Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mitchell Baum wrote: > > Hi. I'm new to the lug and new to Leica. I'm becoming very fond of my M6. > Some questions: does anyone have experience and opinions about quick > release plates for the M6, specifically Really Right Stuff versus Kirk > Enterprises. Also, which ball heads, and tripods would you recommend if > light weight as well as quality is a consideration. Mitchell, The RRS B30 plate is nicely finished and in it's latest version, should be lightweight. It seems big, but that's because the Arca QR itself is kind of big, and this plate is designed to allow you to center the camera over the tripod. Kirk and RRS both produce good products, with RRS having a prettier finish and more of a custom fit (both a blessing and a curse at times, given the prices of the things!) I own an Arca B-1 ballhead and don't really recommend it for use with a Leica M, as it's optimized for heavier cameras and you need to take some care not to bend your Leica's baseplate as you pivot it about under tension. Otherwise, do as I do and push from the QR clamp, not the camera body! Were I to buy another ballhead for just the M, it might be a small Kaiser. The B-1 really shines with the likes of Hasselblads, Rollei SLRs, big Nikons, etc. Tripod: I like the carbon fiber Gitzos a lot and feel that they can handle a bigger load than their aluminum counterparts. The Gitzo leg pivots are especially stout and easily adjusted for wear. Until someone grows tubular ash trees, CF is my material of choice for small tripods. I've also seen some of the pro Slik gear (aluminum) and it struck me as being very cheap for what it offered. - -- Jeff Segawa Somewhere in Boulder, Colorado