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What is a Cheese Plate in Filmmaking, and Why Do I Need One?
If you’re starting out as an owner-operator or solo shooter, understanding the jargon terms of camera rigging is especially important – especially as you don’t have fellow crew members to ask.
Though they sound like they belong in craft services and not the camera crew, the best cheese plates are highly useful tools to have for your shoot, and can improve your camera setup.
So whether you’re just a beginner looking for a better understanding of camera rigs, or a more experienced camera technician looking for some recommendations, let’s break down the key details.
Key Takeaways
– A cheese plate is a camera attachment that gives you more accessory mounting options.
– They come with a variety of mounting threads that allow you to attach other accessories to your camera with ease.
– They can be mounted anywhere on your camera body.
What is a Cheese Plate?
A cheese plate is a small accessory that provides more mounting options for your camera, to help declutter your camera rig. Instead of having to cram all accessories onto a top plate, a cheese plate provides a convenient side mounting for wireless transmitters, microphones or monitor mounts.
Named for their similarity to Swiss Cheese, cheese plates are mounted accessory plates covered in threads and holes for mounting accessories. Depending on the make and model of cheese plate, these threads can vary, but the most common standards include 3/8” and 1/4” screw threads – used by most camera accessories.
As such, they not only work with a mixture of accessories, but they can also be mounted to a number of different points themselves. Convenient and compatible, using cheese plates results in cleaner camera builds.
What are the differences between Cheese Plates?
We offer a range of cheese plates: from universal plates for any camera setup, or camera-specific models that can help customise particular rigs.
Our Portrait Adaptor Plate for the Sony FX6, for example, pairs the convenience of a cheese plate with an additional feature unique to that camera. The cheese plate has a dedicated mounting thread that allows you to orient the camera at a 90-degree angle. For content producers that frequently find themselves shooting vertically, this gives you much-needed adaptability – whilst still providing the customisation options of a cheese plate.
Other cheese plates, such as our RED KOMODO NATO Cheese Plate, have specific uses with dedicated accessory mounts. This cheese plate is installed via a NATO rail, meaning that you can quickly release the entire cheese plate and fine-tune the positioning of your components.
There are also universal cheese plates, such as the Create Cheese Plates – which can be mounted on either a NATO clamp or a 1/4”-20 screw thread. These cheese plates are designed to work on any camera system: providing the foundation for you to build your rig. These cheese plates come in a Narrow and Wide option, as well as a slimline NATO Cheese Stick.
Regardless of your rig, these cheese plates are great to have on-hand. Filmmaking is 99% problem-solving, and that’s exactly what our cheese plates help to do. Most of our dedicated camera kits come with a cheese plate, either purpose-built for that camera system or more widely compatible, as they are always useful to have.
What is the difference between Cheese Plates and Side Plates?
Side plates and side ribs are quite similar to cheese plates: offering mounting threads in industry-standard patterns for deeper customisation. Cheese plates can be mounted anywhere: on the side, top or back of the camera; at any orientation.
But as the name suggests, side plates are designed to be mounted to the side of the camera – and are almost always purpose-built for specific camera bodies or specific features. Our Canon C80 Side Rib, for example, features a dedicated mount for an HDMI Clamp, to ensure that devices stay plugged in. Whilst cheese plates tend to maintain a standard square or rectangular design, side plates are designed to fit around camera inputs and buttons.
How do I use a Cheese Plate?
Mounting a cheese plate is a straightforward process: simply screw or clamp one into place wherever you need it. From there, you can customise your camera with any accessories that match the required thread standards.
Our Create cheese plates are best paired with our angled Cheese Plate Adaptors, which provide a convenient offset from the mounting point. This helps with organisation, especially for cables or maintaining access to the camera body.
In Summary
Having the best cheese plate for your camera rig solves multiple problems at the same time: providing more space on your camera and options for mounting accessories. They are a great purchase for starter owner-operators or content creators, looking to make the most of their camera setup.
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