M9 base plate from really right stuff

[david berry]

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Has anyone purchased the new M9 base plate and L plate from Really Right Stuff for putting on a tripod ? If yes how do you like it..I heard to is a tight fit on the bottom of a M9..

[likalar]

I followed a thread about that. Interesting read, and it seems the new batch fits well. Skip ahead to post #121 or thereabouts.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/113097-custom-l-bracket-m9.html

 

Larry

Edited September 11, 2010 by likalar

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[d2mini]

Have it and love it.

I have the original, and it's snug but in a good way. Super easy to get on and off, but tight enough to have absolutely zero play.

[gabriel]

I have the latest baseplate made specificaly for the M9 which is a perfect fit. The base of the M9 camera is a fraction larger than the M8 which resulted in the initial production being a tight fit.. RRS quickly replaced the tight baseplates FOC.

[Rick]

It is expensive junk. Why would anyone want this? It can split the base of they M9. Just tip the tripod over if you want portrait. I just don't get this expensive boutique "really wrong stuff." Ah, Leica fetishshists at its worst. Save your money and buy a lens. IMHO

 

Or check this out for an option: http://store.nodalninja.com/products/NN3-MKII-with-RD3L-6-8-10-Rotator-EZ-Leveler-II.html

Edited September 11, 2010 by RickLeica

[IcoLove]

It is expensive junk. Why would anyone want this? It can split the base of they M9. Just tip the tripod over if you want portrait. I just don't get this expensive boutique "really wrong stuff." Ah, Leica fetishshists at its worst. Save your money and buy a lens. IMHO

 

Or check this out for an option: NN3 MKII with RD3L 6-8-10 Rotator/EZ-Leveler-II

 

I'd rather the RRS plate to use with my small and light markins ballhead. The link you provided shows a giant and complex tool that would never end up in my bag for landscape work.

 

RRS makes quality products I have used for a long long time.

[hoppyman]

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Oh dear Rick! I thought that we had you convinced otherwise in previous threads on this. Expensive junk is maybe a little dramatic!

I'm not aware of any evidence that this can damage the base of your M9. I respectfully disagree on that.

 

Perhaps worth considering that the three components available from RRS are optional. You have the base plate itself, the L attachment and the grip. As we chatted about off list the grip part does not appeal to me personally but I haven't handled one at all.

 

The base plate adds little to the profile of the camera body, fits better than the original baseplate and is sturdier too. If you have a ballhead that is compatible then it is simply a no-brainer. If you want you can get a little and inexpensive bi-directional plate instead that screws into the tripod socket (bit still indexes solidly). Personally I think that the new baseplate is extremely good engineering and they are extremely well made too.

 

The L attachment is well made and perfect for portrait mounting on your tripod. When fitted it makes the camera awkward to hold by hand so I only use the complete assembly when I want the advantages of using a tripod. Ideally I would like to be able to quickly dismount just that part. However I can see why they have made the design decisions that they have. The M design and form factor is very different to dSLRs for example.

 

The whole thing really comes down to whether you want to mount your M9 on a tripod frequently. More specifically one with a RRS ballhead. For many people the answer will be no, in which case I can certainly understand that it would lack any utility appeal at all.

 

Here I am just learning some panorama techniques and doing more studio type portrait shots too. Five minutes with the camera in those situations and you might see just how well it all works.

That thingie that you linked is meant for multi row panoramas I guess and you can spend quite a lot of the RRS equivalents certainly. I know but it makes sense if you are in that system already. I never subscribed to the theory that M's are only for hand holding street stuff or whatever.

 

BTW "fetishshists" is maybe a bit tough but it also sounds rather painful! Try saying that quickly a few times:)

 

It is expensive junk. Why would anyone want this? It can split the base of they M9. Just tip the tripod over if you want portrait. I just don't get this expensive boutique "really wrong stuff." Ah, Leica fetishshists at its worst. Save your money and buy a lens. IMHO

 

Or check this out for an option: NN3 MKII with RD3L 6-8-10 Rotator/EZ-Leveler-II

Edited September 11, 2010 by hoppyman

[gib_robinson]

:

 

. . . . The whole thing really comes down to whether you want to mount your M9 on a tripod frequently. More specifically one with a RRS ballhead. For many people the answer will be no, in which case I can certainly understand that it would lack any utility appeal at all.

 

. . . Five minutes with the camera in those situations and you might see just how well it all works . . . .

 

I agree with Geoff. The L-Plate (no grip) goes on my camera when I take a tripod with me. It's extremely useful for moving the M9 from horizontal to vertical and aligning panoramas and it's extremely well engineered and well made. While I take the L-plate off when I am not expecting to work with a tripod, the profile of the L-plate is, for me, neither annoying nor heavy.

 

--Gib

[AlanJW]

Dear Rick,

 

What an outlandish and uninformed comment.

 

I have the RRS plate (2d version) and grip. Less expensive and better made than the Leica grip and for me better ergonomics. When I use a tripod it is also a great convenience. I do not have the "L" part as I don't need that. Expensive junk? By no means.

[The_hog]

To Gib - and others.

I am interested in getting this RRS base and the L acc.

What about getting the nodal point of your lens properly set for pano work.

Don't you need an extra slider to be able to adjust this.

Or is it maybe so small a thing that it doesn't matter.

[d2mini]

LOL, he's just trying to stir the pot again.

 

There is absolutely no way the RRS plate will damage the M9 under normal use any more than the OEM plate will. The only difference between the two is the ultra low profile l-bracket built into the bottom. I don't even have the "L" portion yet, and just love the base plate for attaching to my tripod in horizontal form. Until I order the L portion, i will just tilt my ballhead 90 degrees like Rick said.

 

IMHO, it beats the pants off any screw-in tripod bracket. It's more solid, won't move, doesn't have to be periodically tightened or checked for security, quicker to remove/install, and won't mar/damage the OEM plate.

 

I carry both OEM and RRS plates with me so I can use the OEM with my case, and if I need to use a tripod I can remove the case and swap plates. If I want to leave the case at home, I can leave the OEM plate at home and not have a second thought about it since the RRS plate looks and feels like a part of the M9.

[RoySmith]

To Gib - and others.

I am interested in getting this RRS base and the L acc.

What about getting the nodal point of your lens properly set for pano work.

Don't you need an extra slider to be able to adjust this.

Or is it maybe so small a thing that it doesn't matter.

 

I too agree with Geoff. I just got the new version of the RRS L-baseplate and it is masterfully engineered and crafted - as is your M9. It fits perfectly.

 

I have a full RRS pano set-up for spherical panos and am anxious to try the M9 on it. My set-up has a Manfrotto rotator which makes any number of evenly spaced images faster.

 

You are correct that for single row panos you need a nodal slide. RRS makes several:

1) MPR-CL is the shorter one with an integrated clamp. This would work with wider angle lens and should not be visible in the frame.

2) MPR-CL II is longer - good for telephoto lenses but may be visible in the frame of wide angle lenses.

3) The 192 FAS Package and The Precision Plus Package are the most versatile (and expensive) as they allow you to slide the camera along the rail for any length of lens.

 

The nice thing about these RRS components is you can add more pieces and use them as part of a multi-row 360° setup.

 

Roy

[chuckw]

I have the RRS base plate (new version) plus the grip. The ergonomics of this combination is outstanding. And, since I already use RRS quick release clamps, the new base with the low profile plate was a no brainer. I did not get the L bracket because I still wanted to keep the camera relatively small for hand holding. Of course the option is always there to add the L bracket should I feel I need it in the future.

[pico]

[...]

I have a full RRS pano set-up for spherical panos [...]

 

For so much money, one could get the simple plate to move the tripod mount to center, then use a Gigapan Unit.. I was skeptical until we got one and did a many-row panoramic using a little P&S. A reduced size print of about 8' long is in our engineering hall. It truly works well. Here is a picture from the bluff overlooking Winona, Minnesota, USA done with the Gigapan.

[Rick]

Good points, except the the ad hominem post that accuses of me being outlandish and uninformed . Outlandish maybe, but never uninformed! There is always one. But, the fact remains that the base plate and L-bracket still can't rotate around your nodal point. Especially useful (needed) if, you are doing panoramas. This thing increase the size of the already small and stealthy M. And, I'll bet I can flip the camera over to portrait with just the tripod ball head faster and easier than this. I don't want the extra baggage of anything unneeded if I can do the same or better with less, just my philosophy. Count me out on this one. Geoff, sorry, I thought fetishshists was German for one man's obsession is another's junk.

:D:D

Edited September 11, 2010 by RickLeica

[hoppyman]

For Rick:

I guess that you intended your post to provoke discussion. I do think that your remarks regarding 'expensive junk' and Leica fetishists at their worst warranted the responses though. I admit that is on my personal disliked Forum word list along with 'fanboys' although I rather like the version that you have coined to label us.

 

As far as rotating your camera to vertical when mounted on a ballhead normally being as good and as fast as with an L Plate instead. No, sorry you would lose that bet.

 

Firstly mounting/dismounting and positioning with a baseplate and a ballhead with the quick release lever is much faster, repeatable and stronger. It indexes perfectly and there is no risk of twisting nor slippage. Neither will it mark up your original base plate like a screw in head does.

Secondly the L plate attachment with its own centre marking is much faster to reposition and means that you camera is still centred exactly over the tripod . No drop notch needed, you don't lose several inches of height and get sideways displacement and the camera is not cantilevered away from the strongest support position either. I'll post some photos elsewhere in a while but you might consider in the meantime that skepticism lies close to paralysis in these matters Put more simply, if you tried this for yourself you would be convinced quickly.

 

To Gib - and others.

I am interested in getting this RRS base and the L acc.

What about getting the nodal point of your lens properly set for pano work.

Don't you need an extra slider to be able to adjust this.

Or is it maybe so small a thing that it doesn't matter.

 

Arni yes ideally you should have a 'nodal slide'. The shortest one works fine although it does not have the convenient engraved markings for repeatable settings. I don't know why they left those off this one but most cameras need the longer version. A panorama base makes life easier too (for levelling).

This (LUG Pearls) Wiki entry is just in draft currently but I am adding the point of least parallax (Entrance pupil) for various Leica M lenses and you may find it helpful.

Panorama Photography - LUG Pearls

Edited September 11, 2010 by hoppyman

[The_hog]

Geoff thank's for your reply. I made a crude conversion of an L-plate I own from my Nikon days. Use this for pano work with my Summarit 35mm. Would be great to see it's nodal point info in this nice Wiki / Leica website you have there under development.

[ldhrads]

I'll chime in with an affirmative hell yes for the base plate and l plate, I had the grip and liked it but I didn't want to carry my rig around that way most of the time. I leave the Lplate and base in the bag with the tripod so it's there when I need it. Rest of the time the M9 is in a half case and I"m happy.

[sblutter]

Luigi's base plate with doors for battery and SD card to me are the way to go. When studio shooting I'm always pulling out the card to check IQ on the computer while leaving the camera untouched on a tripod.

 

I'm really hoping the designers of the M10 incorporate these 2 functions - the nod to the M3 is dysfunctional.

 

I can't imagine a field pro not using one on assignment in rough conditions

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[hoppyman]

If you have your camera on a tripod and can access the battery and SD card doors of that replacement plate, you can more than likely just unlatch the current plate, or better still the RRS replacement (in portrait or landscape orientation) and lift the camera off. That is one of the fundamental benefits of the RRS design in the first place. It indexes very well back into position and is more rigid and strong than the Luigi plate.

Edited September 14, 2010 by hoppyman