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.
Sachtler, Vinten, Manfrotto, Oconnor, Gitzo and many more companies are owned by the Vitec group. Sachtler & Vinten are under the Videocomm umbrella whereas Manfrotto and Gitzo are under the imaging umbrella. Older Vinten pro touch tripod also used the 501PL plate. Other companies owned by Vitec include Kata bags, petrol bags, lastolite, litepanels, Anton Bauer and auto script.
And (at the risk of sounding like a granny teaching someone to suck eggs), using a Manfrotto MN577 adapter will let you use 501PL plates on any head, even if it isn’t 501PL compatible.
It’s always good to find something that doesn’t need the extra adapter though, good find Philip!
I did not realise sachtler and manfrotto were linked…good news.
There are two widths of Manfrotto plate the 501PL fits onto the sachtler but the 357 plate won’t. Having said that Manfrotto have been standerdising the 501PL and 501PLong to fit on all current tripods.