Nikon F5 L-plate recommendation

Hi guys

Is anyone still using a Nikon F5 with a L-plate at the moment? Which plate are you using? I am after a L-plate that I want to mount on a RRS BH40-PCLR ballhead. These are the options I found so far but not sure if they are compatible with the F5:

Desmond Desmond DAL-1 QR L Plate DAL-1 B&H Photo Video

3 Legged Thing QR11-FBG Universal Full-Size L-Bracket QR11-FBG

Acratech Extended Universal L Bracket 1139 B&H Photo Video

Universal Quick Release Tall L-Bracket - F5 - Nikon - Camera Mounting | Kirk Photo

Thanks so much!!

None of those will "fit like a glove" if that's what you mean by "compatible" but otherwise all of them should be OK.

The ones from Acratech and Kirk would be the preferable choice because they feature the standardized Arca clamp, which means that they can accept a custom RSS, Arca plate for your camera. I have a couple of F5's laying around myself. Haven't used them in years but I did buy me one custom plate from RSS way the hell back. Once you screw it on - it is on there, it will not rotate. Naturally I would recommend something like that because you could mount or do away with the L-plate in 2-3 seconds. And when you do remove it, there's always a way (RSS plate) to immediately mount the camera on the tripod for horizontals.

I, myself have opted out of having a "permanent" L-plate on my gripped Nikon D800. It was just going to be too much bulk. So, I came up with a somewhat less (or more?) elegant solution. As I was shopping for an L-plate for my aforementioned Nikon D800, I realized that I did not need one at all. You see, an L-plate can be rigged up from:

1 Nodal rail

1 Vertical rail

1 Double-sided clamp

1 Arca-compatible plate (preferably a custom one from RSS)

It's that simple. The downside is that, overall, those 4 components weigh more than just a normal L-plate. On the upside, they have a less awkward form factor when broken down and some or all of them can serve additional roles. Total setup from 'camera with no L-plate' to 'camera with an L-plate' is less than 10 seconds. And you can just leave it on, if it fits in your bag like that. In my case (a panorama shooter), I already had 4 (all) of the components, so it was a no-brainer. I just ordered me an extra-short nodal rail from ebay (for convenience) and was all set. The "L-plate" that I got is incredibly strong. In my panorama setup, I can use it to mount my gripped D800 + Tamron 24-70/2.8 in the horizontal orientation (yes, clamped to the rig from the side!) and it will not budge. To me that part was important and it was a major reason why I didn't buy just an "L-plate".

I realize that your photography is very different (I don't think that you're much of a panorama shooter with that F5), so obviously, your priorities are very different. Just a quick question. You can tilt that tripod head to the side for verticals, why would you need an L-plate? You obviously lose some stability that way but not a whole lot, really. Or is it the height issue? With an L-plate you don't need to readjust the center column when switching between horizontals and verticals, more of a problem when there is no center column to speak of. Still, out in the field, not shooting panoramas, I would do everything NOT to carry an L-plate with me. In the studio I almost always have my "L-plate" on, even when shooting horizontals, because if I suddenly do need to get a vertical, switching is super-easy.

For what it's worth, I've got used to having a RRS L-plate on my D800/D810 (without grip), and picked up the Kirk one for the D850 (because it was easier to find in the UK and the single-piece one was out of stock). The Kirk plate does feel a bit wider than RRS one, and pushes my nose a bit. RRS, at least, do modular L-plates so you can lose the vertical when you don't want it - but I believe they clamp to the upper strap mount for stability, and I want to keep my strap attached to mine. The L-plates certainly make the camera heavier (104g for my D800 plate that's on my D810, 116g for the D850 plate), but arguably that's a little more bulk for balancing bigger lenses, and they don't make the camera much bigger - so I treat them as "permanent" (except when I need to put the grip on the D850). Of course, on an F5 you don't generally need to add weight (I use lithium AAs in mine to slim it down).

An L plate on a body with vertical grip is another matter. I do have the battery grip for my D850, but decided that I'd use it infrequently enough that I didn't need an L-plate for it. I'm also a bit wary that a plate on a gripped camera might intrude on the feel of the vertical grip, since it puts the base plate in the palm of your hand. Clearly the plates exist, so a lot of people won't agree with me. The F5's vertical grip is a little vestigial compared with some more recent cameras, but I don't know whether that helps or hinders. I don't think my F5 has ever even been on a tripod; if I were to do so, I'd just use a generic flat plate, but then I'm not doing it a lot.

Having just disqualified myself from a position of authority, other quick thoughts:

• The Acratech option is nearly $250. How much was your F5 worth? (Mine, admittedly missing some paint, wasn't that much more than that.)
  
• The Acratech and Kirk clamps look like they're an L plate that attach to an existing base plate. This means you can disconnect them when you don't need the L, but it also adds some weight, height and instability to the assembly, and a multi-depth lump is in your palm if you're using the vertical grip. The corresponding plate that Kirk seem to recommend is very minimal and generic, although you could use a larger one; the F5 doesn't seem to have any helpful anti-rotation notches on the base (not that mine's in front of me).
  
• None of these generic solutions appear to have a gap that would allow you to get the battery compartment out, although that problem is solved if you detach the vertical from the modular Ls.
  
• Arca Swiss also make a modular L-bracket that might be worth a look (SKU 802306) and looks to be less bulky, though I'm not sure whether it has the vertical reach to balance an F5. It relies on a repositionable pin in holes at the L corner end mating with a corresponding hole on the bottom of the camera to avoid rotation; those holes are there for aligning a vertical grip, so there's obviously nothing suitable on the F5 - I mention it mostly in case you want to use the plate on another camera as well. (I've yet to see one in real life and confirm whether the holes line up with base holes on the D810 or D850, otherwise I might be tempted by the solution - looking at the grips, I believe it lines up with the D800/D810 but not the D850, which moved the pin to the other end of the body.) The RRS and Kirk custom plates rely on a lip to avoid rotation, but this makes them specific to the body. With this plate on an F5 you'd be relying on friction to avoid rotation, although that's no worse than most generic plates.
  
• It might be worth checking with RRS than a BP-CS or MC-L won't fit the F5. I'd guess the back of the camera is too far from the tripod socket for the lip, but they do have some adjustability. The L on the MC-L is a bit short, but if you're not doing panoramas and you don't mind a small horizontal offset when in portrait mode, this may not be an issue for you. There's also the BD1L for the 1D series, although I'd not be surprised to learn that the bases are different widths (but it might allow you to get the battery out). RRS also have modular verticals with battery gaps in them, but I'm not sure you'll find something adjustable to attach it to.
  
• I agree with David that flopping the head to its side is often a viable solution - but it does assume the camera won't foul on the tripod (the F5 isn't exactly small) and you often can't go past vertical if you need to. So I'm sympathetic to wanting an L.
  
• If you find a solution that's a tight fit, make sure you've got enough space to get the film compartment open without it fouling! I suspect so long as the L doesn't make contact with the side you should be okay - but just a thought.
  

That may all cause more confusion that any assistance it provides, but I hope it helps anyway! Good luck.