I was in a panic this afternoon when I discovered that my brand new sachtler ACE tripod was missing it’s tripod plate, after about an hours searching I remembered the last time it was used…producing the Canon C300 User Review.

The day after the review the FS100 was to be sent down to Malvern as someone had bought it off me, did I leave the plate on the camera, that I will never know.

By pure chance I decided to see if one of my manfrotto 501 tripod plates would fit and amazingly not only does it fit but locks and releases as if it were ment to be there !

This is very good news for both manfrotto and sachtler…here’s why…

1. sachtler ACE owners can use their DSLR or small camcorder on the ACE or manfrotto 501 tripod head.

2. If like me you use a 501 on the Glidetrack slider you don’t have to swap camera plates if you are using an ACE.

3. You now have a cheaper alternative for a spare ACE tripod plate.

This is not by chance but rather by design in my opinion, sachtler were always going to be treading on manfrotto territory by entering the sub £600 part of the market so it would make sense to keep one part of the design the same.

The plate fits as if it were meant in fact it’s too close…I am assured that both brands are separate companies unlike Vinten and manfrotto.

All I can add is well done for a chance design that will benefit both parties and that does not happen that often.

I had two reasons to go to BVE in London one to work and one to get myself a new tripod. I looked at most of the affordable tripods at the show but I was looking for something a wee bit better as I felt that some of my productions lacked a less than lustre pan and tilt.

I have been a Manfrotto fan for many a year and the 504HD was certainly the best head they have produced for a long time but the 504HD is not a true fluid head and the legs are not the best. I had a Vinten a few years ago but stupidly sold it to my good friend Alister. The Manfrotto gives you a set of heads that are interchangeable so if you are doing a 2 camera shoot you only have one quick release plate to worry about.

Anyway that aside I was now in the market for a new tripod and the one that took my fancy was the Miller Compass 25 a brand new model into the UK and was on show at BVE for the first time.

The single item that nailed the tripod sale for me was the addition of an accessory mounting bloc, free to everyone who buys this tripod during March 2011…fantastic, now I have a place to mount my Cineroid EVF.

My trip to BVE was a great success and with the delivery of my new Miller Compass 25 tripod today, icing on the cake, your second most important purchase beyond the camera itself is a tripod and I am glad to be investing in a family business like Miller just as good if not better than it’s German equivalent.

http://www.millertripods.com