I'm switching to the Arca Swiss QR system and just learned that Kirk has a new P67 plate with both a vertical and horizontal mounting surface. (not yet on their web site.) I've wished for this for a long time, even considered having one custom made. With a long lens, the P67 is very unbalanced when used vertically by flopping the tripod head. Only problem with the Kirk plate is the price: $159 (vs. $68 for the RRS horizontal only plate.) X3 bodies= big chunk of change. Anyone have any experience with this plate yet?

-- Paul Shambroom (pshambroom@mn.rr.com), February 19, 2002

Answers

I have one. It works very well and makes switching to and from vertical very fast and conveinent. The only disadvantage I have found is that the Pentax wooden handle no longer fits. You can hold the camera by the vertical bracket, but it is not as good as the handle. I guess that a handle could be made which would clamp to the vertical bracket, but I usually work on a tripod anyhow.

-- Bill Stripling (striplin@vicksburg.com), February 20, 2002.

Any chance you could post a picture of it? Sounds interesting. Maybe this time Bryan Geyer will turn the tables and create a RRS copy of a Kirk plate!

-- Sal Santamaura (santamaura@earthlink.net), February 20, 2002.

Bill, thanks for your answer. I'd also like to see a picture if you had time to post one. The folks at Kirk said they didn't have one available yet. Is the vertical plate on the right (sync socket side) or the left? Does it extend forward of the mirror box to allow clearance for the socket or mirror lock switch?

-- Paul Shambroom (pshambroom@mn.rr.com), February 21, 2002.

I don't have any way to post a picture on the internet, but I can email one to those interested. I also don't have any pictures right now, but I will take some and try to get them out next week.

-- Bill Stripling (striplin@vicksburg.com), February 21, 2002.

Thanks Bill, I'll look forward to your email.

-- Sal Santamaura (santamaura@earthlink.net), February 21, 2002.

I emailed 2 photographs of the Kirk plate to both parties who expressed interest earlier. If anyone else would like to have them please let me know.

-- Bill Stripling (striplin@vicksburg.com), February 25, 2002.

Pictures received. Thanks again Bill.

-- Sal Santamaura (santamaura@earthlink.net), February 25, 2002.

Bill, thanks so much for the pictures. I was a little surprised to see that the plate does not use the Pentax anti-twist pin socket on the camera bottom. Does the wrap-around design prevent twist? I don't have the 67II bodies, but I have to wonder why Pentax didn't incorporate a tripod socket in the built-in grip?

-- Paul Shambroom (pshambroom@mn.rr.com), February 25, 2002.

Even though there is no registration pin, once mounted on the plate, there is no apparent movement or rotation. The camera feels very solid on the tripod. The reason for not having a pin is apparently because the plate does not go back as far as the location of the hole in the camera body. Both plates are parallel to the film plane. The plate for the camera bottom could ahve been made in the other direction to allow a pin, but if the vertical plate had been rotated that way, it would have interfered with opening the camera back.

For vertical shots, having the lens balanced directly over the center axis of the tripod greatly improves stability. Also, I have noticed with a ball head that using the adaptor to change to vertical does not make a significant change in the elevation of camera from the ground. Before, when I turned the camera 90 degrees to do vertical shots, the camera was not only about 3 or 4 inches off to the side, but was about that much lower.

-- Bill Stripling (striplin@vicksburg.com), February 25, 2002.