Finally did it, RRS BH-40, but, but, but ...

RovingEyePhoto

Finally did it, spent the bucks and bought the Manfortto 190CXPRO3 and Really Right Stuff BH-40LR, BUT GUESS WHAT? RRS has no conventional (non-L) plate to fit my Oly E-3! Their website shows their "bi-directional" plate as fitting, but doesn't come even close. And the bi-directional model lacks the safety-stops of their Canon/Nikon conventional (non-L) plates, so wouldn't want it anyway. They worked with me close to an hour by phone to ID a plate that would work, and bingo, finally found one, so sent it with the head, but again, not even close -- extends roughly 3/8" beyond plane of camera back, just enough to catch me smack on the chin or nose in a quick-catch situation. Lordy is this disappointing! So I sent an email and left a phone msg sure to raise some interest when they open for business Mon, we'll see what results.

I guess I find the whole thing especially disappointing because Olympus isn't exactly an off-brand, and E-3 owners are square in the demographic who can afford their heads, so how can they not make a conventional plate for it? They employ two captive machine shops (sole customer according to them), so even if they don't want to stock E-3 plates, you'd think they'd have the design in place and ready to be milled when ordered, or another plate ready for trimming or whatever to fit E-3 specs. Anyway, was a pleasure talking with them, especially as a buyer rather than just a looker, but for a top-of-the-line supplier not to be able to fit an E-3, that's a little unnerving.

Love the BH-40. Wish me luck receiving a proper plate so I can keep it.

Candid Arts

Dang, that sucks. Good luck on finding the right plate. You'll love those legs. I LOVE mine. And you get the new PRO head with the new level location, which is totally awesome.

RovingEyePhoto

Candid Arts wrote:

Dang, that sucks. Good luck on finding the right plate. You'll love those legs. I LOVE mine. And you get the new PRO head with the new level location, which is totally awesome.

Glory be, the battle's over, in a good way. Lots of talk with RRS today about sending head back, and comparing measurements of plates and E-3 body, etc, and they now say their smaller plate (non-L) will fit, so having that sent, and will be in business. Thanks for the "dang", misery loves company. The 190 legs in fact do seem spectacular, have them sitting here with head attached, just waiting for plate. Good cap to the holiday season.

Candid Arts

Well that's good. At least you got it going. What's the benefit of an L plate vs standard straight plate?

NeilL

RovingEyePhoto wrote:

The 190 legs in fact do seem spectacular

Spectacular? Good heavens, it must be! And very, very stable! Though a tad finicky to adjust, I imagine? My tripod has only 3.

RovingEyePhoto

NeilL wrote:

Spectacular? Good heavens, it must be! And very, very stable! Though a tad finicky to adjust, I imagine? My tripod has only 3.

Very good. I owe you one.

Andy

Candid Arts wrote:

Well that's good. At least you got it going. What's the benefit of an L plate vs standard straight plate?

The L-Plate Advantage.

Candid Arts

Andy wrote:

The L-Plate Advantage.

Thanks.

RovingEyePhoto

Andy wrote:

The L-Plate Advantage.

Thanks for the reference, Andy. I've been through the RRS material, and have talked L-plates extensively with RRS. Always was a possibility, and of course L-plates do offer significant advantages worth considering.

Here's how I figured. My warm-weather mode is hand-held on-the-fly quick-pose quick-catch, so no tripod used, question moot. Tripod's mostly for winter, and although some small amount of modeled non-studio indoor shoots would require the support, tripod use would be mostly for macro. In shooting macro, I'm most generally hanging camera out on horizontal boom well off from legs' axis, so L-plate's biggest advantage becomes N/A right off the bat. Also, I'm a focus-point shooter (E-3 has 11 of them), so am stuck with recomposing with every little movement, including an L-plate's flip, subject/lens axis still shifts (not as much as with a flopped ball, but still shifts, so still recomposing). Also, the added ball-shaft/clamp/plate flopped length doesn't seem a big factor, especially since I can easily shorten the boom extension to compensate. Also, for winter work, I carry camera/lens in one of those close-fitting neoprene neck-strap cases so can keep all under my coat and close to my body heat to avoid condensation when back indoors, and L-plate won't fit the case (if other factors were more supportive of L-plate, I'd just buy a bigger neoprene case, but in my case I never get that far). One factor in the L-plate's favor is it moves foot far closer to the E-3's center-of-gravity (further forward than foot on the flat plate), but for me more a mental advantage than physical since the RRS clamp is rated upward of 50 lbs, and my rig probably never will be over 5 lbs (I leave the monster-lens stuff to National Geographics and Sports Illustrated shooters, never could compete with them anyway), so nowhere near any center-of-gravity extremes.

Anyway, that's the way I've reasoned the issue. Lots of individual factors, others mileage may vary.

NeilL

RovingEyePhoto wrote:

Very good. I owe you one.

:ginger