...Words fail to portray the deep and vile hatred I have of the state of the industry when it comes to scope feet, plates and heads... ...$4,500 scope views ruined by $2 loose mechanical parts...
I have felt the same, only feel better now because I've found solutions, and I remain mystified that so many expensive tripod and head systems still come standard with attachment systems that don't work. I guess most consumers don't care enough for the big brands to do better. For those consumers who did (and still do) care, companies like Really Right Stuff and Kirk Enterprises stepped in to fill the void in the 1990s. It is amazing to me that they have had so little competition over the years, and that these days their competition is mostly from Chinese copies, not improvements on the parts of the big brands like Manfrotto, Gitzo, Velbon etc.
...Almost all plate/foot interfaces will swivel somewhat...
In my experience, systems designed to be anti-twist work perfectly as long as they are robust (I've seen some cheap products, such as some plates from Sunwayfoto that are so thin or cut-away that they flex), do not incorporate a rubber or padded interface, and have a perfectly fitting antirotation feature, such as a matched contour (e.g. custom plates from RRS or Kirk), long lip or tabs, or a fixed and properly fitted pin.
I have zero problems with products from RRS, Kirk, and Desmond. By contrast, Gitzo and Manfrotto plates only (sometimes) work after extensive modification with solvents and a Dremel tool.
...Even with anti-rotation pins there can be movement...
Pins work well (with equipment designed for them) when they are the correct diameter and they are fixed in place. The ones that are spring-loaded, such as on some Gitzo and Manfrotto plates, are nothing but a joke.
--AP
