I need a better ARCA clamp

[nksmfamjp]

My $2 Amazon ARCA clamp is slipping under recoil. I need a better clamp...something with some holding power. The cheap ass ball head is working fine.

id like to spend under $50, but it has to work!

 

[MDof2]

As we used to say in the software industry: Fast, Robust, or Cheap. Pick two.

Area 419 has the clamp you're looking for.
Henderson Precision is a second alternative..

 

[Newbie2020]

My area 419 arca rail has ridges and the newer area 419 clamp locks into the ridges so no slippage

won’t be $50 though.....

 

[b6graham]

You're from Ohio.

This is an easy answer

 

[nksmfamjp]

You're from Ohio.

This is an easy answer

Which is? 419 has their own locking clamp method that uses their rail.

 

[Newbie2020]

The 419 clamp works on any arca rail. But it locks better on their ridged rail

 

[b6graham]

The 419 clamp works on any arca rail. But it locks better on their ridged rail

Works on any 'properly machined' RRS dovetail

Looking at you MPA/MDT

 

[Newbie2020]

@b6graham youre right; I stand corrected. @lowlight had an issue once. Specs matter....

 

[b6graham]

@b6graham youre right; I stand corrected. @lowlight had an issue once. Specs matter....

It's a lot of fun having to leave the pins in an A419 arcalok clamp on a brand new chassis just to make it tighten enough to shoot

 

[Newbie2020]

Oi

 

[KnowNothing256]

OP, I’ll track down the Chinesium clamp that came on my Evolution Bipods ARCA-to-Pic adapter. It’s just the ARCA clamp bolted to a short Pic rail.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I’m going to try this chinesium clamp before I just drop RRS money....to find out it slips! FML

Amazon.com : Leofoto LHC-60 60mm Screw-Knob Clamp with Plate/ARCA/RRS Ball Head Compatible : Electronics

Amazon.com : Leofoto LHC-60 60mm Screw-Knob Clamp with Plate/ARCA/RRS Ball Head Compatible : Electronics

www.amazon.com

I’ve had good luck with Leofoto products.

 

[Barryd]

Works on any 'properly machined' RRS dovetail

Looking at you MPA/MDT

Guessing the Area 419 Arca clamp does not fit the MPA chassis very well?

 

[stimr2]

I have a Leofoto 55 ball head and the clamp slips slightly under recoil. I tried tightening as much as I could but I couldn't get the leverage to make it stop from slipping.

Replaced it with a RRS lever clamp and haven't noticed it slip yet. But I haven't had the time to shoot a lot of rounds with it. I've had to have multiple surgeries to fix complications from my initial cancer surgery.

ACRA isn't really standardized so there's going to be variations between manufacturers. RRS has their own specs.

 

[b6graham]

I have a Leofoto 55 ball head and the clamp slips slightly under recoil. I tried tightening as much as I could but I couldn't get the leverage to make it stop from slipping.

Replaced it with a RRS lever clamp and haven't noticed it slip yet. But I haven't had the time to shoot a lot of rounds with it. I've had to have multiple surgeries to fix complications from my initial cancer surgery.

ACRA isn't really standardized so there's going to be variations between manufacturers. RRS has their own specs.

there is the RRS standard

everything else is out of spec as far as im concerned

@Barryd the chassis themselves have been okay, but the spigot def fucked up RAT shit. i would but an arcalok rail on it anyways though

 

[frer]

I was going to suggest this one, but it looks like it is out of stock. Not cheap but works very well.

https://www.acratech.net/quick-release-clamps/locking-lever-clamp

I am a photographer by trade and have used Arca Swiss clamps for years. I believe the one I linked is better than the RRS model because it is adjustable for your individual rail. You can adjust it so that it is very tight on your particular rail. The RRS clamp is made to fit RRS rails and is not adjustable for other rails. As stated earlier there are variations between different manufacturers. If you have more than one rail you may have to adjust for each one.

If you don't want to wait or spend that much you could probably find a different model of lever clamp that has some adjustment. In my experience you can get a much better fit with a lever lock compared to a screw lock clamp. If you set it and it slips then you can just tighten it up a bit more. It will be more difficult to open and close but you can set it so that it will not slip.

 

[LeftyJason]

I was going to suggest this one, but it looks like it is out of stock. Not cheap but works very well.

https://www.acratech.net/quick-release-clamps/locking-lever-clamp

I am a photographer by trade and have used Arca Swiss clamps for years. I believe the one I linked is better than the RRS model because it is adjustable for your individual rail. You can adjust it so that it is very tight on your particular rail. The RRS clamp is made to fit RRS rails and is not adjustable for other rails. As stated earlier there are variations between different manufacturers. If you have more than one rail you may have to adjust for each one.

If you don't want to wait or spend that much you could probably find a different model of lever clamp that has some adjustment. In my experience you can get a much better fit with a lever lock compared to a screw lock clamp. If you set it and it slips then you can just tighten it up a bit more. It will be more difficult to open and close but you can set it so that it will not slip.

ARCA Swiss isn't a standard. It's a general form that is roughly a 1.5" dovetail. If everybody made rails to the same standard all clamps would fit all rails. There are other companies that make their rails to the same rail standard.

The problem is that for a long while alot of companies were reverse engineering rails from each other and making up their own tolerances. I believe some were also extruding them. That is fine if tolerances are correct.

Rrs decided to try to get everybody working from the same dimensions. It is still an arca Swiss rail but it is more controlled. They even make it easy to find.

Patents & The RRS Dovetail Standard

www.reallyrightstuff.com

If your rail made by whoever matches these dimensions, it will work.

 

[NewsShooter]

Works on any 'properly machined' RRS dovetail

Looking at you MPA/MDT

Haven't had any issues with the clamping on my MPA.

 

[J-Ham]

For a regular Arca rail (which I assume is to the RRS spec), I prefer the Grey Ops clamp to the 419, although it's pretty adjustable so I suspect that's irrelevant... Now if we're talking ArcaLock, well that's a whole'nother story entirely!

 

[KnowNothing256]

Ok, found the Chinesium clamp I mentioned. It's the Andoer CL-50LS clamp. Toolless adjustment to any ARCA-ish rail, locking lever to clamp, single 3/8" screw to adapt to whatever (plus a 3/8" to 1/4" adapter included). I removed the thumb screw opposite the clamping lever and replaced it with a button head screw to lower the profile, sorry I don't remember the screw size. If you really need me to figure it out I can, but it's a $0.10 part at a hardware store with a good fastener selection. It came as part of an Evolution Bipods Pic-to-ARCA adapter; they just slapped a short Pic rail on it and marked the whole thing up 100%.

Wal-Mart has 'em:

Robot or human?