Adding a ARRI Dovetail System to Sony FS7. Is it Worth it?

I’ve been using Kessler Quick Release System for some time now. All my camera have some iteration of the Arcs Swiss camera plates that are compatible wit the Kessler clamp. It works great but…..

I hate the way the camera tips over when it’s put down on a flat surface. The issue is more with the two safety stops on the ends of the plate, and I wont take them off. That’s just way to dangerous. If you don’t clamp it down the camera will slide off and crash to the ground. For the most part I just lived with it. Laying the camera on it’s side or p;eaning it against something. Not ideal.

I decided to get another Wooden Camera cage for my Sony a7s. I had one for a GH4 with YAGH and I liked it. Wooden Camera likes Arri style dovetail plates. They are mostly used on big heavy camera rigs. I see them a lot on RED cameras. It’s been a standard for many years but hasn’t really been adopted for smaller cameras really. This also makes them a little expensive too.

Now I don’t really want to leave behind the Arca-Swiss style clamps because they do work well with my a7s II and other smaller cameras that just wouldn’t work well with a Arri style clamp. Unless someone makes a thinner one? Maybe?

The Arri Dovetail is the opposite of the Arca-Swiss. The clamp goes on the camera as opposed to the tripod. This makes the bottom of the camera flat and you guessed it it sits on the ground or table without tipping over. Nice!!!

In order to keep thing universal I kept the Kessler system on my tripod but added the camera plate to a 8″ Dovetail. It’s not cheap. I wanted a short on so I went with the Wooden Camera 8″ Safety Dovetail $180. Yikes was the expensive!

This pops on and off super fast and is very sturdy. Now I can use my Dovetail system at work if I bring my FS7 in since we also have the Kessler system for the C300.
I also picked up a CAMTREE 19mm/15mm Base Plate With Dovetail Tripod Plate for ARRI Standard camera on eBay listed for $108. This one comes with a bigger Dovetail rail and a clamp with rails. The 15mm rial position is for a RED camera and is way to high for a FS7. I also felt the plate was a little bigger than I wanted but it would be fine if the size works for you. They don’t sell them separate so I messaged them through ebay and they sold me two for a very reasonable price. Shipping was really fast from India. I’m really happy with the quality. The also make a rail system for bigger camera with both 19 and 15mm rails with Dovetail.

Wooden Camera also makes a Arri Dovetail clamp but it’s expensive at $250. I’m happy with the Camtree version even if it’s not perfect. See below.

I had to add some large washers to get the plate on. The screws are two long since the plate is a little thin.

So am I happy? Well for the most part I am! But…. One downside is the clamp is bigger and if you throw the camera up on the shoulder it’s not that comfortable. I’m experimenting with different positions so I might be able to move it more forward on the camera to avoid this. I dont shoot handheld a whole lot and if I know I’m going to I’ll add the Zacuto VCT baseplate and build it out or just take the clamp off. So many options so much gear 😀

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Filed in: Featured Post • FS7 • Sony • Zacuto
Tagged with: Arca-Swiss • ARRI • Dovetail • Kessler • quick release • wooden Camera • Wooden Camera 8" Safety Dovetail