Really Right Stuff

[LouDiamond 1]

I was surprised to not find any mention of anyone using Really Right Stuff when I did a search. I recently moved up to a canon 5D and had been using a Stroboframe quick release for some time with many different cameras without problem. However, I was always skeptical of it's durability and it's build. Even though it worked for me, they all seemed to have a little play in them that allowed the camera to move a little bit. I looked at other clamps/quick releases out there and they are either too bulky/heavy or not really better than a Stroboframe. I was looking for something worthy of holding my 5D in place and I found it in Really Right Stuff's products.

Two very good friends and professional skydiving photographers of mine who use RRS clamps recommended RRS to me when I started asking around about mounts. I was a bit skeptical about the product and its price but I figured why try to save money and scrimp on a clamp that holds several thousand dollars worth of camera/lens on my helmet.

I ordered the B5D camera plate(built in anti-twist) and the B2LLR II clamp because it was the longest one they made at 3.15" long and it has 3 threaded sockets to mount it to the helmet. I also ordered a video plate to mount my video cameras.

One of the features I really like is that the plates are made for specific cameras, no one size fits all approach. They are also made out of one piece of milled aluminium and are absolutely bombproof in construction. The high degree of craftsmanship is evident as soon as you see one up close.The clamps and plates also have graduation lines on them so you can line your camera up perfectly each time, if you need to have it in a specific position. The clamp arm is nice in that at the half way open mark you can slide plates into the clamp;fully open you drop the plate in straight down. The way the plate/clamps are made allows so that there is a stop built in so it cannot slide completly off the clamp if the arm is left open except for the side it was inserted in. When locked down, the whole thing is rock solid. The way the plate is built and mounts on the camera,I would expect that the camera frame itself or the helmet would break before any of the hardware would give. The center threaded socket uses a 3/8 screw and the 2 outside ones are 1/4. With all three in place, there is no moving the clamp, it's rock solid. Combined with loctight 242 on the threads I am not worried about the screws backing out or the clamp moving at all.

The overall set up is maybe 1/4 to 1/2 an inch higher than the Stroboframe set up I had previously used which is acceptable by my standards. This stuff is the real deal and I am very impressed with it. I am seriously now thinking about buying the L bracket as well for vertical mounting of the camera.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[PhreeZone 15]

Is the Anti-twist plate just the cork?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Icon134 0]

Quote

Is the Anti-twist plate just the cork?

I think that's just a "point and shoot" camera mount.

in fact here's the mount for the 400D.

They even point out on the page that the 350D mount didn't fit the 400D and they had to come up with a different design.

they look pretty nice... I might have to consider getting some...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

Is the Anti-twist plate just the cork?

No. The video plate I posted is a universal one since I mount my video cameras at a 45 degree angle and didn't want the standard video plate that has the extra stud that keeps it from twisting(see additional hole on bottom of your video camera). If you look at the plate itself for the still camera, you will see,depending on the camera body it is made for, it incorporates an antitwist lip into its design that makes it impossible for the camera or the plate to be torqued off by a twisting motion(b5d picture where the RRS log is, is an actual lip). When you lock the camera lever down, there is zero play in the system. The camera body or the helmet will break before the plate allows the camera to twist.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[diablopilot 2]

Thumb screws are still only about $0.15 at Home Depot or Lowes.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[davelepka 4]

Quote

Thumb screws are still only about $0.15 at Home Depot or Lowes

What's your deal? Are you trying to keep things light, simple and low profile? You've got alot to learn....

[damonsteele 0]

Thanks for the post. Based on your post, I have placed an order for the B2LLR II and the an extra video mount plate.

Thanks for the info!

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Quote

Thumb screws are still only about $0.15 at Home Depot or Lowes

What's your deal? Are you trying to keep things light, simple and low profile? You've got alot to learn....

1500 video jumps using only thumbscrews....yeah I ought to get a start somewhere.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

Thanks for the post. Based on your post, I have placed an order for the B2LLR II and the an extra video mount plate.

Thanks for the info!

No problem.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[damonsteele 0]

It should arrive today. Drill a couple holes and I should be done. Although I am still stumped at how to mount my 550EX. I was hoping someone out there had something manufactured that i could use, but I haven't found anything yet. Any ideas (and yes, I've looked through the "post a pic of your setup" threads)

[vdschoor 0]

Quote

It should arrive today. Drill a couple holes and I should be done. Although I am still stumped at how to mount my 550EX. I was hoping someone out there had something manufactured that i could use, but I haven't found anything yet. Any ideas (and yes, I've looked through the "post a pic of your setup" threads)

You missed my setup then

I have a bracket for my flash that mounts on my helmet using a schumacher quick shoe..

camera helmet

[LouDiamond 1]

Ian beat me to it. But you can do what he did wih his flash I'd imagine with a similar clamp from RRS as well as they have some insane flash brackets available.

Ian: looking at your set up it would appear that a RRS L bracket for your still camera would clean that top mount combination up so nothing was hanging over the edge.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[damonsteele 0]

I was trying to find something like that for my setup, but I don't having any fabrication facilities near me that I can use.

As for something from Right Stuff, I looked but didn't see anything that I thought might work. Did I miss something? I'm open to any suggestions!

[LouDiamond 1]

Would the attached bracket mount on your flash? That plus a clamp would probably work.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[damonsteele 0]

Ok, I have mounted the RRS QR system and holy crap that thing is secure! Much better that the Stroboframe QR. The system is bomb-proof. Now if only I could talk them into making a flash bracket for helmet mounting, I would be SET!

[pope 0]

My money's on cookie composites plate.
This is about as low profile, snagproof, and strong as possible. They're easy to use, and a bargain as well!
I think this is the only QR that I've seen that I'd feel comfortable jumping under both a video and still camera.
pope

[LouDiamond 1]

I know Cookie personally and he makes quality products hands down, and for many his stuff is all most need.Don't take the following the wrong way as I am being quite straight forward and honest.There is no comparing the 2 QRs to one another, they are in 2 different leagues and are designed for 2 different types of users. RRS stuff isn't for everyone. If what you have works for you and you're comfortable with it, then power to you, whether it be a handful of .15 cent thumb screws or a quicky plate. If your camera equipment is worth more than a handfull of thumb screws and you want bombproof hardware, you'll be hard pressed to find anything better than RRS. Once you see it and use it, there will be no doubt in your mind that it was money well spent.

Damon, you care to comment on the differences now that you have RRS hardware?

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[cj1150gs 0]

I've seen both in the flesh and they're two diff animals. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Cookie is skydive specific. Like a Goldmember or a Schumaker it was designed to be the lightest, lowest and snagleast (hey! I invented a word!) while still being strong enough and precise enough.

RRS was designed to be the most precise and strongest possible. It happens to still be light and low enough to be good for skydiving.

JMO, YMMV, etc

Blue ones

Carlos Martins
Portugal www.cj.smugmug.com

[damonsteele 0]

Two things....

When I was looking for a QR system, I contacted Cookie Composites and was told that they do not recommend the FlatLock Systems for video cameras (unless you use their box as well (more $$$))....Scratch Cookie off the list.
After reading Lou's post about RRS, I decided to check them out. After a little research and knowing that where I was putting the QR clamp (smack dab in the middle of a BH FTP), snag hazards would not be an issue. Plus, when was a clamp ever as much a snag hazard as the camera itself?! Every camera is snag-a-rific. As for low profile, the RRS is maybe a half inch higher than the Stroboframe QR that I was using before. I don't think half an inch is going to affect anything in my case.
Bombproof?! YOU BET YOUR ASS! I bought the B26 video plate. It has the locator stub on the plate to prevent it from twisting (check), and the clamp locks it down TIGHTLY (check check)! There is no play in the system whatsoever. You could set off a grenade in this helmet and camera and RRS clamp would be the only thing left.

[pattersd 0]

I have used RRS clamps and plates for almost ten years on the ground with no problems, they are solid. I only fly video for my personal entainment, I am not doing vids/photos for money. I have used Really Right Stuff clamps and plates while skydiving to mount my still camera for the last three years, at the end of last year I rearranged the setup on my FTP to use the RRS clamp and plate for the video camera. With some help I modified the Bonehead dbox to add some height, so all it provides now is protection from bumps. My set up tries to minimize the snag hazards in all the configurations and allow me to add and remove components with a minimum of hassle, and without leaving snag hazards behind. When I put the video camera or still camera back on it is pointed to the same spot every time, a quick check to make sure the sight hasn't been knocked out and I am ready to go. Here are three pictures showing the video clamp and still setup with and without the still camera. The dbox is removed in one to show how I modified the clamp to avoid a knob or lever sticking outside the dbox.
I too wish RRS had a plate/clamp to mount my flash, I am trying to get a friend to machine a plate for me. Then I can mount a clamp and attach it to the top of the rail the camera is on.

editted to add the photos.

[FreeflyKiwi 0]

Hi Guys,

I have been looking at the RRS clamps and L plate for my setup.

I had decided on buying the B2-Pro/L screw knob clamp because it offers more clamping force, But now I'm not sure because a few of you are using the lever clamps.

What made you decide on the lever?

Cheers

Dale

two time New Zealand gumboot throwing champ.

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

What made you decide on the lever?

The screw-knob clamps do hold more than 50lbs of pressure while under full compression according to RRS. However, I like the ease of the lever to quickly change cameras out.

The real issue I have with it is the arm portion that protrudes out from the clamp to the screw knob. In my case, it looked to be in a position that would be awkward to get to with the camera sitting on the clamp and more of a snag hazard than the clamp. I also have a limited platform to mount the clamp on and didn't want to possibly have the screw knob hanging over the edge.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[FreeflyKiwi 0]

Thanks for your reply Scott.

I had a closer look at your setup. The lever is tucked away in a nice place.

I'm still unsure but am sold on the product.

Thanks for your help

Dale

two time New Zealand gumboot throwing champ.

[shindig 0]

If you want to go horizontal or vertical there is this one as well.
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/body_plates/canon/index.html

[FreeflyKiwi 0]

Hi Guys,

I got my new mounts today from RRS. I ended up buying the B2 Pro/L screaw knob clamp due it it offering a little more clamp force. I also have the 20d L plate, after checking this stuff out in person I am impressed.

Check out some pics

Dale

two time New Zealand gumboot throwing champ.