ANDYCINECamera Quick Release Plate with Arca Slot 1/4 Screw Camera Quick Release Plate for Camera, Field Monitor, Magic Arm, Tripod, LED Light

I needed this quick release plate for a tripod that I have which has a corroded quarter inch screw due to too much pre-dawn sea air.Thanks to the widely compatible quarter inch hole in the base plate, this fitted to my existing tripod nicely. The added benefit is that I can use it on any of the tripods that I have. There is also a standard quarter inch thread screw, allowing me to fit the other half to my DSLR. It is very well made from aluminium and stainless steel and it is easy to remove it from the base plate.It comes with an Allen key to tighten the screw onto the camera. It has a quick release button, which is much easier for fixing the camera to the tripod and releasing it than the ones that you need to tighten.Given the quality and compatibility of this quick release plate, I think that this is a very useful addition to my camera bag and at £15.99 is good value for money.

This quick release plate arrives in a basic resealable envelope, so would not make for a nice looking gift. Inside was the quick plate itself, an Allen key and a Andycine contact information leaflet.When the two halves are together, the main body of the quick release plate measures 3.8cm long by 2.9cm wide and is 1.5cm thick.The upper half has a rubber pad to help grip and protect any equipment you attach to it. It has a standard 1/4” screw for attaching it to equipment, and a slot that allows this screw to be positioned anywhere along almost half the length of the plate.The bottom half has a ¼” socket for attaching it to a tripod or other equipment, as well as a 1/4” screw for securing it in place (this can be removed in order to use it on tripods that do not have this locking system). On the side is the metal button you press in to release the upper plate.There construction of the main body of both halves of the plate is solid metal and well made. The two 1/4” screws though are disappointing. They have a slot for a standard screw driver (or thin coin) as well as a hex socket for the included Allen key. This is far less convenient than the D-ring type screw that is often used in such situations, which do not need any external item to tighten or loosen them. On top of this, the metal used for the screw is soft, and the hex sockets have been badly made (being both shallow and ill defined). As a result, these screws have already shown signs of stripping.In use the quick plate proved to be useful. Whilst it can be used with larger cameras, I found it better suited for smaller equipment such as compact cameras, LED lights, microphones, etc. Unfortunately the release mechanism isn’t very smooth though. For some reason, the plates seem to ‘stick’ more than they should at first when sliding them apart (although there is a spring latch mechanism, it seems to be something else causing this). Consequently you need to use force at first to get past this sticky point, but once you do, that force now means your equipment shoots off the lower half quickly. It is not the smooth, controlled release that you usually get from such systems.In conclusion, this is a small, handy quick plate to have in your kit. Whilst the body is well made it is let down by the poor quality screws, and the sticky release mechanism. As I result I can only really give it a 3 star “OK” rating.~ Amazon asked me to review this product and to give my honest opinion about it. If you found this review at all useful, I'd be grateful if you could let them know by using the button below. Thank you! ~

The media could not be loaded.  First thoughts:ProsSmall and portable.Strong for its size.Quality metal design.Moving parts have been well machined and look high quality.Arca-Swiss rail as well as having both a male and female ¼” thread on the base for multiple mount options.ConsKeyed unique design can only be used with its own QR plate.Slots in from one direction only compared to their other square mini QR plate that I have that can be seated in four directions and still has a release button.Little rubber washer on the bottom ¼” screw was severed by the thread when I unscrewed it (not really a problem, just an observation on the design).Does take a bit of forward pressure to disengage the plate, even when the button is fully depressed as it has an anti-drop pin on the underside of the QR plate.This works best for my smaller optical devices and camera accessories given its small profile and I’ll leave it connected to the accessory I choose to take with me. I use larger, more versatile Arca-Swiss rails for the bottom of my heavy DSLRs and accessories, as I can quickly swap any of them in and out of my Arca-Swiss tripods.It fits very well onto a small travel tripod that I can connect to the side of a day pack or camera backpack, and fits into a pocket or small pouch if I’m using a mini desk tripod or hand grip for Vlogging.Details and things to note (See pictures and video):Mini quick release mount system with Arca-Swiss rail and ¼” screw thread mounting options.The base has 2x female ¼” screw threads and a single orientation Arca-Swiss rail.The QR plate slides into a recess from one direction only and locks into place. Release for the plate comes via a press button which releases the locking mechanism and allows the plate to slide out with a bit of a shove.The assembly comes with 2x male ¼” screws which can be used on the QR plate and the base to provide mount options for accessories. A hex key is provided to assist with tightening.Final thoughts:As mentioned earlier, it does require a bit of a shove to disengage the top plate, at first I thought the mechanism was sticking, but after closer inspection of the underside of the QR plate, I realised there’s a small spring-loaded pin that drops into a recess on the base. This is their version of the more traditional anti-drop pins that you get in mainstream Arca-Swiss systems that stops the plate sliding out by accident.An excellent bit of accessory kit for my grab bag, and it’s earned its spot in my ‘Must Carry’ items list.I’m happy to recommend this based on the high build quality and the relatively low price, but its unique design does mean it is more limited compared to standard Arca kit that is more interchangeable with other equipment and accessories.