Why do manufacters not implement usablity features to help differentiation?

[dwswager]

Was just wondering why some simple things aren't done to help drive sales. 

The one I was thinking of recently was lens mounting.  I found myself with a new lens and no way to mount it to a tripod or monopod because I hadn't ordered a mounting plate yet.  I'm biased because I use Arca Swiss clamps and plates.  Why not build the Arca Swiss dovetail into your lens feet?  It is about the same width as most lens collar feet now and would add just a tad in weight and height to the foot design.  And it would not prevent screw mounting or other attachment options.

I don't know how prevalent the Arca Swiss (Original) use is in the field, but I would suspect, if lenses came standard with the dovetail, it would increase significantly.

[Paul2660]

I am sure that one of the reasons is that there is not "Arca" standard.  RRS Arca style mounts are wider than Arca style mounts, etc.

With the older RRS lever clamps, which I own, you can't clamp a Arca camera, like the rm3di, as the clamp will not make enough tension.  Supposedly this has been fixed in later versions.  On the Arca D4 geared lever release, it's a constant hassle to adjust the width of the clamp, as I go between Kirk, Arca and RRS plates.

Paul C

[langier]

Cluelessness. I think the ergonomic engineers live and work in a cable-farm vacuum, a virtual black-hole and figure that a 1/4x20 hole in the bottom of the camera will be all you need and maybe not at all since many of the newer cameras & lenses now have built-in IS so you don't really need a set of sticks.

However, the new grip for the Olympus Pen-F does have this feature, though you still have to buy it separately and still use the 1/4x20 hole.

I would be happy if the manufacturers would simply keep the bases consistent from model-to-model, especially for their constant iterations so that the custom plates I buy for one model will work on its replacement, instead of every model it's own.

For my m43 cameras, I've decided to have one custom L bracket for one body (expensive) and leave the rest generic (adequate and cheap) for simplicity and economy, though things seem to work fine simply changing the format from 4:3 to 1:1 for vertices, just like the good old days of shooting film with my 'blad and Rollieflex TLR.

Even on one of my high-res cameras, I said screw-it and simply used the older L-bracket though it doesn't fit perfectly, it does work. Simply getting tired of the hidden "upgrade tax" each newer camera takes to make it fit into workflow.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

What you describe is a painful reality. I have only plates from Acratech, RRS and Hejnar and those are compatible with my RRS level type clamps. My Stackshot also has an RRS compatible bottom plate.

But I bought some gear from Sunwayphoto and that did not at all work with my clamps and my HCam Master TS IIcomes with a Novoflex base plate that also doesn't work with my clamps.

Best regards
Erik

I am sure that one of the reasons is that there is not "Arca" standard.  RRS Arca style mounts are wider than Arca style mounts, etc.

With the older RRS lever clamps, which I own, you can't clamp a Arca camera, like the rm3di, as the clamp will not make enough tension.  Supposedly this has been fixed in later versions.  On the Arca D4 geared lever release, it's a constant hassle to adjust the width of the clamp, as I go between Kirk, Arca and RRS plates.

Paul C

[dwswager]

I am sure that one of the reasons is that there is not "Arca" standard.  RRS Arca style mounts are wider than Arca style mounts, etc.

With the older RRS lever clamps, which I own, you can't clamp a Arca camera, like the rm3di, as the clamp will not make enough tension.  Supposedly this has been fixed in later versions.  On the Arca D4 geared lever release, it's a constant hassle to adjust the width of the clamp, as I go between Kirk, Arca and RRS plates.

Paul C

Yes, I've seen that, but the new Arca Swiss mounting is substantially changed.  Arca Swiss management should have their balls crushed in a vice.  I've been using RRS stuff since you had to call Kathy and Brian on the phone to order.  RRS made The original Arca Swiss dovetail into a "standard" and Arca Swiss changed for no logical reason.  I have the B2 that came with an irremovable clamp so I know the old plates are a little bit wider than Arca's new stuff.

I own a relatively expensive RRS flash bracket over the $35 Stroboframe that worked perfectly fine for my needs because not only does it fold smaller, but it clamps onto the Arca Dovetail of the L-Bracket on the camera and itself has a dovetail so the whole rig can be clamped onto the tripod head.