in the concrete......honest!

As for using a cheaper alternative Ted I wouldnt worry, any tripod is better than none (mostly) so unless you need to use it in the wind or in an earthquake zone it should be fine, I've only had a decent tripod myself for about three years now, all I had before that were Jessops specials and a cheap video tripod I picked up....cheap.

At least yours is worthy of spare plates

It depends a lot also on what you are photographing Alan. If you are doing macro or for example trying to take a snap of the moon definitely a non sturdy tripod or I assume a very cheap one (quality wise) definitely will not do a decent job.

But obviously its better to have a cheap than none at all. IQ will definitely suffer.

I always remember JR famous phrase here that he once said and its incrusted in my mind, which was something along the following lines that for a sharp image steady hands and good technique is fine but for critically sharp you need a solid sturdy tripod.

Since I never have the 60-250 and the Bigma out and about at the same time it isn't a problem to change the lens plate from one to the other. I wish I could find someone who does Arc-Swiss QRs cheaper though.

Any of these any good?

Dan

Thanks Daniel! I never use e-bay so I would never have looked there.
Guess I'll have to get an account there now.