Arca
Swiss style plates and clamp cross reference (last updated
All claim to be Arca Swiss compatible, but looking at them in detail, one can see that this is not always true.
The dovetail plates have slight width, height and slant variations that can lead to incompatible combinations.
In addition, some vendors
have lever clamps that work only over a smaller width/height range
then their knob based clamps.
This table covers only knob based
clamps unless otherwise noted.
General dovetail shapes are
used by other vendors as well, but with measures pronouncedly more
different
so that I do not want to put them in the table as
they are not even meant to be Arca compatible.
If you have any first hand experience as to which clamps work with which plates, please e-mail me at afx@afximages.com so that I can update the table.
And if you are an AfterShot user, you might want to check my latest project, The AfterShot Survival Guide at http://aftershotsurvivalguide.com/.
|
Clamps: |
Acratech |
Arca Swiss |
Benro/Induro |
Burzynski/ |
Feisol |
FLM |
Foba |
Giottos |
Graf |
Hama
|
Kirk |
Markins |
Novoflex |
PhotoClam |
Pro Media Gear |
RRS |
Sunway |
Wimberley |
Plates: |
Safety catch |
Pin |
|
Lever pin |
Lever |
Lever pin |
Lever |
|
Pin |
|
|
|
Pin |
Pin |
|
|
|
|
|
Acratech |
Pin groove |
works |
works |
|
|
|
too small |
works |
|
|
|
works |
|
|
|
|
works (only in screw clamps, not in lever) |
|
works |
Arca Swiss |
|
works |
works |
|
|
works |
|
works |
|
works |
works |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Benro/Induro |
Pin groove |
|
|
works |
|
works (safety pin not effective) |
|
|
|
works |
|
|
Works (pin does not catch) |
QR-1 works in Q-Mount Induro PHQ1 might not work with Castel L |
|
works |
works |
|
|
Burzynski |
|
|
works |
|
works |
|
|
|
|
works |
works |
works |
works mostly (one reports of a plate which is too small) |
works |
|
|
works |
|
works |
Feisol |
Ping groove |
|
works |
works (safety pin not effective) |
|
works |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
works in Castel-Q |
|
|
|
|
|
FLM |
locking groove for FLM/Graf |
|
|
|
FLM plates work in Graf clamp. Safety catch works, but plate is off center. |
|
works |
|
plate too narrow |
|
|
plate too narrow |
plate too narrow |
works in Q-Mount, not Q-base |
|
plate too narrow |
plate too narrow |
|
|
Foba |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
works |
|
|
|
|
works |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Giottos |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Works sliding in |
|
|
|
works |
Not in Castel-Q |
|
|
|
|
works |
Graf |
locking groove for FLM/Graf |
|
Too narrow |
|
works |
|
plate too narrow |
|
|
works |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kirk |
Stopper screws |
works |
works |
works (after removal of safety pin for some heads, some can keep it) |
|
works (safety pin not effective) |
plate too high |
|
works sliding in, but not in all Giotto clamps (sample variance) |
|
works |
works |
works |
L-Bracket not in older Castel-Q Q-Mount, Q-Base work LRP-1- QPL-2 works |
|
works |
works |
works |
works |
Markins |
Pin groove |
|
|
works after removal of safety pin |
|
works |
too small |
works |
works |
|
|
works |
works |
works also in Q-Base and Castel-Q |
|
works |
works |
|
Some
plates slip through |
Novoflex |
|
|
works |
mostly works after removal of safety pin Qplate might not work in B00 Induro PHQ1 does not work with Castel L |
works |
|
works |
|
works sliding in |
works |
works |
works |
works |
works |
|
|
works mostly (screw only) QPL3 does not fit in B2pro |
QP-2 slides through DDC-1G |
works |
PhotoClam |
|
|
|
too thick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
works |
|
|
works |
|
|
|
|
Pro Media Gear |
Stopper screws |
works |
|
works |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
works |
works |
|
|
works |
works |
|
works |
RRS |
Stopper screws |
works |
works |
|
|
|
plate too high |
works |
works after removal of safety pin |
|
works |
works |
works |
Works, Not in older Castel-Q |
|
|
works |
|
works |
Sunway |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
too wide for lever clamp |
|
|
Wimberley |
Stopper screws |
works |
works |
|
|
|
|
|
works sliding in |
|
works |
|
works |
works |
|
|
works |
|
works |
If
a clamp works with various of the more well known plates and vice
versa, the chances are,
it will work in other combinations that
have a high “works” ratio in the table above.
The
measures below can be used as an indication whether a plate might fit
into a clamp.
What is not shown there is the height of the
lower edge and the angle (usually 45°).
The
measures have been taken by helpful readers. Although provided at one
decimal place after the point,
they might not be as accurate as
this indicates, not everybody is a guru with a sliding ruler, least
of all me ;-)
(the measures I received on one and the same clamp
vary by 0.5mm) and the clamps are not easy to measure accurately when
open.
Still, it should give you good indication.
Vendor |
Web site |
Plate |
Plate Width |
Clamp opening |
Comments |
Acratech |
CC, P, PR, GAT |
|
|
The stopper pin of the plates might be annoying in non Acratech clamps that do not have a hollow bottom. |
|
Arca Swiss |
|
P |
|
33.4 – 37.6 / 34.1 –
38.6 |
The classic. Clamp measures are from the 60mm and 84mm versions. Measurement shows sample variation. |
Benro/ |
P |
38.0 / 32.8 5.0 |
33.9 – 35.8 |
Stopper pin in clamp might need to be removed for other plates to work. I do have reports about Benro L plates not working with the DJ90. |
|
Burzynski |
No Internet contact, address: Rainer Burzynski
|
L, P, LRF, LCR |
39.5 / 32.6
|
30.4 – 34.5 37.4 – 41.5 N/A |
Custom mounting systems (he will custom produce lens support systems etc...). Request the catalog by phone or fax. Some products are also available via Isarphoto: http://www.isarfoto.com/ |
Delkin Devices |
PR |
|
33.6 – 38.6 37.2 – 43.2 N/A |
The company offers various vehicle mounts. |
|
Feisol |
PR |
38.1 / N/A 5.0 |
N/A- – 34.4 |
|
|
FLM |
P |
38.8 / 28.0 4.9 |
31.5 – 34.0 |
The plates are about 1mm too narrow/thin for most other clamps apart from Graf/Novoflex. If you must absolutely put an FLM plate in one of the other clamps. putting an old credit card underneath it helps. (Ok, I would not trust it with a 600/4, but for small stuff...) Thanks Olli for that tip, I tried it, works nicely. It might be that newer FLM gear works better, see the dpreview. |
|
Foba |
P |
38.7 / 32.3 5 MF: 38.75 / 32.3 5.15 |
N/A – 33.2 N/A – 38 3.85 |
|
|
Giottos |
PR, GAT |
39.0 / 34.2 4.9 |
34.6 – 36.6 / 36.8 (sample variance) 39.3 – 41.4 3.9 |
Saftey pin on clamp needs to be removed for many plates from other vendors. |
|
Gitzo |
P |
|
|
Gitzo also offers a clamp which is Arca compatible, the G1387 series 2. Their type C plates might be Arca compatible, but the catalog really does not say. |
|
Graf |
No Website |
|
|
30.7 – 35.0 |
Modified Graf clamps are available via Burzynski/Isarphoto. |
Hama |
|
|
|
As far as I know only a clamp is available. |
|
Kirk |
CL, CC, C, GAT, LRF, LCR |
38.1 / 32.8 |
33.7 – 39.6 |
The stopper screws at the end of the plates might need to be removed to fit into some clamps when sliding in sideways. |
|
Markins |
C, CC, CAT, GAT |
38.1 / 33.5 36.9 / 32.2 |
33.5 – 39.2 |
The stopper pin of the plates might be annoying in non Markins plates that have a hollow bottom. Markins seems to have two different widths... |
|
Novoflex |
P, L, GAT |
|
Q-M: 31,72 – 37,72 |
I had conflicting reports on the Castel-Q macro system. For some it takes RRS plates, for some it does not, especially the L brackets seem to be problematic. Q-Mount and Q-base seem to be more compatible. The latest info I received seems to indicate that Novoflex modified Castel-Q some time in 2012 for better compatibility. |
|
PhotoClam |
P, PR |
|
|
|
|
Pro Media Gear |
L, CL, CC, C, PR |
37.8 / 32.8 generic L plate side
|
30.09 – 37.9 / |
Knob clamps, Back-to-Back clamps, flash brackets. The stopper screws at the end of the plates might need to be removed to fit into some clamps when sliding in sideways. |
|
RRS |
CL, CC, C, GAT, LRF, LCR |
38.0 / 32.8 |
33.53 – 38-94 |
The stopper screw at the end of the plates might need to be removed to fit into some clamps when sliding in sideways. |
|
Triopo |
No web site as far as I could see, only resellers |
|
|
|
Might be a low cost alternative, but I don't have much data on them yet. |
Velbon |
|
|
|
I have had reports of specific Velbon plates (QB-F51) and heads (QB-F51) being compatible with specific Arca style plates, but in general Velbon is not into Arca plates... |
|
Sunway |
P, PR, L, CL, C, CC, CAT, GAT, LRF |
|
|
They offer a wide range of plates and clamps, no personal experience. |
|
Wimberley |
GAT, CAT, LRF |
|
33.2 – 39.2 N/A 4.5 |
The stopper screws at the end of the plates might need to be removed to fit into some clamps when sliding in sideways. |
Plate Style Reference
Key |
Explanation |
P |
Plain plate, metal top. Will twist when used sideways. But can be custom machined to fit for the mechanically gifted. FLM, Burzynski, Novoflex, ... |
PR |
Plain plates with rubber or cork top. Potentially wobbly connections, prone to twist under heavy load. |
L |
Generic L bracket for cameras. Makes it easy to mount the camera in portrait mode (Burzynski, Novoflex, ProMediaGear) They tend to block access to the connectors on the left side of DSLR, but can last through a few camera generations. |
CL |
Camera specific custom L plates that allow access to connectors even when L plate is attached. |
CC |
Custom camera plates that fit specific bodies and do not twist. |
C |
Custom lens plates that fit specific lenses and do not twist |
GAT |
Generic anti twist plates that fit various lenses and do not twist. |
CAT |
Generic anti twist plates that fit various cameras and do not twist. |
LRF |
Lens replacement foot. Replaces standard collar feet on some lenses for lower center of gravity and better stability |
LCR |
Lens collar replacement. Replacement collars for lenses (or collars for lenses shipped without any) |
A few more tidbits:
There is a new compatibility
initiative out there, UniQ/C (Universal and Quick
Coupling). UniQ/C plates are basically Arca style plates where
the manufacturers claim compatibility.
Unfortunately, to my
knowledge, only a few manufacturers are in on that at the moment:.
The initial support comes from Berlebach, CULLMANN, FLM, Linhof and
Novoflex
There are no defined specs to adhere to, compatibility
is checked manually.
Although Manfrotto (sold by Bogen in the US) offers at least three incompatible plate systems, none of them is Arca compatible.
Photos of many plates and
clamps can be seen at http://stativfreak.de.
The site is in German, use
http://www.stativfreak.de/Wechselsystem.htm
to get to the links of the
plates/clamps.
I've had reports about plates from Kiwifotos.com being a bit too thin to work (specifically the LP-86 in Kirk heads).
Thanks for providing all the measures and feedback!