I‘ve been using the Really Right Stuff NEX-7 baseplate for a few days. I can recommend it, with one caveat. The first thing you should ask yourself is, “Do I really want to use this camera on a tripod?” The answer could well be no; one of the great arguments for the camera is its portability, and carrying a tripod, even a carbon fiber travel tripod, is going to slow you down. Many NEX-7 owners will take one of their other cameras along if they’re going to use a tripod, and that could be a wise decision, especially if the other camera is a D3x, 1Ds,or 1Dx.
If you’re going to use the NEX-7 on a tripod, you’re probably going to want a baseplate, and the RRS baseplate is a good one. It’s nicely machined, and is no wider than the bottom of the camera except for the ears that engage an Arca-Swiss-style clamp. That makes it light and as unobtrusive as it can be and still do its job. There’s a machined recess in the bottom that makes it so the head of the screw that goes into the camera doesn’t stick out; you can set the camera down on the plate and it will be stable, especially if you’re not using the safety stop.
The only serious awkwardness in handling the camera with the plate attached is that you can’t flip up the LCD screen from the bottom; you need to find the lower left corner with your finger. It’s pretty easy to get used to this.
I also ordered the L-plate, which makes it easy to use the camera on a tripod both normally, in landscape mode, and turned 90 degrees for verticals. I am normally a fan of L-plates, but I think in this case it makes the camera too bulky. You may feel differently.
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