Quick Release Plate for Leica M

[asimrazakhan]

<p>Does anyone regularly put their Leica M on a tripod? If so, is there a quick release plate that fits nicely under the Leica body? Please share images if its not too much of a hassle.<br>

thanks</p>

[curt wiler]

<p>Really Right Stuff has several, but bear in mind you also need a clamp for the tripod that works with the Arca-style plates:<br /> http://reallyrightstuff.com/Items.aspx?code=BodyLeica&key=cat</p>

[SCL]

<p>Kirk used to make one also, but I don't see it in their current catalog. I searched late last year to see if anyone made one which incorporated a front finger grip as well...found that one firm tried it a few years back, but nobody bought them. That would be my real wish...something like the Leica M grip or the ML Grip with a built in Arca-Swiss style plate.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>Mini square "bidirectional" Markins plate, I can't remember the number. I recommended Markins to a local M9 owner, and the next time I borrowed his camera, it had a little bidirectional plate, a smaller version of the ones I use on my Nikons.</p>

<p>The bidirectional Markins plates counteract the nuclear balance of terror approach promoted by RRS, where they turned the Arca mount sideways from what was customary on large and medium format cameras or lenses with tripod feet, in order to put 65mm of Arca dovetail across the bottom of the camera. Because you need a plate ten times the strength needed to tear the camera to shreds.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>OK, I had a look at the Markins site.</p>

<p>The plate Markins recommends for Leica M series is the <a href="http://www.markinsamerica.com/MA5/PG-30U.php">P-30U</a></p>

<p>That's a good plate, it has the bidirectional dovetail, and a raised lip to keep it from rotating on the tripod when the camera is sideways. It also has small loops to attach a handstrap, which I've used on larger Nikon cameras.</p>

<p>But I could have sworn the one he had was square, with an even smaller top plate than the PG-30U. Here's the one I thought it was, the <a href="http://www.markinsamerica.com/MA5/P26U.php">P-26U</a></p>

<p>Now, the P-26U doesn't have a lip, so if you do verticals, the P-30U is probably the better choice.</p>

<p> </p>

[colin_elliott]

<p>RRS make the B9 ( a small 1 1/2" square bi-directional plate with a lip) which weighs only 28g. for the Leica M's </p>

[bjscharp]

<p>I have the <a href="http://www.kirkphoto.com/Camera_Plate_for_M2.html">Kirk plate</a> on my M3 (which is the only camera Kirk doesn't list, for some reason). Works fine, but adds to the bulk/weight of the camera. I replaced the standard hex-screw with a <a href="http://www.dagcamera.com/tscrew.JPG.htm">thumb-screw</a> from DAG, so I can easily remove/add it when I plan on using a tripod. (If I'm carrying a tripod, the plate goes on, otherwise it stays at home with the tripod)</p>

 

<p>I've asked RRS if they were planning to make something like their <a href="http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=BM9-B&type=0&eq=&desc=BM9-B%3a-Replacement-base-for-Leica-M9&key=it">BM9 bottom plate</a> for film Leicas, but they aren't, unfortunately.</p>

 

<p>Biggest problem I have with small plates like the Markins model, is that they make it hard to put the camera down. The bigger Kirk plate provides enough area, but a smaller plate forces you to put the camera on its side, or have it balance on a proverbial coin.</p>

 

<p>Rail-type plates like the Kirk also allow you to center the camera over the ballhead, always a problem with film Leicas.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>Another option is to permanently attach that P-30U plate Joseph mentions (which I like because is really small&light, but I`d never use directly atached to the body) on the Leica M grip; unlike dedicated M plates, this tiny plate will work on many other cameras, and you can use the "friendly" M-grip screw to remove it for shooting the nude camera without attachments.</p>

 

[stuart_richardson]

<p>The RRS film M plate is good because, while big, it allows you to center the camera over the tripod head, as well as put the camera down flat. But if you are using a digital M, they also make extremely expensive plates that replace the whole bottom of the camera. Stephen -- that would be exactly what you want if you shoot with a digital M. They also make a grip attachment for it, so it acts like what you are asking for -- an M grip with an Arca-Swiss dovetail attached. If you are shooting with a film M, you might ask if RRS is planning on adopting the system for film M's as well. My guess would be that there is not enough demand, but you never know. <br>

The final option would be to put on the M grip and just a regular flat plate on that...</p>

[kens]

<p>I got the RRS BM9-B set for my M9. Yes it's expensive, but not compared to what I laid out for my bodies and lenses. The set is 3-piece modular - base plate, grip, L-bracket - that bolts together with hex screws. You can buy just the plate, or add the grip, or add the L-bracket, or add both.<br>

The plate replaces the stock plate and has the dovetail rails built in. It also has a standard tripod hole centered along the lens axis, and it seems stronger than the tripod hole on the Leica plate. It sits flat. The bolt-on grip is larger and fits my fingers better than the standard Leica grip, esp with a larger heavier lens attached. The bolt-on L-bracket plate conflicts with the strap lug on that side of the camera; there's a place to attach the strap to the L-bracket instead. I'll probably use the L-bracket only occasionally when I'm in a serious tripod mood.<br>

All are well-built, strong, and light. Unfortunately available only for the M8, M8.2, & M9 digital bodies at this time.</p>