QR (Quick Release)

[Badrottie]

Last weekend I was playing with new Joby GorillaPod tripod (SLR-Zoom model) with my Canon Powershot SX50 HS. I had to hook QR on the camera and it allows me to release it from mount easily but I am wondering about you professional photographer... do you always leave QR on your camera when it is not in use?

Just curious that is all. If you don't understand my english grammar it is because english is not my primary language. Thank you.

 

[logista]

I leave my QR on because I mostly use my camera on a tripod. It has a loop on the screw that lets me attach it to my camera strap if I'm going walking around.

 

[The Bad Guy]

Yeah, mine's always on. Which is kinda weird now that I think about it...I hardly ever use a tripod.

 

[ChrisA]

I always remove the QR plate from my Nikon SLRs. But then I use a really hefty QR system that I bought back when I was mostly shooting with bigger cameras before I down sized to SLRs. Those using a smaller QR plate might be tempted to leave it on the camera. Some larger lens have tripod mounts on them and I leave QR plates on those lines as I would never hand hold them.

 

[Badrottie]

I asked because I noticed QR blocked access to battery door so I guess I have to remove QR when I am not using my camera. I would love to leave it on oh well thanks all who replied.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I have one on each body, but neither block battery door acsess.

 

[kenoh]

I am mildly OCD so I always remove it and put it back on my tripod, then fit it back to the camera when I am about to use it... :-(

 

[MCAsan]

The wife and I always put L plates on all our camera bodies. Those are ArcSwiss compatible and work equally well with a clamp that uses lever type arms or traditional screws. The best source for such plates is Really Right Stuff. RRS makes some of the best tripods, ballheads, clamps, and related photo hardware. BTW, RRS stuff is not inexpensive.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Shop/Camera-Plates-L-Plates/

 

[monokakata]

I have Wimberly Arca-Swiss plates on all my bodies, and I never take them off. They don't cover the battery doors, are light, narrow, thin, and I hardly notice that they're there.

I went through Manfrotto's and Gitzo's own plates -- and really didn't like them (big, cumbersome, hard to fit and hard to get into the heads) -- before I settled on Arca-Swiss compatibility. I don't know why it took me so long, but once I did I've never looked back.

 

[Laird Knox]

It isn't much of a quick release plate if you removed it every time.

I just picked up a new QR plate for my 100 year old camera.

 

[monokakata]

I just picked up a new QR plate for my 100 year old camera.

Deftly doing a QR on the thread topic -- say something about that 100 year old camera, please.

 

[MiniD3]

Hi There,
Best options are an Arca Swiss plate,
many high end manufacturers like RRS, (Really Right Stuff), design the camera specific and that usually gives
access to batteries and cables,
But the good ones are expensive, some come with L plates as well enabling a quick switch to portrait mode
......Gary

 

[MCAsan]

I can't imagine having a DSLR or serious mirrorless without an L plate. No other way to go portrait orientation on a tripod and keep the same height and keep the camera and lens weight centered over the tripod. The exception would be a long lens with a ring and foot. The ring would let you rotate the camera body and lens.

 

[monokakata]

I can't imagine having a DSLR or serious mirrorless without an L plate. No other way to go portrait orientation on a tripod and keep the same height and keep the camera and lens weight centered over the tripod.

That's technically true about the centering and height, but I've never had problems just dropping my camera down into the 90 degree slot on my Arca-Swiss ballhead. True, when I use a big lens, I use a Wimberley Sidekick and a foot and ring mount on the lens. Without a sturdy tripod, off-center could be a problem, but with one I don't think it's necessarily an issue. For me, the advantage of a single small plate far outweighs any centering and height disadvantages. Obviously this is all a matter of what one's used to.

 

[MCAsan]

For those that may still not know what L plates are and why they make sense.

 

[Laird Knox]

Deftly doing a QR on the thread topic -- say something about that 100 year old camera, please.

It is an 8x10 King camera from the Rochester Camera Co. They produced the King model between 1897 and 1903. I've had it for a few weeks and have only been able to run two pieces of film through it so far.

It is a real pain to thread the tripod 1/4 - 20 into the mount. I'm hoping that I can still fit the camera in the case with the QR plate attached. It would make life so much easier. Even if that doesn't work it should be much easier to attach the QR plate to the camera rather than the camera to the tripod.

Incidentally, the black and white photos in the background were taken with a 20 year old Toyo-View 45G. The one on the upper right is eight exposures on one piece of film.

 

[monokakata]

Beautiful camera.

 

[Apple fanboy]

It is an 8x10 King camera from the Rochester Camera Co. They produced the King model between 1897 and 1903. I've had it for a few weeks and have only been able to run two pieces of film through it so far.

It is a real pain to thread the tripod 1/4 - 20 into the mount. I'm hoping that I can still fit the camera in the case with the QR plate attached. It would make life so much easier. Even if that doesn't work it should be much easier to attach the QR plate to the camera rather than the camera to the tripod.

Incidentally, the black and white photos in the background were taken with a 20 year old Toyo-View 45G. The one on the upper right is eight exposures on one piece of film.

What you don't use this hand held?
Sometimes I find the weight and bulk of all my gear annoying. Then you post something like this, and it reminds me how easy we have it compared to the earlier pioneers of photography.
How's the gallery working out? Things going ok?

 

[Laird Knox]

The gallery is great. Definitely not a money maker but that was my expectation going into it. I looked at it as an evolutionary step.

Yeah, can you imagine what some of those early pioneers would think of the iPhone camera? Sure beats dragging 16x20 glass plates and a "mobile" darkroom into the wilds on the back of a burro.