Picatinny Compatible Tripods

[TheMoondog]

I was this old before I discovered that somebody makes an ARCA/Swiss compatible ballheads that are also cut to accept Picatinny 1913 rails. This is one of those stupefyingly simple innovations that makes you think, why doesn't everybody do this?

Does anybody else make a direct to Picatinny compatible tripod head?

I looked at a lot of tripods at ShotShow22 by Leopold, Vortex, and BOG but I don't think I saw any of them have this kind of mount? Unless it's some patented design, it's something all shooting tripod makers should incorporate into their designs. Or just straight up copy Sunwayfoto. They're a Chinese company and you know that IP's are kind of ignored in China. I'm not advocating illegality but karma is a bitch.

Which leads me to another question: is there a good reason why nobody makes a direct to Picatinny tripod mount? I suspect it because it was cheaper for shooters to buy off-the-shelf photo tripods and modify ARCA/Swiss plates to attach them onto rifles, rather than tripod makers to modify their tripod heads? And now there are M-LOK lugged ARCA/Swiss adapters and ARCA cut chassis and handguards. Or is there a structural reason why Picatinny is a bad mounting standard?

*UPDATE
RRS responded to my inquiry and it turns out they invented and Patented the Combo Picatinny/Arca-Swiss mount design. Thats why nobody else makes one (legally). They've already filed suit against some Chinese makers concerning this. And have tried to get US retailers like B&H and Adorama to stop selling Sunwayfoto and other brands because of their Patent https://rrssoar.com/patents

 

[LV Precision]

This is a rip off of the Really Right Stuff design that has been available for years. Not sure what to tell you, other than to do more research.

 

[TheMoondog]

This is a rip off of the Really Right Stuff design that has been available for years. Not sure what to tell you, other than to do more research.

Well that's the reason I asked. I'm not an expert on this. Thanks.

At first it didn't come up on RRS' main website: https://www.reallyrightstuff.com/shop/heads/ballheads

But I did finally find the combo model does come up when I go their SOAR specific subsite: https://rrssoar.com/bh-scr

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Well that's the reason I asked. I'm not an expert on this. Thanks.

But after looking through website catalog, I don't see any of their ballheads offering this feature? https://www.reallyrightstuff.com/shop/heads/ballheads

Is there a RRS model you can identify that has the Picatinny mount?

You aren't looking very hard. Anvil30

 

[carbonbased]

I'm not advocating illegality but karma is a bitch.

What exactly are you trying to say here?

 

[TheMoondog]

So RRS got back to me. They first designed the combo Picatinny/Arca-Swiss mount 6 years ago and hold the US Patent on it https://rrssoar.com/patents. This explains why no other US tripod has this design and why no US retailer will sell a Sunwayfoto tripod with the combo mount (the same tripod model sold at Adorama has a "normal" Arca-Swiss tripod head instead of the combo).

 

[Huckmeat]

The RRS Anvil30 is worth every penny.

 

[carbonbased]

The RRS Anvil30 is worth every penny.

For most hunting, I agree. @TheMoondog might agree too.

Or not. Something about karma. Not sure what he’s getting at.

For me, not sure the Anvil 30 will work out in my specific instance because I shoot small critters and frequent (and smooth) panning is important. The anvil isn’t great in that regard (I own one). I could add a panning platform on top of the Anvil, but my old Arca Swiss B1 ballhead has been performing well for years.

 

[srt-4_uk]

So RRS got back to me. They first designed the combo Picatinny/Arca-Swiss mount 6 years ago and hold the US Patent on it https://rrssoar.com/patents. This explains why no other US tripod has this design and why no US retailer will sell a Sunwayfoto tripod with the combo mount (the same tripod model sold at Adorama has a "normal" Arca-Swiss tripod head instead of the combo).

Ballheads sold by Sunaway and Leofoto with the combo mounts are sold by US retailers. These also have the ability to adjust the tension for different spec arca rails. Something RRS just came out with in the Anvil-30 ARC.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1717895-REG/sunwayfoto_ib_30_easy_to_carry_inverted.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1722862-REG/leofoto_ma_30_rapid_lock_ball.html

 

[TheMoondog]

@carbonbased What I meant (before I found out about RRS' patent) was that if Chinese companies were going to copy US designs, it would fair game for US companies to copy Chinese product designs. Of course that comment is moot knowing what I know now.