Customer Reviews

Sima Quick Connect for Tripod

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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...

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.

This quick connect gadget works the way it is supposed to and is a pretty good value. It allows me to use my monopod as a walking stick and quickly attach my camera. As my camera has the battery/SD card compartment on the bottom, I have to remove the quick connect to access either. That's my main quibble with the Sima. It attaches with a slotted screw head. A dime works well as a screwdriver, but my last quick connect used a hinged key head that allowed me to attach and disconnect it without tools.

Most outings my battery and card last long enough but occasionally they don't and I would like to not have to have a tool with me to remove the quick connect from the camera, especially on really cold days.

This item is functional, barely. It's OK for use with a lightweight camera and standard lens in horizontal position only. With a longer lens and/or vertical position this plastic unit feels underbuilt with a sagging problem in the vertical position. Spend a few bucks and get an all-metal Bogen product, you'll be happier.

If you are like me, you have several mono/tripods and/or devices you want to attach. These are inexpensive enough that you can outfit your equipment so that everything can quick connect to everything. If you end up with spare parts, so what? And yet they are not flimsy junk. My monopod has travelled for a decade over three continents, from beaches, through the world's greatest cities to mountain tops, with one of these Sima Quick Connects at the top of the monopod. And my monopod doubles as a walking stick. My gear has been attached and detached innumerable times.

The quick release plate has both the traditional 1/4-20 screw mount plus a removable video camera pin. The 'hockey puck' shape is wide enough to provide solid support for your equipment, and the lack of sharp corners prevents it from damaging nearby surfaces or ripping your pod storage bag.

Please buy multiples so they keep making this time tested item.

I bought two of these based on the reviews. They are exactly as described in other reviews, little hockey pucks. I use them on homemade camera rigs that I built for my Canon 7D. So far, they hold up extremely well. I use both bases and keep one of the quick release plate on my camera at all times. It is small enough that it doesn't get in the way of my battery. I'm so happy I found these. I was going to spend $40 on a different mount, but there's really no need. Both do the same job. I definitely recommend this product.

It may not be the most appealing attachment to a tripod or to your camera for that matter but it does it's job okay. It snaps the camera back on the tripod with relative ease. I am a satisfied user so far.

Sima Quick Connect is sold, well made and does exactly what it's supposed to. I've got a monopod and it's very annoying screwing my camera on and off of that. With this Quick Connect it takes seconds to put on/off the monopod.

If your monopod/tripod doesn't already have a built in quick release then this is a very inexpensive investment to save you a lot of hassle and wear on the equipment.

This is probably the least expensive quick-release system available. I had one already and only needed a second plate for my other camera (to interchange two cameras on one tripod). But it was cheaper to buy a whole package than what other systems sell just their second/replacement plates for.