Arca-Swiss QR and Manfrotto 410

[JeffNesheim]

Hello,

I would like to use the arca-swiss style clamps and plates with my Sony a850 and my Manfrotto 410 head. I have a few questions for anyone who has accomplished this or something similar.

1. What's the best way to get arca-swiss style clamp onto the 410 head? I've seen the Kirk 3271 adapter and seen mention of screwing a RRS clamp directly to the 410 with the 410's qr lever removed for an extra hole.
2. How solid/secure is the Kirk adapter? Does it attach directly to the head, or use the plate that comes with the head? Assuming the head, does it use a screw or does it utilize the 410's QR?

3. What RSS clamp has the right hole spacing to attach to the 410 head? Or should I just attach a clamp to the manfrotto plate (is this secure?)?

Thanks for any insight, experience, and examples.
Jeff

[ccroft]

Here's a picture of RRS B2LR11 bolted directly to 410 after removing everything to do with the Manfro quick release. The center hole of this clamp is threaded for 3/8. This is lighter, shorter, less bulky and probably more rigid than using the Kirk adapter, which is why I did it.

There's a hole already there thru which you can attach the clamp to the head with a 3/8 bolt. I may have drilled it out a bit. While I was at it I took a jig-saw and file to the head to pare down the oversize platform. Working aluminum casting is pretty much like working hardwood, which is to say it's very easy.

You might notice the clamp is turned 90° to the usual way of mounting on this head. If you look close you might see 2 ridges on the top of the 410 which the clamp fits very nicely between for some added anti-twist. I got used to the orientation very quickly, but if you filed down the ridges you could mount in the usual way.

[JeffNesheim]

Thanks so much...this is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I don't suppose you can post or send me a couple more quick picks from a couple of other angles? Im not to handy with this sort of heavy chopping, but it seems to be a great solution.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

-Jeff

[uaiomex]

I'm waiting for a Manfrotto 410 with the small RC2 quick release to show up. Come on signori!
Eduardo

[ccroft]

Couple quick snapshots for your perusal. I was in this forum a few years ago looking for exactly this info, so hopefully it'll be helpful to others in the future. The schematic/parts list for the head might also be useful, so I attached that as well. If you look at the schematic, you can see there is a small part of the casting that stands up beyond the flat bed of the head that will get in the way of bolting the clamp down. I had to cut and file that down as well.

So this is just how I did it. The head could be hacked more or less drastically to taste, and the clamp can be oriented in at least one other direction. The way I did it happens to put the controls in the same relative positions as the Gitzo Rationales I believe.

I don't think you can do any harm. It's not difficult, and there's no need for precision beyond creating a flat surface for the clamp. With the Manfro plate off I think it's pretty obvious what you're up against. Not that much really.

I've been very happy with this. Until the D4 was announced that is. The FrankenHead was right at home on the big old Bogen legs, but seems a little top heavy on the gitzo series2 carbon. The D4 is supposed to be about a pound lighter and more compact. I'll find out for myself in a few weeks, Arca willing :-)

One other thing I'd like to share about this head: If you're at all inclined to take things apart, it's quite easy to renew the gears. The worm drive gear on the knob is brass, and it runs on an aluminum hub: Part R410.12 in the schematic. The hub has teeth the full 360° around, but on at least 2 of them you can only wear less than half. You can undo the aluminum hub and rotate it to get a completely new set of gears. It's the aluminum that gets all the wear. Grease it up while you're in there and it'll run like new.

[JeffNesheim]

Thanks again! All very helpful...I'm about ready to dive in and start hacking. Maybe a dumb question, but what do you use to cut, trim and file? Hacksaw of some sort and a metal file?

I'm going to order a clamp (either RRS or Markins) and start the work...Ill post some results in a couple weeks.

-Jeff

[ccroft]

Most of the work was done with an electric jig-saw with "bi-metal" blade. Then belt sander and aluminum file to touch-up and soften edges.

[ptakeuchi]

Jeff,

In case you haven't already performed surgery yet, I thought I'd pass along a custom solution, now a product, that I asked fellow photographer and clamp specialist Chris Hejnar to make for me. I've been late to the game at discovering the joys of the 410 head, mostly because I have never been a fan of Manfrotto's quick release system, so I emailed Chris a couple of months ago (after inquiring at RRS and Kirk for their solutions) about making a custom adapter plate for 405/410 heads so they could accommodate the arca swiss clamp system in an elegant fashion. In a month he made me a prototype which is quite frankly kick-ass in functionality and beauty. At $109, it's a great deal since you get the adapter and a great clamp. Check out his ebay product page which has photos here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Manfrotto-405-410-Arca-swiss-kirk-RRS-Markins-adapter-/330552413812?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf6758e74#ht_3001wt_952

Paul

P.S.--Full disclosure: though I worked with Chris to have this made, I have no other relationship with him except as satisfied customer.

[elliot_n]

At $109, it's a great deal since you get the adapter and a great clamp. Check out his ebay product page which has photos here:

Interesting.

Like the cannibalised head posted further up this thread, the clamp is orientated at 90 degrees to what I'm used to. Any reason for this?

I'm wanting to add an RRS lever clamp to my Manfrotto 410. At the moment I can't see a good reason for not simply attaching the RRS clamp to the Manfrotto QR plate. The Manfrotto plate seems very secure, provided the QR lever is pushed firmly to clamp the plate down tightly.

[ptakeuchi]

Elliot,

The orientation of the camera on the head has been discussed in various places. Personally I don't have any experience with working from either side, so can't comment authoritatively. If my memory serves right, I believe I read that the way the clamp is mounted now is advantageous for MF digital--something about clearance and tilt. At any rate, Hejnar drills the adapter in both directions so you can change the orientation to sideways, if that's what you like.

As for just attaching the RRS clamp to the Manfrotto QR plate, that will certainly work and that's what I was going to do until I emailed Hejnar. My feeling was that I wanted a solution that would be rock solid, clean, and would not add an additional chance for play. 2 QR plates together makes me feel a bit insecure. Also, since I didn't own an extra clamp, the choice was easy.

If you have any interest in a more elegant solution, you might want to email Chris and see if he will sell you just the adapter drilled out for the RRS clamp. He is very accommodating and fairly priced.

Paul

[elliot_n]

If you have any interest in a more elegant solution, you might want to email Chris and see if he will sell you just the adapter drilled out for the RRS clamp. He is very accommodating and fairly priced.

Sounds like a good idea - I'll get in touch with him.