Re: [Leica] RRS vs Kirk Plates for M6?

[Charles Babington <cbabing3@swbell.net>]

I've used RRS plates on my Nikons for about a year, and when I got an M6
last week the first thing I ordered for it was an RRS plate.  It fits
the M6 like a glove with a beautifully machined rim around front side
and back.  The grooves for the clamp do not go all the way across the
plate, so there is effectively an automatic stop without the separate
screw that RRS uses on other plates.  The plate has a tripod socket
which is centered under the lens.  Mounted on a B1 head the plate slides
on far enough that the center line of the lens is over the left edge of
the clamp (looking from the back) so that the locking knob for the clamp
is off to the right and does not interfere (much) with lens focusing.  I
can't imagine the Kirk plate is any better.

I learned pretty quickly though that the weight of the 135/2.8 is enough
to tip the camera in the RRS plate.  This would be true with the camera
mounted using the tripod socket, too, as there is just a bit of play
between the base and the camera body.  I solve this by using a RRS B6
plate on the lens and put the lens in the clamp instead of the camera.

I'm doing some theater photography this weekend where light levels are
sometimes down around 1/15 at 1.4 using ISO 800 film.  I can't imagine
managing a monopod or tripod in this context without these couplings.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

Cheers,
Kip Babington