The camera I used most in 1980 (Sinar P 10"x8" film) required two tripods. Between them they weighed more than I did back then. Come to that the camera, a bunch of double darkslides and the lenses weighed more than I did. At full extension the camera was more than a yard long. Couldn't beat the quality for prints of up to a square mile.
Quick connect plates are works of Satan. If you use one of those, you might as well take a gram of crystal meth and try long exposures without a tripod. They're guaranteed to add wobbles.
Now that’s a great analogy, gave me a good chuckle, you must be a school teacher that had to figure out how to get concepts through to teenaged students!
I was once a teacher. 30 years ago. Hated it.