Hermann
Well-known member
Plates from RRS and Kirk do not use rubber at all and they are so solid that they don't have to be tightened, sometimes even after years of use.
Sure, but I simply don't like Arca Swiss at all. I much prefer the old Manfrotto system (PL200 style) or, in some situations, Novoflex (the system with the round plates).
Plates with rubber are guaranteed to loosen in time and to never be rock solid. The Manfrotto plates with the rubber strips that squirt out the sides, buckle up etc (as shown in your photo) are horrible. I have one that I use regularly after modifying it by removing the rubber, then using a Dremel to grind the center section of metal (between the rubber strips) down to the level of the rest of the plate for exactly the length of my scope's foot, but leaving the remainder of the center section and the lip around the edge of the plate to serve as an antirotation feature.
I do the same. I've also got some old Manfrotto plates with a thin layer of natural cork, they work very well indeed. Much better than rubber. But metal to metal is best by far.
Hermann