Conundrum regarding Arca Compatible system

[rpcrowe]

The Arca Compatible clamp and base quick release system has many points in its favor. However there is one problem that I have come upon

Most mounting situations when mounting lenses or cameras using standard plates have the grooves of those plates at right angles to the body of the camera and parallel to the lens...

This is specifically true when using long lens plates or lens feet that incorporate the Arca System of quick release...





However when I use my Arca Compatible L Bracket the mounting groves are 90 degrees opposite from the general way of mounting and are parallel to the body of the camera and perpindicular to the lens...



This means that when I use two camera/lens combinations, mounting one using a tripod ring and the other with an L bracket, the direction of the mounting groves are 90 degrees opposed...

I have in the past solved the problem when shooting with a camera and L bracket by moving the mounting bracket 90 degrees so that the groves are in the correct direction for the L plate. Even when my second camera is wearing my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens, this has not been a problem because that lens is light enough so that I can use an L bracket on that second camera and mount the camera to the clamp, not using the tripod ring. Or, I can use a short mounting plate on the tripod ring and mount that plate twisted 90 degrees so it conforms to the L Plate direction. The second L Plate is the preferred way for me to use a pair of cameras since it is much more stable...

A problem has come up since I purchased the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens. That lens is too heavy to have the camera mounted to the tripod/monopod with the lens unsupported and if I were to attach a short mounting plate at 90 degrees opposed to the length of the foot, it would not be stable. The RRS Replacement Foot seems to be a great way to attach this lens to the tripod/monopod head since I would not need a addition piece of gear - the mounting plate. IMO, the more complicated a setup the greater chance of failure...

I guess that the final decision is that I cannot use an L Plate mounted camera in conjunction with my big lens mounted on the lens ring foot. I will probably use a standard plate to attach the camera to the mounting clamp. However, this negates the advantages of an L plate mounting...

Any suggestions - I may not be seeing something obvious?

[Manfred M]

Richard - I shoot this way all the time. I have an "L" bracket in place so that I can flip between horizontal and vertical orientation with my 24-70mm lens and I use the collar mount on the 70-200mm lens.

All I do is turn the ball head 90 degrees when I switch lenses and I'm fine. It takes a second or so to do the switch.

[rpcrowe]

Thanks Manfred...

That is certainly the way to do this when I am using my tripod and ball head. I don't know why I didn't think of this solution before. Probably old age

A greater problem is using a monopod swivel head.

I don't really need the monopod when shooting with my mid-range zoom lens. However, when I am shooting with a long lens on a monopod and a shorter lens... When I am shooting with the shorter lens, what would I do with the monopod? I could, however, piggy-backing on your solution above, switch from a swivel head and install one of my ball heads on the monopod. Even though I prefer a swivel head for monopod work, the ball head would solve the problem of the direction of the grooves,

[DanK]

All I do is turn the ball head 90 degrees when I switch lenses and I'm fine. It takes a second or so to do the switch.

Me too.

When I use a monopod, I often ignore the problem, just lock the swivel head and tilt the monopod. If that isn't sufficient, e.g., if I want to switch to portrait orientation, it takes me only a few seconds to rotate the tilt head so that it tilts in the other plane. On my tilt head (Kirk), there is a set screw on the top for this purpose.