Is there an SL Quick release Plate for a Leica Ball Head 38?

[hmathias]

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I like minimalist tripods & heads. I hardly ever use them in my photography, so I want them to be tiny. I now have a Leica Ball Head 38 & and the last Leica Traveler tripod ever sold.

 

Does anyone know if Leica is planning to make a Ball head camera shoe plate with the holes drilled for the ¼-20 screw and locating pin of an SL?

 

I know that other companies make great quick release plate, but they are big and don't fit the Leica Ball Head 38.

 

I tried to have a local machinist drill and tap two more holes in a spare Leica plate, but with the large existing central hole there isn't enough metal left to drill 2 more holes. They would have to machine a new blank plate, and I would rather have Leica do that. Their improvement of the SL, created the need for this new plate, after all.

 

Thanks!

 

Harry 

[JASP]

Hello Harry,

 

I'm working with a SL and 2 24-280mm zooms, also working with Ball Head 38 & 24 ;

 

- Removed the connectiongs on the ballhead (1 minute in hot water and you can unscrew them)

- Placed a tiny Quick-connector Novoflex Q-Mount on both ballheads. ( before that i tried a q-connector from FLM, was not working properly)

- Took an old Wiberly plate (BS100) and removed 2 cm from it.

 

And all was working and mini!

 

 

Regards,   Jan

[rriley]

RRS makes a very nice small plate designed for Point and Shoot cameras.  I do not think that it is shown on their Internet site.  They come with a cork backing which must be removed for stability with an SL.

[hmathias]

Both good suggestions, which I thank you for. it is odd that Leica created this problem of incomparability between two of their products and then didn't solve it. 

 

Leica adding the "non-Rotating' pin to the SL is a good idea, but placing the ¼-20 thread so close to the rear edge of the camera makes a standard dovetail plate stick out in back of the camera, and this is awkward. You need a custom machined off-center mounting plate to work correctly. 

 

It doesn't look like either of the suggested plates will fit flush with the back of the SL, am I wrong?

 

Harry

[FlashGordonPhotography]

The lightest tripod plate I have used is the Peak design pro plate. It's very small and light but still fits my Arca Swiss D4. Once screwed on properly with the hex key there's no movement whatsoever. It doesn't have a locator pin but the plate surface is very grippy when attached.

 

https://www.peakdesign.com/catalog/product/view/id/14/s/proplate/category/3/

 

 

Gordon

[elwyn]

I asked Leica the same question last month, as the Carbon Traveller Tripod and 38 BallHead were fine when I had the M system, but since moving to the SL (very happy with the switch) the Plate isn't as secure as I'd like it to be when using longer lenses.

Below is the response I got:

"For the ball Head we just have one plate , maybe another tripod will be better for the SL.

In the next weeks we´re getting new tripods so please stay tuned. J"

[hmathias]

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I asked Leica the same question last month, as the Carbon Traveller Tripod and 38 BallHead were fine when I had the M system, but since moving to the SL (very happy with the switch) the Plate isn't as secure as I'd like it to be when using longer lenses.

Below is the response I got:

"For the ball Head we just have one plate , maybe another tripod will be better for the SL.

In the next weeks we´re getting new tripods so please stay tuned. J"

 

Thank you for this information. I was afraid of this. I may ask a machinist friend of mine to make a new plate to fit the Ball Head, with a locating pin and screw. There is no reason why that can't work well on a plate that isn't already drilled with a hole in the center. my 38 ball head is brand new, and should be fine for the SL, even with a heavy zoom, I don't now own any SL zooms, and I may not get them, because I like the M lenses so much. 

 

Harry

[hmathias]

The lightest tripod plate I have used is the Peak design pro plate. It's very small and light but still fits my Arca Swiss D4. Once screwed on properly with the hex key there's no movement whatsoever. It doesn't have a locator pin but the plate surface is very grippy when attached.

 

https://www.peakdesign.com/catalog/product/view/id/14/s/proplate/category/3/

 

 

Gordon

Thank you, that does look like the most minimal plate. Will it fit flush with the back of the SL, when attacthed? Or does it stick out in back?

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Thank you, that does look like the most minimal plate. Will it fit flush with the back of the SL, when attacthed? Or does it stick out in back?

 

As it is shipped it actually sticks out toward the front a bit. However it is very easy to drill a new hole so it fits the with of the base almost perfectly.

 

Because I use a tripod so often my preference has been to use a RRS base on my SL. But that adds weight and bulk to the camera. Of course it looks like part of the camera and fits perfectly.

 

Gordon

[ramarren]

I use one of two plates with the SL, both are for Arca-Swiss style tripod clamps: 

 

ReallyRightStuff B9E :: 32g, very small and compact, can be fitted in clamps in either direction : This one is particularly useful if I'm using an R lens with the double-stack of adapters and the R Adapter M tripod foot. It can be fitted such that the two securing hex bolts from foot to adapter can be undone without removing the plate. The plate sits about 1/4 inch offset from the lens centerline in the clamp when on the adapter tripod foot, and a bit more than that when fitted to the camera base. 

 

ReallyRightStuff BP-CS :: 45g, hand-strap attachment eyelets : This the one I use most of the time. The clamping is across the camera baseplate horizontally and it has a center line index mark. I don't use the eyelets but it's convenient when doing close-up/macro work as it allows sliding the camera from side to side (up to about 1.5 cm) for minor adjustments in position without moving the camera stand or tripod. 

 

Both these plates have a ridge to align them to camera body (or tripod foot) in order to prevent twisting. I fit them on the camera body with the ridge forward so the plate doesn't stick out at the rear at all. They both mount to camera or tripod foot absolutely solidly, no movement at all, with a light torque on the securing bolt. Both are small enough to leave on the camera all the time and just add a small lump in the center of the camera baseplate. 

[hmathias]

I use one of two plates with the SL, both are for Arca-Swiss style tripod clamps: 

 

ReallyRightStuff B9E :: 32g, very small and compact, can be fitted in clamps in either direction : This one is particularly useful if I'm using an R lens with the double-stack of adapters and the R Adapter M tripod foot. It can be fitted such that the two securing hex bolts from foot to adapter can be undone without removing the plate. The plate sits about 1/4 inch offset from the lens centerline in the clamp when on the adapter tripod foot, and a bit more than that when fitted to the camera base. 

 

ReallyRightStuff BP-CS :: 45g, hand-strap attachment eyelets : This the one I use most of the time. The clamping is across the camera baseplate horizontally and it has a center line index mark. I don't use the eyelets but it's convenient when doing close-up/macro work as it allows sliding the camera from side to side (up to about 1.5 cm) for minor adjustments in position without moving the camera stand or tripod. 

 

Both these plates have a ridge to align them to camera body (or tripod foot) in order to prevent twisting. I fit them on the camera body with the ridge forward so the plate doesn't stick out at the rear at all. They both mount to camera or tripod foot absolutely solidly, no movement at all, with a light torque on the securing bolt. Both are small enough to leave on the camera all the time and just add a small lump in the center of the camera baseplate. 

 

Thank you, Ramarren!

 

You are right, this is probably the most practical and minimal solution.

 

Harry