rbmitch123

I just purchased a Benro MAD49C Monopod and Benro DJ90head.
Is it possible to set up the head to use with an L bracket which I keep attached to my camera. It appears the attachment would not allow portrait orientation.
Could you provide some assistance or direction? Thank you.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

According to the Berno website, the DJ90 head is arca-type. Your arca-type L-plate on the camera body lets you swap the camera position on the head between portrait and landscape when attached to the DJ90. The DJ90 will clap directly onto the L-Plate, not the 'action mount' provided along with the head.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

IMO. you will need something like this - https://www.ebay.com/itm/140mm-Nodal-Rail-Slide-Plate-QR-Clamp-Macro-Panoramic-Bracket-For-Arca-Swiss-RRS/371644924814?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l9372

attached to your L bracket and head.
.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Here you go. I have L brackets on both a Canon 6d2 and 7d2. And use this swivel head on my monopod. Works like a champ and you can re-orient the clamp for use with a tripod collar.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KJ75PV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

That does not make any sense, if you have an L bracked attached to your camera, then you can orientate the camera ever which way you feel, regardless of which head you use ( if it has a fitting mount)!

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

It's a gravity thing. Life is just easier if the camera is centered atop the monopod instead of flopped on the side.

jcboy3

That is exactly what is needed. The mount on the DJ90 is Arca compatible, but it is oriented lengthwise for use with arca tripod feet on telephoto lenses. Even if you could mount the camera, it would not balance well; that is where the nodal slide helps. Then the camera can be mounted in landscape or portrait orientation, and the nodal slide positioned to balance the camera/lens.

rbmitch123

Thanks so much.

rbmitch123

I agree unless I want to lake a portrit oriented shot which is often the case with sports photography.

rbmitch123

Yes your right. I’m just sitting here making stuff up to pass my time. Perhaps you’ve never tried the equipment in question.
Regardless, I think I’ve got my question answered by others.

rbmitch123

Thanks so much. I really appreciate the input.

rbmitch123

This is true, it does attach without the bracket. Unfortunately it is 90 degrees to how you would want it to operate, front to back tilt instead of side to side tilt.
I think I have my answer from others but do appreciate you spending some time to look this up to assist in my dilemma. I have sent an inquiry into the manufacturer as I’m sure this not a unique question. I’ll see what they say too.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

With an L bracket, the camera would not be flopped to the side, but centered (like I said, regardless of head)!

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

It appears that Benro head is primarily designed to accommodate telephotos with a tripod mounting collar, with the orientation of the Arca-style mount aligned with the lens.

However, the mount of a camera L-bracket is perpendicular to that orientation.

You probably can mount the L-bracket just fine in that head, with the camera in either portrait or landscape orientation... but the tilt movement of the monopod head won't be usable. It would just "flop" the camera to one side or the other (and serve no purpose, since the L-bracket lets you change orientation). If you simply when ahead and mounted the camera anyway and left the head's tilt movement locked, you can still "tilt" it to some extent just by leaning the monopod and camera forward for downward tilt or backward for upward tilt. But that's all that will be possible to do with the L-bracket directly mounted in that head.

If you have any telephotos that use a tripod collar (either with an Arca-plate installed or with a built-in Arca dovetail in the mounting foot, which some manufacturers have begun to incorporate), the Benro head will be ideal by allowing you to tilt those upward or downward as needed using the movement of the head.

If you want to be able to use a tilt movement with the L-bracket too, the simplest thing would be a different head that allows you to re-orient the Arca-style mounting platform as needed.

I am not sure that's possible with the Kiwifoto linked in 47greyfox's response above. To me that looks like it has the same "problem" as the Benro head.

The "Nodal Slide Plate" Imagemeister linked would be one solution.

Personally I might try modifying a plain monopod head (one without a built-in quick release platform). Arca-style QR platforms can be bought separately (I just installed one on an old Bogen tripod head). The only problem is that those can rotate loose, so I recommend "pinning" them to prevent that with one or two set screws. In this case, I'd set it up so that the platform can be removed and and rotated 90 degrees.... all that would be needed is a second set of holes for the set screws to engage when the orientation is changed. Set up carefully, it would just be a matter of loosening the main mounting bolt a bit, turning the platform to the desired orientation, then retightening the main mounting bolt. (The "main mounting bolt" is the one with 1/4x20 threads that's normally used to directly mount the camera, but in this case is being used to mount the Arca-style QR platform.)

Possibly even easier, depending upon the L-bracket, might be to just use the plain type of monopod head... the type that simply uses the 1/4x20 screw (i.e., no quick release). Of course, this would work ONLY IF the L-bracket has a corresponding 1/4x20 mounting hole, as some L-brackets, camera and lens mounting plates do. The only downsides are that with no quick release it would take a few seconds longer to mount or unmount the camera from the head. You'd also have to occasionally check the lens or camera is staying securely mounted, too, because this type of fastening can gradually loosen just from the weight of the gear, when moving around with it.

Finally, you might consider using a standard ballhead with an Arca QR platform on the monopod, instead. In most cases those allow tilt to be done in any direction, so would be possible to do so with the L-bracket or with a tele that has a tripod mounting collar. I use an old, medium size Manfrotto ballhead on one of my tripods, that I've modified by replacing the QR platform with one that's Arca compatible. I had that ballhead just laying around unused... an extra off a broken tripod or something. It just happened to be almost exactly the same diameter as the mounting platform of the tripod, so looks like it was made for the purpose. Another nice thing about this particular simple and inexpensive ballhead is that all the movements lock with single knob (i.e., it doesn't have a separate panning locking knob). The downside to using a ballhead on a monopod is that they're a bit bigger and heavier (though I pity the fool who tries to rob me while I've got that monopod & ballhead handy... it would make a great weapon!). Also, ballheads almost allow too much movement... it's easy to get tilt in a direction you don't want, while trying to do a movement in another direction. And, if accidentally loosened they can "flop" (though I guess that's true to some extent with the Benro and Kiwifoto style monopod heads, too).

rbmitch123

Problem solved. I purchased a proMaster Nodal Slider (100mm) and it works great.
Thank you to all the responders for their input and time spent on my behalf. I can always count on UHHers.