Is a 50mm quick-release mount part of the Arca-Swiss standard?
Asked 6/19/2016
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My tripod has a quick-release mount that is about 50mm wide. I initially assumed it was Arca-Swiss style, but most Arca-type plates I’ve seen are closer to 38mm between the dovetails. Is 50mm a recognized Arca-Swiss size, or is this likely a proprietary mount?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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There's actually no such thing as an Arca-Swiss Standard. Different manufacturers that make "arc-swiss" products make them in slightly different width, height, and slant variations. Some work with each other with varying degrees of compatibility, others do not.
In the case of your tripod release plate, however, it is considerably wider than even the most liberal use of arca-swiss compatible and would be considered a manufacturer's proprietary format.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No. A 50mm-wide plate is generally not considered standard Arca-Swiss.
Arca-Swiss is really a “style” rather than a strict universal standard, and products sold as Arca-compatible can vary somewhat in width, height, and dovetail shape. Even genuine Arca-style parts from different brands are not always perfectly interchangeable.
That said, a 50mm mount is much wider than the common Arca-style format and would usually be treated as a proprietary or brand-specific quick-release system rather than normal Arca-Swiss. If the plate doesn’t use the typical Arca dovetail shape, that’s another strong sign it isn’t Arca-compatible.
Some 50mm-style plates appear on certain systems such as Giottos BLQ, DJI/Ronin, and some Manfrotto models, but those are separate ecosystems, not the standard Arca form most photographers mean when they say “Arca-Swiss.”
If you want broad compatibility with heads, clamps, L-brackets, and replacement plates, look for a clamp explicitly described as Arca-Swiss compatible.
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