Sima Quick Connect for Tripod

by Sima

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 2.5 x 2.2 inches ; 2.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006JQ6C
• Item model number: SVR
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #1 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Tripod & Monopod Accessories
  • #72 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Camcorder Accessories
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2005

Product Description

QuicKonnect for fast secure locking and release of your camera to any tripod

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent solid unit, February 12, 2008

By 

Leroy Jones "Crack" (Irvington NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sima Quick Connect for Tripod (Electronics)

Excellent unit very solidly built and designed. The unit seems very durable, but is still light and small. Basically, reminded me of a hockey puck. Works flawlessly for what I need it to do. The inner piece is so small, that I leave it on my camera when I take it off the mount and put it in my pocket. It works excellent with both my Sony Cybershot and Panasonic SDR-H200.

Also, I did have a question to how the unit worked. It seemed obvous that the unit just screws on to a mount, but there are no pictures of the bottom of the product. It does in fact, screw onto an existing mount as there is a hole on the bottom with screw threads that allow it to screw onto whatever your camera will screw onto. As long as what you are trying to mount it onto has no obstruction around the screw you are trying to place it onto, it will fit on just about anything that a camera or camcorder will mount onto.

The removable middle piece was designed so that the screw and the pin next to the screw can be tightened, loosened, or removed with a screwdriver. So you just place the quick release on the bottom of your camera and tighten the screw and the pin, instead of having to twist the camera onto the unit.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It is what it is..., January 12, 2010

By 

Daddy V - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sima Quick Connect for Tripod (Electronics)

I have 2, one for a Canon HF-S100 and one for a Nikon D40. On the HF-S100, mount plate is small enough not to interfere w/ the SD card loading slot & door. No such concern on the D40. I put the base mounts on an old Ambico tripod and a Canon Monopod. No issues mounting. Each one screws on firmly. For the Canon Monopod, it makes the mount section look more substantial and adds much needed quick release functionality. (Interchanging between the Monopod and tripod is quick and easy now!)

The fit & finish of the product is what you'd expect from Sima. The molded hard plastic reminds me of a hockey puck, like high-impact grade plastic. (I accidentally dropped one from the car onto the drive way, mounted on the Canon Monopod... I thought for sure it was damaged. Not the case. It survived the drop without a ding or scratch.) The puck is about 2 9/16" in diameter, with the exception of the latch sticking out about 1/4" when in its closed position.

The latch mechanism could use a bit more refined engineering. Between the 2 I have, one swings open with only a minor studder when first opening to release the mounting plate. The other one requires a bit more force to start the swing to open, like there's a more pronounce "notch". So of the two, I prefer the one that "easier" to open. (I guess your mileage may vary with which "version" you get...) I mention this only for those using it on video equipment in the instance where you find yourself mounting or unmounting your device while recording - you'll definitely shake things up!) Otherwise, the latch feels strong and secure.

The screw stud cannot be tightened by fingers - there's no way to "grip" the screw from underneath the plate. There's only a slot for you to use a screwdrive/coin to tighten the screw when mounting the plate to a camera. This can make attempting a quick remove of the mounting plate frustrating if you don't have a coin/screwdriver/key handy.

The guide post in the plate is "adjustable" and fully removable. It is not spring loaded, but instead threaded for easy screw adjustment and/or removal.

Overall, it is what it is. It does what it was designed to do for the price. I recommend it as a resonable solution for getting a quick-release mount/plate system. Just mount it & forget it until you need to release it - that's what it does best. If you looking for pro features & quality , you may need to look else where. If your looking for a simple solution in a nice package for a resonable price, then buy it now...

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK for smaller cameras, July 1, 2010

By 

Donald Krell "dnkrell" (Colleyville, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sima Quick Connect for Tripod (Electronics)

I purchased two of these Sima Quick Connect units several weeks ago. I have used them with both a Nikon D80 and a Nikon D90 SLR and with several different lenses and on two different tripods. They are OK if you are using a small light lens like a prime 35mm or 50mm. But I'm not comfortable using the Sima with larger and heavier telephoto lenses. Why?

1. The surface area of the insert that connects to the camera is too small.
2. It's all plastic. Better (and more expensive) mounts such as Manfrotto are metal.
3. There is no additional safety lock pin to prevent accidental release.
4. It's relatively inconvenient. One must use a screw driver or thin coin (a dime works) to tighten the unit to the camera tripod mount.

Unfortunately, it is with the telephoto lenses that tripods are most necessary. So I've coughed up the significant extra money to convert to Manfrotto.
Manfrotto 323 RC2 Rapid Connect Adapter with 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate - Replaces 3299 (Black)

If you plan to use the Sima Quick Connect with a small compact camera, you will probably be very happy with the product. It's certainly a lot cheaper than most of the alternatives.