RRS Quick-Release System

How it Works

As with any quick-release system, the Really Right Stuff quick-release system requires two parts: a plate and a clamp. You must have both pieces to make the system work.

The quick-release clamp is the foundation of the quick-release system. Our clamps can be mounted to just about anything: ballheads, pan-tilt heads, monopods, or even skydiving helmets (really, we're not kidding!). Once you have our quick-release clamp as your foundation, then you need to add a dedicated mounting plate for each piece of equipment that you want to mount in the clamp. Each camera body or collared lens will need its own mounting plate.

For example:

You own a Nikon D700 camera and these lenses: 17-55mm/f2.8, 105mm/f2.8 VR, and 70-200mm VR-II.
You need: a Really Right Stuff quick-release clamp, a Really Right Stuff plate for your camera body, and a Really Right Stuff plate for the collared 70-200mm lens. You don't need anything for the other two lenses because they don't have rotating tripod collars.

You own a Canon 1D Mark IV camera and these lenses: 17-55mm/f2.8, 180mm/f2.8 Macro, 70-200mm/f2.8L-IS
You need: a Really Right Stuff quick-release clamp, a Really Right Stuff plate for your camera body, and Really Right Stuff plates for the collared 180mm and 70-200mm lenses. You don't need anything for the other lens because it doesn't have a rotating tripod collar.

Really Right Stuff quick-release plates have a 45° dovetail that perfectly matches the dovetail jaws of our quick-release clamps. Most plates also come standard with safety stops that prevent the plates from accidentally slipping through the clamp. Our clamps integrate safety stop relief grooves that allow for greater adjustability. Plates can slide halfway through the clamp before stopping. Especially useful with long lenses when adjusting for the proper balance point.

All of our quick-release clamps are precision machined in the USA from solid aircraft grade aluminum and finished in a beautiful matte-black anodize. Excess mass is removed to minimize weight and all corners are radiused for comfort and beauty. Most clamps are contoured to incorporate a high contrast spirit level for quick initial leveling in the field.

Ballheads with Really Right Stuff Quick-Release Clamps

Because the Really Right Stuff quick-release system offers implicit advantages, it’s logical to buy a quality ballhead that comes with a Really Right Stuff clamp.

Really Right Stuff Ballheads:

All of our ballheads can be purchased with our quick-release clamps already installed. We offer four sizes of ballheads: full-sized, mid-sized, compact, and ultra-light. We also offer a variety of different clamp styles to meet the needs of all shooters. Click here for more detailed information on Really Right Stuff ballheads.

Other Ballheads:

There are a number of ballheads from other manufacturers that are available with Arca‑style clamps already mounted. These include the original Arca-Swiss B1, B1E, B1G Monoballs; the newer Arca-Swiss Z1sp, Z1dp, P1D, and C1 Cube; Foba’s Superball & Mini-Superball; Kirk’s BH-1 & BH‑3; Acratech’s Ultimate & V2 ballheads; Markin’s MK-10 & MK-20 ballheads. There are also other good ballheads (notably Linhof Profi I and Profi II) that do not come with a quick-release clamp, but can be easily converted by adding one of our clamps. Click here for more detailed information on clamp compatibility with other heads.