curvecrazy
Well-known member
Well, as you all know, in optics land, it gets pretty tiresome indeed when you have multiple mounts and multiple optics unscrewing optics from mounts time and time again with each use and the time necessary has the object of interest gone most likely. LOL So hence the need to adapt all my stuff with RC2 style quick release heads and plates. The idea being quick and positive on and off in a moment. No stripped threads and no more aggravation.
So there's the objective. Ba ha.
Currently, the manfrottos are $33 shipped for the complete setup holder and plate basically. They are manfrotto and presumably good. The desmond are on amazon for $13 shipped including holder and plate.
Design is similar.
I purchased the Manfrotto 055 carbon tripod with 804RC2 head which is a push down click in place setup. Setup was missing holder plate so I got the chinese knockoff[$5]. I find you have to make sure the lock clip/lever is pulled upward so that its surely in place as left to its own it may not quite engage fully. Or maybe I'm just being a pansy and not pulling the rotating lever hard enough to allow it to engage positively on its own. Guess I'm afraid if I reef on it that it'll damage the head or plate. [ LOL?] If it doesn't click in fully, you may/could find your plate/optic releasing/falling off inadvertently. I just have to manually pull the lock lever up to make sure its in the way of the release lever.
Mind you, I just got and started using this setup and that is just an observation from the living room setting. No field experience yet and mine is a used head and with the knockoff plate, so maybe some wear in the setup or the non manfrotto plate is disimilar enough to cause problems and thus the setup may not be working as cleanly as a new head and oem manfrotto holder plate. fwiw. There's some confusion on my part cause my manfrotto tripod head RC2 setup the rotating arm does not rotate all the way around parallel the holder. It goes about far enough for the snap up arm/lock anti rotate/release to come up and engage at the back of the arm. If it doesn't engage on its own as stated above, pulling the lever slightly and pushing it up does the job but it doesn't go up completely because the shoulder on the holder plate is in the way. The oem manfrottos appear to be the same and no relief cut into the plate there to allow full upward engagement of the lock.
OK. So I've digressed here. I have the need for at least 3 RC2 type attachments. Are the Desmond's equivalent to the manfrotto? I see the ebay listing for 46 sold but not much of any comment on function/performance. The lock setup on the desmond does not appear to be as robust but having not seen it in person for all I know it may be superior. Just looks to me like it might be harder to unlock it. And I don't know if the desmond "too" is a snap in lock setup like the Manfrotto RC2. I am just assuming.
Before anyone throws in "Stop being a cheap ass and buy the 3 manfrotto's for $100". Yes, I know that would be the right approach. LOL But $45 for three desmonds sounds appealing if plates are compatible with manfrotto etc...
I will say I spent a good hour fooling around and modifying the knockoff plate so that it would work properly. But part of this is my total unfamiliarity with the quick release setup. Most of the problem was with the 1/4 screw which seemed to be threaded wrong and the back of the screw with the D ring was too thick as well. I ultimately re-did the threads on it, removed the D ring attach which was sticking down too far, then changed my mind not sure I trusted it after rethreading and removing material = since I'm hanging a heavy 3lb [$$$$] scope on that plate I can not have a failure. I ended up using a stainless screw I had around instead with a philips head on it. fwiw The fact this is a cheapo copy plate may have lead to my musings above regarding the lock lever not snapping fully up. I don't, as of yet, have an oem manfrotto plate to compare to maybe the chinese knockoffs are slightly different although pictures look the same basically.
Anyone? Opinions on both?
So there's the objective. Ba ha.
Currently, the manfrottos are $33 shipped for the complete setup holder and plate basically. They are manfrotto and presumably good. The desmond are on amazon for $13 shipped including holder and plate.
Design is similar.
I purchased the Manfrotto 055 carbon tripod with 804RC2 head which is a push down click in place setup. Setup was missing holder plate so I got the chinese knockoff[$5]. I find you have to make sure the lock clip/lever is pulled upward so that its surely in place as left to its own it may not quite engage fully. Or maybe I'm just being a pansy and not pulling the rotating lever hard enough to allow it to engage positively on its own. Guess I'm afraid if I reef on it that it'll damage the head or plate. [ LOL?] If it doesn't click in fully, you may/could find your plate/optic releasing/falling off inadvertently. I just have to manually pull the lock lever up to make sure its in the way of the release lever.
Mind you, I just got and started using this setup and that is just an observation from the living room setting. No field experience yet and mine is a used head and with the knockoff plate, so maybe some wear in the setup or the non manfrotto plate is disimilar enough to cause problems and thus the setup may not be working as cleanly as a new head and oem manfrotto holder plate. fwiw. There's some confusion on my part cause my manfrotto tripod head RC2 setup the rotating arm does not rotate all the way around parallel the holder. It goes about far enough for the snap up arm/lock anti rotate/release to come up and engage at the back of the arm. If it doesn't engage on its own as stated above, pulling the lever slightly and pushing it up does the job but it doesn't go up completely because the shoulder on the holder plate is in the way. The oem manfrottos appear to be the same and no relief cut into the plate there to allow full upward engagement of the lock.
OK. So I've digressed here. I have the need for at least 3 RC2 type attachments. Are the Desmond's equivalent to the manfrotto? I see the ebay listing for 46 sold but not much of any comment on function/performance. The lock setup on the desmond does not appear to be as robust but having not seen it in person for all I know it may be superior. Just looks to me like it might be harder to unlock it. And I don't know if the desmond "too" is a snap in lock setup like the Manfrotto RC2. I am just assuming.
Before anyone throws in "Stop being a cheap ass and buy the 3 manfrotto's for $100". Yes, I know that would be the right approach. LOL But $45 for three desmonds sounds appealing if plates are compatible with manfrotto etc...
I will say I spent a good hour fooling around and modifying the knockoff plate so that it would work properly. But part of this is my total unfamiliarity with the quick release setup. Most of the problem was with the 1/4 screw which seemed to be threaded wrong and the back of the screw with the D ring was too thick as well. I ultimately re-did the threads on it, removed the D ring attach which was sticking down too far, then changed my mind not sure I trusted it after rethreading and removing material = since I'm hanging a heavy 3lb [$$$$] scope on that plate I can not have a failure. I ended up using a stainless screw I had around instead with a philips head on it. fwiw The fact this is a cheapo copy plate may have lead to my musings above regarding the lock lever not snapping fully up. I don't, as of yet, have an oem manfrotto plate to compare to maybe the chinese knockoffs are slightly different although pictures look the same basically.
Anyone? Opinions on both?
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