Hi everyone,

I decided to get one of these Ulanzi Claw quick release plates. Wow!!!, these are so quick and easy to attach and detach the camera. Unlike the Arca Swiss type plates there’s no locking screw to have to tighten/untighten. I used to like the Manfrotto ones for their sturdiness, quality and security but these Ulanzi ones are really great. To quickly try it out I put it on my new Manfrotto Pixi Evo 2 tripod, as you can see below it adds very little bulk to it. To attach the camera you just position it in any of four positions (0,90,180 or 270 degrees) press it down and it clicks into place, the claimed weight handling of 50Kg!, reassuring as it is, is far in excess of my tripod and anything that I might ever want to attach to it. With my leg and neck pain problems and other aliments I certainly wouldn’t be carrying anything weighing 50Kg very far!, I’m too old and unfit to be a Royal Marines Commando. 🙂 . To release it one simply simultaneously presses on the two side red and black coloured “buttons” and that’s it. The red button has a lock position and the whole thing feels really secure and weighs only 59g or approx. 2 ounces. Be aware that they also do a mark II version which, along with the tripod bush is also Arca Swiss compatible so one has the best of both worlds. If I’d have realised I’d have bought that version for its extra versatility but it’s not in any way a show-stopper.

At circa £26 UK the Ulanzi Claw isn’t the cheapest release plate around but I think that one gets what one pays for, would you trust your expensive camera and lens to a cheap and cheerful plate?, I know I wouldn’t and it’s really nicely designed and made of aluminium. I don’t go overboard on packaging but it is attractive and screams quality. I’m so impressed that I ordered one of their U-100 ball heads with claw fitting which also has the added bonus of a cold shoe mount from their website whilst they have their Black Friday deals principally to go on my Manfrotto lightweight monopod or possibly my original Pixi mini tripod. I’ll also have an extra camera plate to attach to another of my cameras. Over time I can see myself standardising on this system as and when funds permit, it’s just so quick and simple. Apart from the extremely serious personal consideration of weight, part of my dislike of camera supports is the time they take to constantly setup and collapse which doesn’t live happily with my shooting style so anything that simplifies and speeds up this process has my vote. So, like them or not, until some ingenious designer designs the ultra-lightweight, ultra-compact, automatic-assembly/disassembly “Transformers Hover Pod”, I’m stuck with conventional camera supports but this does make life one little bit easier which is most appreciated. 🙂

Some pics:

Kind regards

Leigh