Quick Release Camera Plate??? at DVinfo.net

January 21st, 2002, 11:02 AM

Hello,

I am trying to use a Canon XL1 with a Glidecam V20. The V20 is normally used with larger cameras like Betacam, but I am going to weigh down and XL1 and give it a try.

The main problem seems to be the lack of a quick way of mounting the XL1. Normally, I would screw the camera plate onto the Glidecam and snap a camera on and off...easy!

But the XL1 does not have a mount plate. So, I always have to completely remove the glidecam head and unscrew the XL1.

Any Ideas? I called my local camera shop and they only thing they could think of was to butcher a tripod and steal the quick release off of that.

Any Ideas Are Appreciated.

Chris Hurd · January 21st, 2002, 03:40 PM

Shame on your camera shop. There are any number of quick-release base and plate combinations available in the still photography world. Velbon makes a very nice magnesium one, see the Articles section of the XL1 Watchdog site for the review I wrote on Harold Greene's SP-7 Pro shoulder mount. It uses one of these. Hope this helps,

January 21st, 2002, 06:10 PM

Ok, Found it.

Yes... definately shame on my Camera shop. They sell all kinds of tripods, cranes and jib equipment and still werent able to help.

However, I did get a reply from Glidecam regarding the issue and they pointed me towards a Universal Sliding Plate from Bogen.

I couldnt find one by Bogen here in Toronto, but Monfrotto makes one and I figure its just as good.

Thanks for you advice and I hope this helps someone else as well.

Casey Visco · January 21st, 2002, 10:28 PM

Pooh-

Bogen and Monfrotto are basically the same company...taking the head on and off of the rig is a wickid bitch...when i got my V8 last year the first thing i did was buy a Bogen universal quick release and machine a little mount to keep the base permanently attached to the V8's head. I cannot tell you how much time this saved...it also adds a "crude" adjustment to the head, so you can get the camera's center of gravity roughly over the center of the post, and then make any fine adjustments from there.

We typically outfit our Glidecam demo models with these quick releases, its a shame we dont actually ship our rigs with them built in though. (Hey I just build em, not my fault). =D

But i've noted lots of other people having the same problem, so I may bring this up and see what can be done about it.

Mike Butler · January 22nd, 2002, 10:29 AM

Got a model number and an idea of price on that Bogen-Manfrotto piece? Sounds like just what the Dr. ordered for me, since I am constantly switching the camera from tripod to shoulder brace. (Some of you may recall my squawking about the off-balance form factor of the XL1 making it a misery to hand-hold, so I use a modified Vanguard shoulder rig to transfer the weight from my right hand to my belly)

Twirling that 1/4-20" thumbscrew tends to get old, and does slow me down when I want to be ready for "run & gun" to say nothing of it's a hallmark of a "consumer" camera.

Chris Hurd · January 22nd, 2002, 10:55 AM

Try part no. 3296, Quick Release Adapter Assembly.

January 22nd, 2002, 11:06 AM

Here is the Manfrotto version. This store is located in Toronto, Canada, but they do ship...

Or you can take a look at it and find it elsewhere.

http://www.vistek.ca/video/viddetail.asp?SKU=129758

I have to complain about one thing. The knob that is used to tighten the plate is about 1mm too big in diameter. You cannot mount the plate on a flat surface larger than the plate itself because the knob lifts up one side.

Very stupid design mistake... especially because it almost works... very frusterating.

I have spent the day trying to file it down. I would replace it with a screw, but that would defeat the purpose of a quick release wouldn't it?

Mike Butler · January 22nd, 2002, 01:23 PM

Wow, quick info, guys!
Chris, there's a dealer in Austin TX, Precision Camera & Video selling it for $39.95
Pooh can you tell me the dimensions of this?
I guess I would need 2 bottoms, one for the tripod and one for the shoulder pod, right? Wonder if they sell that separately ot I have to go for 2 whole units.

John Locke · January 22nd, 2002, 01:27 PM

I wonder...

Would it be possible to do the same thing with the Varizoom shoulder brace, and to make sure that the dimensions match the head on my Manfrotto tripod?

That'd be mighty convenient...

January 22nd, 2002, 01:40 PM

The Manfrotto plate is about 5.5inches long, 4.5 inches wide and not even an inch high.

I gave up on filing the knob. I went to home depot and bought a bolt which does the job nicely. I cant quite grab it to tighten it well with my bare fingers, but I keep a swiss army knife with pliers on me anyway. It will do for now.

In case you need it... It is a metric thread bolt... M6

Casey Visco · January 22nd, 2002, 05:55 PM

pooh, about the knob, i played with it trying to figure it out too....its poorly designed in that respect....what i ended up doing was making a 1-inch high "riser" that was the same dimensions as the base, and putting that in between the glidecam head and the plate base...

i just used a dense plastic material i had lying around the shop...i dont know if this is a workable solution for you but it worked out perfectly for me.

Casey Visco · January 22nd, 2002, 06:15 PM

Also I talked to the president of my company today, he currently has no plans to release the Glidecam rigs with Quick Release Plates, which is unfortunate for the operators. But evidently this could cause delays in shipping, added costs etc. Same reason they dont ship with a C-Stand and sand bags included in the package I guess. Not to mention that some people already have these items.

Mike Butler · January 22nd, 2002, 07:03 PM

Understandable...but I'll bet that if he were to offer these for sale separately as accessories he'd sell some.

Casey Visco · January 22nd, 2002, 07:26 PM

No doubt they'd sell very well, as from what I've seen there is a large enough demand for an easy mounting solution to our rigs.
Currently on our plate is the finalization of the Gold Series sled design...perhaps after this is completed the company may consider adding these as accesory options.

Mike Butler · January 23rd, 2002, 10:13 AM

OK so does anybody think I might be able to get an extra lower half for the bogen 3296? (one for the tripod, one for the shoulder rig)

January 21st, 2002, 11:02 AM	#1
CanonXL1Pooh Posts: n/a	Quick Release Camera Plate??? Hello, I am trying to use a Canon XL1 with a Glidecam V20. The V20 is normally used with larger cameras like Betacam, but I am going to weigh down and XL1 and give it a try. The main problem seems to be the lack of a quick way of mounting the XL1. Normally, I would screw the camera plate onto the Glidecam and snap a camera on and off...easy! But the XL1 does not have a mount plate. So, I always have to completely remove the glidecam head and unscrew the XL1. Any Ideas? I called my local camera shop and they only thing they could think of was to butcher a tripod and steal the quick release off of that. Any Ideas Are Appreciated.

January 21st, 2002, 03:40 PM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,369 Images: 513	Shame on your camera shop. There are any number of quick-release base and plate combinations available in the still photography world. Velbon makes a very nice magnesium one, see the Articles section of the XL1 Watchdog site for the review I wrote on Harold Greene's SP-7 Pro shoulder mount. It uses one of these. Hope this helps, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 21st, 2002, 10:28 PM	#4
Casey Visco Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 280	Pooh- Bogen and Monfrotto are basically the same company...taking the head on and off of the rig is a wickid bitch...when i got my V8 last year the first thing i did was buy a Bogen universal quick release and machine a little mount to keep the base permanently attached to the V8's head. I cannot tell you how much time this saved...it also adds a "crude" adjustment to the head, so you can get the camera's center of gravity roughly over the center of the post, and then make any fine adjustments from there. We typically outfit our Glidecam demo models with these quick releases, its a shame we dont actually ship our rigs with them built in though. (Hey I just build em, not my fault). =D But i've noted lots of other people having the same problem, so I may bring this up and see what can be done about it. __________________ Casey Visco Glidecam Industries, Inc.

January 22nd, 2002, 10:29 AM	#5
Mike Butler Machinist Mate Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 644	Got a model number and an idea of price on that Bogen-Manfrotto piece? Sounds like just what the Dr. ordered for me, since I am constantly switching the camera from tripod to shoulder brace. (Some of you may recall my squawking about the off-balance form factor of the XL1 making it a misery to hand-hold, so I use a modified Vanguard shoulder rig to transfer the weight from my right hand to my belly) Twirling that 1/4-20" thumbscrew tends to get old, and does slow me down when I want to be ready for "run & gun" to say nothing of it's a hallmark of a "consumer" camera. __________________ I ain't straight outta Compton, I'm straight out the trailer. Cuss like a sailor, drink like a Mc. My only words of wisdom are just, "Radio Edit."

January 22nd, 2002, 10:55 AM	#6
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,369 Images: 513	Try part no. 3296, Quick Release Adapter Assembly. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 21st, 2002, 06:10 PM	#3
CanonXL1Pooh Posts: n/a	Ok, Found it. Yes... definately shame on my Camera shop. They sell all kinds of tripods, cranes and jib equipment and still werent able to help. However, I did get a reply from Glidecam regarding the issue and they pointed me towards a Universal Sliding Plate from Bogen. I couldnt find one by Bogen here in Toronto, but Monfrotto makes one and I figure its just as good. Thanks for you advice and I hope this helps someone else as well.

January 22nd, 2002, 11:06 AM	#7
CanonXL1Pooh Posts: n/a	Here is the Manfrotto version. This store is located in Toronto, Canada, but they do ship... Or you can take a look at it and find it elsewhere. http://www.vistek.ca/video/viddetail.asp?SKU=129758 I have to complain about one thing. The knob that is used to tighten the plate is about 1mm too big in diameter. You cannot mount the plate on a flat surface larger than the plate itself because the knob lifts up one side. Very stupid design mistake... especially because it almost works... very frusterating. I have spent the day trying to file it down. I would replace it with a screw, but that would defeat the purpose of a quick release wouldn't it?

January 22nd, 2002, 01:23 PM	#8
Mike Butler Machinist Mate Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 644	Wow, quick info, guys! Chris, there's a dealer in Austin TX, Precision Camera & Video selling it for $39.95 Pooh can you tell me the dimensions of this? I guess I would need 2 bottoms, one for the tripod and one for the shoulder pod, right? Wonder if they sell that separately ot I have to go for 2 whole units. __________________ I ain't straight outta Compton, I'm straight out the trailer. Cuss like a sailor, drink like a Mc. My only words of wisdom are just, "Radio Edit."

January 22nd, 2002, 01:27 PM	#9
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	I wonder... Would it be possible to do the same thing with the Varizoom shoulder brace, and to make sure that the dimensions match the head on my Manfrotto tripod? That'd be mighty convenient... __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

January 22nd, 2002, 01:40 PM	#10
CanonXL1Pooh Posts: n/a	The Manfrotto plate is about 5.5inches long, 4.5 inches wide and not even an inch high. I gave up on filing the knob. I went to home depot and bought a bolt which does the job nicely. I cant quite grab it to tighten it well with my bare fingers, but I keep a swiss army knife with pliers on me anyway. It will do for now. In case you need it... It is a metric thread bolt... M6

January 22nd, 2002, 05:55 PM	#11
Casey Visco Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 280	pooh, about the knob, i played with it trying to figure it out too....its poorly designed in that respect....what i ended up doing was making a 1-inch high "riser" that was the same dimensions as the base, and putting that in between the glidecam head and the plate base... i just used a dense plastic material i had lying around the shop...i dont know if this is a workable solution for you but it worked out perfectly for me. __________________ Casey Visco Glidecam Industries, Inc.

January 22nd, 2002, 06:15 PM	#12
Casey Visco Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 280	Also I talked to the president of my company today, he currently has no plans to release the Glidecam rigs with Quick Release Plates, which is unfortunate for the operators. But evidently this could cause delays in shipping, added costs etc. Same reason they dont ship with a C-Stand and sand bags included in the package I guess. Not to mention that some people already have these items. __________________ Casey Visco Glidecam Industries, Inc.

January 22nd, 2002, 07:03 PM	#13
Mike Butler Machinist Mate Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 644	Understandable...but I'll bet that if he were to offer these for sale separately as accessories he'd sell some. __________________ I ain't straight outta Compton, I'm straight out the trailer. Cuss like a sailor, drink like a Mc. My only words of wisdom are just, "Radio Edit."

January 22nd, 2002, 07:26 PM	#14
Casey Visco Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 280	No doubt they'd sell very well, as from what I've seen there is a large enough demand for an easy mounting solution to our rigs. Currently on our plate is the finalization of the Gold Series sled design...perhaps after this is completed the company may consider adding these as accesory options. __________________ Casey Visco Glidecam Industries, Inc.

January 23rd, 2002, 10:13 AM	#15
Mike Butler Machinist Mate Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 644	OK so does anybody think I might be able to get an extra lower half for the bogen 3296? (one for the tripod, one for the shoulder rig) __________________ I ain't straight outta Compton, I'm straight out the trailer. Cuss like a sailor, drink like a Mc. My only words of wisdom are just, "Radio Edit."