Kirk vs Acratech plates for Mamiya 7 and Hasselblad - Page 2

jeroldharter · 07-15-2008, 08:22 PM

I have 3 different Acratech plates to use with an Acratech ball head. Very well made aluminum. No problems. Would buy again.

Andrey Donchev · 07-15-2008, 11:37 PM

Away from your question, but . . . . Have you thought about this regarding your Hasselblad. I had one and was very happy with it.

Terence · 07-15-2008, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrey Donchev

Away from your question, but . . . . Have you thought about this regarding your Hasselblad. I had one and was very happy with it.

Ooooooh . . . I'll have to look into that.

bwakel · 07-16-2008, 03:43 AM

I use the Kirk plate with my Mamiya 7II and they fit beautifully - low profile and don't affect the camera's operation. I also use Kirk plates on my Nikon FM2n and Leica M6, but their Mamiya plate is definitely the nicest of the lot.

fotch · 07-16-2008, 10:22 AM

I purchase a Acratech for my Nikon and later purchased Kirks and Really Right Stuff used on the bay. While the Acratech does work, they are cheaper (new) for a reason and I would never buy another one.
JMHO

jeroldharter · 07-16-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotch

I purchase a Acratech for my Nikon and later purchased Kirks and Really Right Stuff used on the bay. While the Acratech does work, they are cheaper (new) for a reason and I would never buy another one.
JMHO

What was the matter with the Acratech? I have one and am happy with it. They are all just a piece of aluminum with a screw.

fotch · 07-17-2008, 12:02 AM

The contact area was not flat and needed shims to make full contact with the camera plate. Without the shims the camera would be somewhat loose on the plate which makes it useless to mount on a tripod.

Although not as important, I found the stud design annoying. The threaded stud falls out of the plate when not attached as compared to the others that are machined so the remained attached to the plate.

Comparing the three of them side by side, the material, machining, and design of the Kirk & RRS made them my choice, YMMV.

Alan9940 · 07-19-2008, 03:52 PM

Hi Terence,

I use RRS plates on all my cameras mounted onto either the RRS BH-55 ballhead or the lightweight Acratech (original) ballhead. This combo has worked flawlessly for years. One caveat though...if the mounting plate on your ballhead uses a "quick clamp" style setup, then be VERY careful which plates you use. For example, RRS warns its customers that the Acratech plates are not safe to use with their ballheads. I think it has something to do with a very slight difference in height. Anyway, you should check this out if it applies to your situation. Ballheads with screw-type clamps are not an issue; apparently, they're okay with any plate.

Hope this helps.