Arca Type Clamp Replacement for Manfrotto Geared Heads

I love the Manfrotto 405 Geared Tripod Head; it’s super sturdy, isolates each of 3 axes of rotation, and is tolerant to unbalanced camera payloads. I use mine a lot for shooting VR180 because the camera need to be level, and also sits way forward on a rail in order to hide the bottom tripod legs. The payload is super front heavy, and trying to shoot with a ball head is a disaster: loosen the ball head, and the camera on the rail immediately tilts forward. It takes a lot of time to level an unbalanced payload on a ball head. Geared heads allow for quick adjustments without having the whole rig go wonky.

I love the geared head, but I’ve standardized around Arca-type / RRS quick-release clamps and plates; the Manfrotto quick-release system is unwelcome in my collection. For a long time, I simply screwed an Arca-type clamp onto the top of a Manfrotto quick-release plate, but the combination wasn’t as stable as it could be—there was always some play in the system.

I finally found the solution: Hejnar Photo Arca Type conversion sets, which are available for Manfrotto 405 and 410 geared heads. Remove the Manfrotto clamp on top, and replace with the Hejnar clamp. It fits perfectly, and screws on tightly with 2 screws. There is absolutely no play in the system now, and it feels extremely sturdy! I’m very happy with this setup.