Arca-Swiss Plate
A dovetail quick-release plate standard, widely adopted so heads and plates from different makers interoperate.
Measured in
mm
In depth
The dovetail profile allows the camera to slide fore and aft for balancing, which proprietary square-plate systems do not. Although the profile is a de facto standard rather than a formal one, tolerances vary slightly between makers, so clamps and plates from different brands occasionally need a firmer tightening.
Examples in practice
An Arca-standard plate moves from a ball head to a gimbal to a slider without changing hardware.