Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I just took delivery of my Really Right Stuff tripod quick-release plates #B22 and #B30. Beautiful works of machinist's art, with what seems like an obsessive attention to the smoothness of the finish (the Arca B1 itself is not so pretty!). The B30 is designed for Leica M, and it's a perfect fit, spanning most of the baseplate, and allowing the camera to be centered in the clamp. In addition, a 1/4" tripod socket is tapped into this plate, perfectly centered under the lens. This, in combination with the Arca B1, works great! I do think this is a lot of ballhead for such a small camera, and I'll probably not leave the camera plate installed unless I plan on carrying the tripod, because, though a custom fit, it's also kind of large (did we really need to have a clamping area so large as to allow the camera to be centered over the ballhead?), and though the edges are smoothed-down, it's not especially comfy to hold an M with B30 installed. For occasional tripod use (as the M must surely be best suited), there may be something to be said about the plain ole tripod screw mounting, though I'd be inclined to equip mine with the Leica handgrip, which seems a handy source of sacrificial tripod sockets :-)