Wasabi

Hi Paul good thing it hit the carpet.

On all the Manfrotto QR heads that I have seen there is a 'lock' that when properly seated prevents the plate from coming out without using two hands .... not quite a quick release but safe. If the lock is not set it is possible to flip the QR lever and release the camera. In this condition any thing can release the camera, a strap catching, a piece of clothing as you move past the tripod, virtually anything. I would double check the equipment for proper set up before replacing anything.

Wasabi

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I checked the Manfrotto pricing that Jerryc41 posted. It is $36. The same two fittings for Arca Swiss is $19.
I originally used the Manfrotto RC2 stuff because we had Manfrotto tripods and it seemed the right thing to do at the time. We had the plates mounted on everything including our binoculars. And they were quite good especially as they had a lock to keep the two together. They were a little annoying also because Manfrotto had about 4 different sized plate system going so if you bought a ballhead/tripod it might have the wrong plate shape and you had to adapt it. With Manfrotto it is one size fits all and that isn't always that convenient.

Then I got into a spot of macro photography and realized that the setups I used were based on Arca Swiss. So I investigated AS and found that clamps and brackets came in different sizes which was exactly what I wanted. So at some little expense I changed everything over and it was the best thing I ever did. Its up there with sliced bread. My only regret is that I didn't do it much sooner but I blame that on photographers resistance to change.
I have now discovered Nato fittings as used on Smallrig fittings which are ideal for some purposes AND they are suitable for use with Arca Swiss fittings (but not so good with Manfrotto). I think that if you progress as a photographer you will eventually end up with Arca Swiss and the sooner you change the cheaper it will be.
Funnily enough I was sorting out some old gear the other day and came across an Arca Swiss style clamp and plate I had made 45 years ago and forgotten about. The dimensions weren't the same but close.

As to straps I am 49% in favour and 51% against.

BobIn

Paul,
I have the P500 and the bottom mount of my camera ripped off while attached to the tripod. This is due to the P500 being top heavy and after much searching appears to be a common issue. I found a quick and inexpensive solution for me and hopefully will save you from a similar accident. See attached camera mount ring on Ebay for the solution. https://www.ebay.com/itm/332828570377

Description:
Metal Tripod Collar Ring for Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED Lens $11.58
Features:
Provide better balancing on a tripod
Rotating the camera from horizontal to vertical orientation will be much easier and faster
The hinged design allows the ring to be removed without the need to unmount the lens from the camera
Flocked interior lining protects your lens from scratch
Material: Metal
Replaces Nikon Tripod Ring RT-1

Spec:
Weight: 5.5 oz / 160grams
Inner Diameter: 81mm

Packages:
Metal Tripod Collar Ring for Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED Lens x1

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

Although I am not the OP so will leave it to him to check out the tripod ring I have looked at the P1000 and cannot see where a tripod ring would fit. The ring was designed for use with a specific Nikon lens and BobIn is lucky that it fits the P500 (and has displayed some ingenuity in having a go at this).
The P500 and P1000 do look a bit front heavy but so do a lot of DSLRs with larger lens mounted on the front. The really heavy lens usually come with a tripod mounting which covers this but does leave a big gap in the middle.
An Arca Swiss plate held on with a hex screw is one option especially since you can buy longer plates so that the clamping area is extended giving a better grip. My camera uses a 70mm long plate with 65mm clamps on my tripods. They don't slip unless you are so careless you deserve to loose your camera. The right length plate does not obscure the battery compartment helped by the fact the plates have slots in the bottom so they can be adjusted.
An even better solution is a camera bracket with an Arca Swiss plate mounted on the bottom. The camera plates usually have a ledge on one side which the camera sits against. One done up it cannot untwist because the camera hits the ledge. This is by far the best solution. However you do need to find the right camera plate and that I will leave up to the OP or whoever wants to explore this solution. I checked Smallrig and they have nothing for the P500 or 1000 but I think others may well do so.
I am sure that a little modding could adapt anything found that was close (like drill a new screw hole for example). Knowing what I do now if I could find nothing purpose made then I would make a new one out of a piece of L shaped aluminium suitably machined.
With a camera plate mounted I think you will find that the standard camera screw mount will be sufficient and it would be very obvious that it was loose before anything fell off. The larger sized Arca Swiss plates provide plenty of pressure to the bottom of the camera so they won't shift (other than by gross carelessness as you can break anything if the will is there).
As an aside amongst my screw assortment I found a very large flat headed screw that supplies extra support to the bottom Arca Swiss plate plate making it even less likely to come adrift.

Bipod

BobIn

I do not own a P1000 and thank you for adding your expert information to address this issue. While my suggestion may be of value to P500 owners, you provided a great solution to P1000 owners. Thanks for your help and suggestions. The people in this forum are very knowledgeable and helpful, for which I am very grateful!

Paul60 Loc: Lowestoft, UK

Thanks Bobin,

I appreciate the thought and the link.

I had read about the same issue of the camera breaking from pressure where the plate screws in.

I'll keep an eye on it.

Cheers

Paul :)

davidb1879

Re: Paul60: I'm not proud of it but I am something of an expert in dropping cameras having dropped one of my cameras on three separate occasions. On each occasion the camera landed on a rug. It seems to me that if something were wrong with the camera you would know it by now. Many thanks to bipod for his highly informative posting. Good luck! Davidb1879.

Bipod

Good thinking. It pays to use the right screw.

In aircraft, machine screws that must not come loose have holes though their heads,
and are wired in place with "safety wire" made of stainless steel, that is twisted
together like a twist-tie. To remove the screw, you must first cut the safety wire.

The Arca/"Swiss" quick release is strong, but not positive-action. It relies on tightening
a clamping screw---if one doesn't the screw enough, the camera can slide off. I've never
had that happen, but it is possible. Worse, you can't tell by looking if the screw is tight
or loose enough to let the camera slide out.

What it needs is a little latch that needs to be depressed before the camera can be removed.
I like the Arca QR, but it could be much better--and without making any changes to the plate.

I went back to my old Slik U-210 tripod to see if there was ny way to "fool" the QR.
There isn't . It has a QR post, not a plate. It is possible to insert the QR post into the mount
without the latch in the head closing. But the camera can only be removed by pulling it straight up,
and if I try to do that, the latch snaps shut.

Morever, Slik's old post QR separates the latch funciton from the hold-down function.
You lift the lever to insert attach the camera, then rotate the lever to pull the camera
bottom snug against the tripod. At that point, it is both clamped and latched. It ain't movin'.

Also the area of contact berween camera and tripod is greater than with most plate QRs--
including the short version of Arca/Swiss.

However, what would be ideal is a QR that goes "Snap!" when you insert the plate--
so the user knows for sure that camera can't fall off the tripod. Some QRs do this,
but I haven't come across one that both latches and is truly snug.

Mechanical engineers know how to design positive-action connectors -- seat belts for
example, or the door latches on pressurized cabin aircraft (it's either latched or its really
obvious that it's not.).

Sadly, Slik still makes the #6121 post, but not the tripods that used it. Instead, in typical
industry fashion, it sells 20 different QR plates! It's almost as bad as HP inkjet cartridges.
https://slikusa.com/collections/quick-release-plates

The only reason for company to have 20 different QR plates or 200 incompatible inkjet
cartridges is to prevent competition: it splits up the market so it isn't worth another
company's while to invest capital in making an aftermarket equivalent.

These days, safety is job Number Last!

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I have tried a few latch type Arca Swiss clamps but found all of them less than satisfactory. Not necessarily from a safety point of view but from a users point of view. If it isn't real easy to use first then safety is only a secondary issue, to me anyway.
I have decided that there isn't a method which will provide 100% safety AND is easy to use. All the plates have problems to a greater or lesser point of view so I guess you run with the one that you feel the least uncomfortable with. In my case the Arca Swiss is my best compromise all round.
There is one that does work for me though and I have it on my camera only but not on all the rest of my tripods or heads or even my wifes camera.
Although a screw can come loose by itself there are usually only two main reasons why this happens -

1. tightened up carelessly in which case I consider this self inflicted or
2. the screw comes loose because of side pressure or a twisting action between the plate (or whatever) and the camera

Only the user can fix the first one but the second one can be fixed by using the pins that a lot of older tripods used to come with. This pin would screw into the plate and fit into a hole in the bottom of the camera so the plate cannot work the screw undone. If you look at some of the RC2 plates used by Manfrotto you will find a second small hole which was designed to accept a small plastic pin that could interface to the camera. Plus in my earlier days I saw a lot of these pins. Now I don't know if cameras have these holes anymore but the D800 does. So my bracket handle plate has a secondary small screw poking up into the correct place on the D800. The bracket then has a AS 70mm QR plate under it and the same screw holds them both onto the camera. The AS plate also has a locking screw into the bracket. So no twisting action can make anything come loose. The screw could come loose but I should get plenty of warning about that.
I pick the camera up and the feeling of security is just so great because I know that nothing will come loose by accident.

Bipod

Most air crashes are due to pilot error. That does not make them OK.
Eveyrthing possible is done to reduce the possibility of pilot error,
and the severity of the consequences.

For example, in piston engine aircraft, the knob on a mixture control is a
different shape than the knob on the throttle. Good idea, no?

Sure, dropping and breaking a camera is not an aircrash.
But it sure can spoil your day.

Many once-common types of cameras in use today are no longer
made and so irreplacable. Parts also are no longer made, so much
be cannibalized from another identical camera, or fabricated in a
machine shop.

Also, some of these cameras (even some 35 mm--to say nothing of
large format) are much heavier then those made today. Some
(e.g., the Nikon F) really would stop a bullet (ask Don McCullin!).

Basically, the big Japanese camrea companies only make three
types of camera today:
* DLSRs (OVF)
* Digital, screen on the back (no OVF)
* Digital, screen inside (EFV)

Banished by the big makers are, the TLR, folding camera, box camera,
press camera, field camera, monorail camera, stereo camera, panaramic
camera. -- and anything that uses film (except Fuji's instant film cameras).
(Of course, some there are kludgey cut-and-paste ways to make
paramamas and click-move-click ways o make stereo photos.)

To cut assembly labor costs and stimulate customers to replaced all
their lenses, they'd like to discontinue DSLRs --- hence the heavy
promotion of "mirrorless".

Meanwhile, digital camera sales have declined by more than 70% since
2010, and are currently either flat or growing very slowly. Yet the
last Japaense maker to exit the camera business was Konica Minolta
in 2006 The same number of camera makers are vying for a much
smaller market.

This situation is maintainable only by keeping prices high while cutting
costs. And that won't play well during the next recession.

The future of cameras for photography--not counting cell phones -- is
uncertain. So dropping one can be a big loss.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

The wobble should not be a problem with the P1000 as it is not an interchangeable lens.

bobbyp7714 Loc: Orange MA

Thanks for the comment about camera straps. I've been guilty of not using the camera strap. Luckily I never dropped the camera. Going forward I'll remember your comment. Thanks again.