D200 big glass portrait tripod

[Oz_Beachside]

saddenned.

had no intension of upgrading my tripod solution (manfrotto 055+141RC) until the other night, when I had my D200+grip, with 70-200 (1.3kg lens) on it, and flipped it to portrait orientation

and, after two shots, FLOP.... (luckily, not followed by "crash").

As I caught my breath, I think immediately thought of a bracket I saw on johnd's camera at teh melbourne workshop (a "Really Right Stuff L-Bracket").

Is that the solution for portrait tripod work, with heavy glass?

Are there alternatives to RRS, as I understand they are priced like italian sports cars

[MHD]

L brackets are the way to go IMHO not just for the ability to shoot portrait with the head in landscape but for the ability to go almost instantly from P to LS...

However, while you could buy a Kirk L bracket (I have a Kirk for my D70) they are pretty much just as expensive..

I will be buying an L bracket for my D200 soon so another group buy may be on the cards....

[Oz_Beachside]

thanks for the feedback.

I see manfrotto make one, looks rock solid.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=283710
doesnt look like it would cater for the battery grip offset, but I dont think I'll mind the minor change to camera position.

Would a trigger ballhead be able to hold this setup?

[fozzie]

As MHD has mentioned, the other maker is Kirk Enterprises and they are marginally cheaper (with or without battery grip). FYI: http://www.kirkphoto.com/lbracketsn.html

The 'L' bracket will give you landscape and portrait positions. When not on a tripod the bracket could save damage to your camera should you accidentally drop it. I find it a wise investment.

fozzie

[Oz_Beachside]

just checking out the Kirk, and RRS, and wondering what stops the camera rotation within the bracket? do you just havfe to do them up really tight? if so, am I gaining anything related to my problem?

[Yi-P]

May I ask, why do you swap from landscape to portrait orientation on the tripod head with the 70-200? Didnt you flip the camera on the tripod collar on the lens itself?

I had no problem using similar setup (055+488) with same camera/lens and a SB800 on top (500g extra) and nothing happened as I turned from both orientations back and forth and even accidentally kicking the tripod.

[Onyx]

You may just need a beefier head - capable of heavier load.

I'm not sure I see how an L bracket for the camera would help in this situation, if you had the 70-200 tripod mounted, it should have been via the lens tripod collar, hence easily swivelled from landscape to portrait orientation. Unless the camera body was mounted to the tripod, and the big mofo of a lens hanging off it without further support!?!

[wendellt]

hi

if your using the 70-200 you dont need a L bracket to flip from portrait to landscape orientation

the 70-200 foot(tripod collar) can do that for you, the foot shoudl also be mounted on the tripod head rather than the camera body mounted via l- bracket, L -brackets are useful for combos camera body and lenses no bigger than the 28-70

if your using that combo and mounting from the camera body the whole rig is unbalanced it will certainly fall over

i got the RRS Arca swiss dovetail brakcet its expensive but you only have to buy it once, it's worth it, Kirk enterprises is marginally cheaper
It slides into any arca swiss dovtail tripod head and is stable

[Oz_Beachside]

May I ask, why do you swap from landscape to portrait orientation on the tripod head with the 70-200? Didnt you flip the camera on the tripod collar on the lens itself?

I had no problem using similar setup (055+488) with same camera/lens and a SB800 on top (500g extra) and nothing happened as I turned from both orientations back and forth and even accidentally kicking the tripod.

Silly me, yes, the tripod collar(bracket), which I took off as I like it without when handheld, was in the bag, at my feet, and would be much better than an L-Plate (thanks for the slap in the face reminder, just saved me lots of dough. Hmmm, just thinking what to do when I have a 28-70 on it).

[Oz_Beachside]

just searching now, can I get a manfrotto camera bracket/base which prevents camera rotation, which will click into the tripod head?

the standard one I have, has no capacity to prevent the camera slipping when in portrait.

I see some "wrap" around the camera base a little to prevent rotation (looking for one to fit the MB-D200 battery grip)

[Oz_Beachside]

this looks close, but would still slip if not tightly locked into the tripod base plate?


the PZ-110
http://www.kirkphoto.com/newplate1p.html

[Yi-P]

The plate has an anti-twist extrude from the base part and will not twist when mounted with heavier glasses.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/bld200gbig.jpg

You will still need a new tripod head to accommodate this L plate (Arca-Swiss style)

[Oz_Beachside]

The plate has an anti-twist extrude from the base part and will not twist when mounted with heavier glasses.

http://www.kirkphoto.com/bld200gbig.jpg

You will still need a new tripod head to accommodate this L plate (Arca-Swiss style)

thanks YiP!

I'm thinking to get the camera base, rather than Lplate (and use collar for heavier lens).

Does the camera base plate have the same "wrap around" as the l-plate (refer front and profile views in the link you gave me)?

[photograham]

Another thing we sometimes forget about is the placement of the legs of the tripod, especially when flipping the head. Probably in this situation, it is probably worthwhile to make sure that one of the legs is pointed to the side directly under the camera as this is where the camer/lens weight has been moved to.
Yes, it happened to a family member, so that's why we take more note these days of tripod led placement.

[Oz_Beachside]

what actually happended to me, was the camera rotated (lens swung down), as if the screw in the base was loose. Looking for a quickrelease base plate that has some mechanical way to prevent this, which is ideally matched to my manfrotto head. Or, matches something like the 322RC.

[johnd]

Bruce, if you are going to buy an L bracket for the D200, I would caution you not to buy the one that fits with the MBD200 grip attached. I have the one that fits with the MBD200 attached and if I had my time over I would buy the one that just fits the D200 without the grip. The reason is that the MBD200 allows too much flex when the whole setup is attached to a tripod using a L bracket.

Of course if you want a RRS L bracket to fit the MBD200, you can have mine if you buy me a RRS L bracket that just fits the D200. It'd save you a few dollars and make me happier.

Cheers
John

[Yi-P]

what actually happended to me, was the camera rotated (lens swung down), as if the screw in the base was loose. Looking for a quickrelease base plate that has some mechanical way to prevent this, which is ideally matched to my manfrotto head. Or, matches something like the 322RC.

You are looking at something like this:
Manfrotto 3157NR Anti-Twist Rectangular Quick Release Plate (RC2 System) with 1/4" Screw

A little DIY with a thin piece of metal with screw hole can save your pay.

[Matt. K]

johnd
That's very good advice and I concur.

[Oz_Beachside]

what actually happended to me, was the camera rotated (lens swung down), as if the screw in the base was loose. Looking for a quickrelease base plate that has some mechanical way to prevent this, which is ideally matched to my manfrotto head. Or, matches something like the 322RC.

You are looking at something like this:
Manfrotto 3157NR Anti-Twist Rectangular Quick Release Plate (RC2 System) with 1/4" Screw

A little DIY with a thin piece of metal with screw hole can save your pay.

Thanks YiP!!!! EXACTLY what I think will solve the problem.

I agree on the L-Bracket johnd refers to, it would flex some. The RRS looks like I might need to get an RRS head to benefit from it, not in budget for now. However, this manfrotto product solution should work for me, thanks Yip.

regards,
Oz