Lens mounting Bracket

[pez]

What i would really like is for Fuji to make the tripod end of the 55-140 and 100-400 lens mounting bracket in the form of the Arca Swiss mounting.  The Arca Swiss mounting is used on very cheap tripod heads as well as the pro stuff - why not? Another good idea would be to make the 2 mounting brackets the same. It may sound silly but it is definitely not. A cradle adapter from the big lens would work.  Any competent machinest would enjoy this simple challenge.

Edited February 8, 2017 by pez

[milandro]

well, it is incredibly easy to mount a plate under the lens mount to fit an arca clamp on your tri or mono-pod. they are available in all sizes, prices and quality. If Fuji would make this as a standard they would limit the ability to be used on a head with the screw fitting alone and this costs WAY less that if they would do it.

 

[Mike G]

Replacement feet are available, I bought one from Hejnar.

 

http://www.hejnarphotostore.com/

Edited February 8, 2017 by Mike G

[Guest mikEm13]

Thanks for the link Mike G

[pez]

Thanks Mike just the job - ouch the price.  Milandro, thanks for the suggestion, I already have bolt on plates very cheap($15) direct from China.  My point was OEM's should have a wider eye on what would be good to incorporate in what is expensive kit rather than look to the aftermarket for solutions.  The interest in ARCA Swiss mount seems quite wide, Body mounted brackets are very popular, changing from landscape to portrait using a ball head tripod heat is a fiddle.  The problem I have is I wont a bracket for my X-T2 like the one on the X-T1 ie with finger grip.  The current X-T2 brackets don't have the finger grip. I am sure it will happen soon - it just need patients.

[Rand47]

Just get a nice arca Swiss plate and attach to the stock Fuji foot.

 

Rand

[Mike G]

Milandro, how does Fuji making its lens bolt on feet Arca Swiss comparable hinder using a screw on tripod head?

[milandro]

OP wants fuji to make its bracket Arca compatible when all that one has to do to transform it into an arca plate is to mount an arca plate UNDER the Fuji bracket of the lens ( what’s difficult about that?).

 

This makes it possible to use the lens on an arca compatible head OR on a normal non-arca one, costs pennies and is done in seconds.

 

Besides, there is no need to spend hundreds of whatever currencies you use. 

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20170214003539&SearchText=arca+swiss+plate

 

All of these adapter-plates or clamps ( I have several and you can find the ones that are very well made too) can be bought for very much less on line ( ebay, Aliexpress). I’ve just modified a pistol grip ( which I believe would be great for any 100-400 user) to accept a mini arca clamp ( there are even smaller ones) measuring 32mm to take my camera (equipped with an arca-clone L bracket) when shooting with any heavy lens.It will also be possible to use the pistol grip between camera and monopod to improve your steady shot with one.

Edited February 14, 2017 by milandro

[Mike G]

Milandro, OK, but how does making the supplied feet Arca Swiss compatible stop any use of a screw on tripod head or other device? You didn't answer that point?

Of course it doesn't! The Arca Swiss fitting is fast becoming the defacto method of fixing cameras or lenses to other devices!

Edited February 14, 2017 by Mike G

[milandro]

If you have a manfrotto or the older gitzo head with their quick plate, for example, you can’t use it. What is “ de facto” for you it is not for all the people in the world. it costs pennies to mount another plate under the one that fuji provides, this proposed “ improvement" is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.

Edited February 14, 2017 by milandro

[pez]

Milandro, my proposal would in no way compromise what Fuji do.  All I suggested was an improvement and not intended as a solution to a problem that doesn't seem to be there, Mike makes that abundantly clear.  I use a Manfrotto tripod  with a Sirui head (It only cost $20 from a dealer) that was my introduction to Swiss Arca - then I added the bracket for my X-Pro1 first. Finally, I am glad for you Milandro if you think the $20 or so is pennies to you.

[Mike G]

Milandro, this is the Hejnar replacement tripod foot attached to my 50-140mm lens, please note the two threaded holes, allowing all sorts of gizmos to the foot! 

 

Its only drawback is the price!

 

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Edited February 14, 2017 by Mike G

[milandro]

exactly as I suggested, add a plate and that’s that. 

 

The Hejnar is way too expansive, methinks. There is nothing highly technological in a plate like this. Any decent plate would have sufficed and some.

 

This $5 ( just a little more than a bag of good brand peanuts)  plate would have worked perfectly ( it has all sorts of possibilities to be used and if you dont like this go back to the previous link and find 100 other ones)

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Universal-PU100-Quick-Release-Plate-for-Camera-Benro-Arca-Swiss-Tripod-Ball-Head/32290618761.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.96.KMP90S&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_2_10065_10000073_10068_10501_10000074_10503_10000032_119_10000030_10000026_10000023_10000069_10000068_10060_10062_10056_10055_10000062_10054_10000063_10059_10099_10000020_10000013_10103_10102_10000016_10096_10000056_10000059_10052_10053_10107_10050_10106_10051_10000097_10000094_10000053_10000007_10000050_10084_10083_10000100_10080_10000047_10082_10081_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_10115_10000041_10000044_10078_10079_10000038_10073_10000035_10122_10123_10121_10124-10503_10501,searchweb201603_1,afswitch_4,ppcSwitch_5,single_sort_3_default&btsid=4e3ada03-d782-4281-b057-c1128c67ee57

 

 

But I agree, I wouldn’t have spent $100 ~ $300 though but to each his own.

 

However, even if you sped the money that you spent for this lens and then think that $20 is a lot of money. for a Lens which costs nearly a couple of thousand ...Well, what can anyone say about this logic.

Edited February 14, 2017 by milandro

[Mike G]

Milandro, I agree with your comment on the price, my reason for going for this option is that when using a Manfrotto five sided plate mounted on a Nikon lens a 300mm f4 PF Nikkor the plate did not engage properly and the lens and camera hit the floor luckily carpeted. After that I ditched that plate system toot sweet! So now I'm not in favour of screw on plates. But it was an expensive option to pick.

 

Damned good job I'm an eccentric millionaire, well I assume that somewhere in the world there is a currency in which I'm a millionaire!

[milandro]

As written and shown above, there are literally hundreds of plates and plate makers to chose from and many are of the same quality if not better, than some expensive ones.

 

I have, for example, modified my tripod head and acquired a new arca clamp which was better than the original one.

 

This arca compatible clamp was easily mounted and then I use a number of plates to mount many other accessories, They exist in all manner of sizes and manufactured in all sorts of quality.

 

Consequently one has an enormous choice.

 

This for example is a UK importer.

 

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/QR-120-Clamp-Adapter-For-Quick-Release-Plate-1-43-8Arca-SWISS-RSS-Tripod-/282340528020?hash=item41bcce8f94:g:CfYAAOSw241Yi2Oc

 

This only costs £15.

 

 

Doing a little of homework pays great dividends in this field. Anyway one may go immediately to the easiest and readily available brands at the shop around the corner,  so one could spend hundreds ( choose the currency at will) for an original Arca Swiss plate and tripod head to follow suit, and although they are beautifully made they perform more and less at the same level than so many and so much cheaper accessories would.

 

I for one, attempt being frugal and resourceful ( as I always endeavor to be) and if possible seek the best solution choosing accessories among the makers of, cheap as inexpensive fries, photographic accessories.

 

In this way I’ve saved lots of money.

Edited February 14, 2017 by milandro

[Mike G]

Milandro, I appreciate what you are saying, but I chose a different route albeit a more expensive route!

 

But what you say doesn't mean that Fuji couldn't make their foot Arca Swiss compatible, it would cost them virtually nothing extra!

Edited February 14, 2017 by Mike G

[milandro]

No, I am sure that they would have to pay considerable royalties to the proprietary system design OWNED by Arca Swiss, royalties that are , shall we say, “ forgotten” by the Chinese makers.

 

ARCA SWISS is a proprietary system, Fuji couldn’t simply, as the Chinese makers do, forget to pay Arca, for the privilege. (look it up, it is a proprietary system),

 

RRS for example is expensive because they pay the royalties and also the brand that you suggest above, given its price, does that too, hence the price. 

 

There isn’t much free I am afraid when it comes to proprietary systems.

Edited February 14, 2017 by milandro

[JJ_SO]

First of all, Arca Swiss is no longer a Swiss based company. Second, the Arca Swiss swallow tail - as far as the common one (marketed by Arca Swiss, France under "Classic") is concerned - is no longer patent protected. Their clamps are and a newer swallow tail plate (Monoball Fix) as well.

 

Otherwise Arca could stop machining expensive ballheads and clamps and make a living by sueing the patent thieves 

 

I actually don't see a good reason for Fuji not to offer Arca-type plates. Tamron does include them with their 150-600 G2 and 70-200 G2 and it's great to have not another part to buy and fiddle with. For Sigma Tele-lenses in Sports version, there's a TS-81 available. Pretty expensive at around 200.- € but improves the balance of their 150-600 Sports on a Gimbal a lot. Just putting a longer plate underneath? Why not, it just feels sharper in my hand when carrying the heavy lens. I prefer the TS-81 any time.

 

There's a bit a downside, unfortuantely: There are a couple of clamps on the market which don't fix the plate by tightening a screw but using a "real" quick-release technique. A lever like that one from Arca

 

Or a click-module like that from FLM

I'm nearly sure RRS has something similar. The Arca version can be found as a cheap (and cheaply designed) copied version from China. I tried it and I'm not recommending it. But eben the very expensive Arca clamp has a weak spot which is abolt made out of ordinary steel without any surfae protection, starts to rust soon.

 

Especially the FLM version is in terms of handling very similar to Manfrotto's 410 PL and 200 PL: You put the camera into the clamp - click - fixed and cannot longer escape the clamp. One hand is enough for that. Downside with the FLM system: It's not 100% compatible to real Arca plates, the dimension of the swallowtail is highly critical. Most plates don't fit into the FLM clamps without a bit of milling 

 

The Tamron foot would need some work to fit in, I hesitate to do so. But I don't doubt Tamron has made it according to Arca specs - and the Arca lever clamp can be adjusted, contrary to FLM.

 

On the other side, Fuji also sells grips with Arca-swallowtail (not many camera manufacturers do so...) Like milandro said, doing the Arca swallowtail would not cost much more than the normal foot of the 100-400. Which I find ridiculously small, by the way. I'm alwas a fan of "if you can do it well at nearly the same price, do it well".

Edited February 27, 2017 by JJ_SO

[milandro]

if they wanted or could do that they would have already done it, if they don’t they have their reasons.

[JJ_SO]

So, camera plates with Arca swallow-tail are possible, tripod-feet with swallow-tails not? Somehow this reasoning doesn't convince me. 

[pez]

Hi Folks, I thought this subject was finished BUT...... referring back to my original post yesterday I came across a number of people who expressed there thoughts on having a ArcaSwiss mount on big lens, also TAMRON think its a  good idea as they have done it on(at least) 2 of their lens that I know about TAMRON 70-200 VC G2 and the 150-600C lens. I found this information on YouTube, there are loads of contributions.

 

To conclude PLEASE Mr Fuji adopt ArcaSwiss mounts on your big lens.