How to Easily & Cheaply Convert a Manfrotto Geared Head to Acra Swiss
Once I put an L Bracket underneath my camera everything became much easier.
L Bracket
No more poorly conceived vertical angles when placed on the ball head, where it is almost impossible to get a perfectly level vertical perspective.
No more having to grip the camera, solely with my left hand. The L Bracket provides a sturdy, extendable left handed grip. (I am ambidextrous)
And no more quick release plate that comes loose after time.
The only issue with the L Bracket, is that all three of my tripods are Manfrotto and the L Bracket has an Arca Swiss rail, therefore, I have had to buy Arca Swiss Adapters that attach to my tripods. This works because the have the same fitting as a Manfrotto quick release plate.
However, the Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head, that I have been using for my Studio Photography, (new images to come soon) is an entirely different beast. A hefty bulk of exact camera positioning precision, it doesn't come with the small, regular RC2 quick release plate, but a much larger '410', quick release plate, that has a 1/4 inch screw attachment which has to be manually screwed into the base of the camera with a slotted screwdriver or a knife. Pictured below.
410 Plate
Thinking that the Arca Swiss adapter would fit to the ball head like it does with a regular Manfrotto RC2 style ball or video head, I initially tried to attach the first Manfrotto adapter to the clip base underneath the 410 plate. Yet to my disappointment, the first adapter was too wide in between the clip lever and the edge.
So I put my thinking cap on and thought about my options. Do I need to spend a fortune on a high spec adapter? Or do I need to spend the best part of the day using tools, trying to covert my Manfrotto head to an Arca Swiss head? Or do I buy a second, super cheap Arca Swiss adapter from Amazon that has a 1/4 inch screw in the middle that can be taken out, so that the 410 plate screw can be inserted instead?
The eureka moment was realising was that third option was all that was needed!
A simple adapter like the one below, bought for only £7.99. It comes with an Allen Key (don't you just love Allen Keys? ;) For my US friends, the same branded product is only $10.99 at Amazon.com
Remove the central screw
(An upside down view) Attach to 410 plate with the screw inside the plate with a knife or slotted screwdriver
I used the Allen key to take out the screw in the middle and I aligned the screw on the 410 plate with the center hole on the Arca Swiss adapter, and used the ol' knife to screw the plate to the adapter. Then I simply snapped the adapter back on its base (with the lever pulled back).
410 plate back on base
And now I can use the L Bracket on top of the extremely precise 410 geared head.
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