Geared tilt

[Steve Baggett]

I use the standard manual, iterative method of focusing when using front or rear tilts, i.e. focus on the far, tilt for the near, repeat the above .... While doing this today, I was wishing very much for "geared tilts" with a "fine tilt" knob. Just out of curiosity, which 4x5 cameras, if any, offer true "geared tilts", wherein the turning of a knob actually performs the tilt?

[Jan Nieuwenhuysen]

Arca-Swiss. Maybe more LF cameras have some sort of geared tilt, but this is what I have experience with. You could inform about Sinar. Maybe their P model? The Arca-Swiss M-line cameras have geared base tilt in the function carriers. They also have axis tilt (making them tri-axial yaw free) performed by a gadget called Orbix located in the optical axis under the front format frame. The older version is manual, the newer version (micrometric Orbix) is geared. I think this gear driven version was introduced some 4 or 5 years ago. The 'Orbix' can be retro-fitted on any F-line camera as far as I know. The F-line is also sold with the Orbix fitted I think. So you might find one used.

[Capocheny]

Steve,

The Sinar X and P2 have geared tilts and once you get use to using it... it's hard to go back to doing it manually. The down-side with these two cameras is that they are very heavy and meant to be used in a studio environment (not that it has stopped some people from taking it out into the field.)

Secondly, are you talking about front or rear tilt? In either case, you can replace either of the standards of a F2 camera with a geared standard. If you usually use only front tilt and do not need to control shape... then replace only the front standard with a geared one.

One of the old Sinars had a geared rear standard and a F2 front standard. I can't remember what model number (C?) it had but it was, at least, manageable in the field from a weight perspective.

Hope this helps...

Cheers

[Paul Schilliger]

Just an additional thought: From handling cameras in the field I can easily see that there could be a problem with geared base tilt. Sometimes, a lot of strain is applied to the standards when the camera is handled and packed, and there can even be a sudden push with a shock or if the bag is not protective enough. If the standards are loose, there is usually no damage, but if they were geared on their articulation, and if there is no safety release, this could lead to damaging the whole mechanism. Despite all the care, it did happen with me a few times and I was glad the articulation could handle it. For a studio camera or if the tilt is on-axis, this is probably not a problem.

[R Miller]

Steve,

H.C. is correct. In addition, the "p", predecessor to the p2, also has the geared movements like the p2/X for tilt, swing, rise/fall, shift and fine focus. The "C" was for combination as H.C. points out and was simply a p rear standard and a multipurpose standard as the front standard, i.e., it was a marketing tool- if you acquire a p rear standard and an f/f1/f2 front standard, you have a C.

The p2 is basically a refined p, basic differences that I recall: p2 has individual knobs for swing and tilt where the p used a single knob and a small lever moved to select between swing and tilt; the p2 has a matte black finish whereas the p has a matte silver finish.

Agree with H.C. about weight potentially being an issue. Not a camera for long hiking! That said, if actual "carry distance" is relatively small, e.g., from car/truck to a site where the few extra pounds are tolerable, the p2 goes instead of an f.

The other significant advantage to some of the Sinar line, other than great workmanship/quality, is the modularirty and expandability of the system - there is a wide range of specialized pieces that were/are made (some of which are certainly never needed by many, but are invaluable for others - rather like the Hasselblad system in that sense.

Regards,

[Chris Gittins]

My Wista SP has geared tilt. It's very smooth. The tilt axis is about the center of the lensboard rather than about the base. (Center tilt is actually the detail that sold me on the camera.) I believe Wista's other metals fields, the VX and RF, have the same feature - don't know about their wood fields. For what it's worth, I love the SP.

Chris

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

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A comment to Paul Schilliger's remark on possible damage to a camera
carried in a rucksack with all movements locked, including delicate
geared tilts.



If you consider either the Sinar P/P2 tilting mechanism or the Arca
Swiss Orbix&reg; mechanism, my understanding, at least as far as know for
the Orbix&reg;, is that the system is self-locking if you do not push
exactly on the movement itself. On the Arca Swiss Monolith&reg; cameras,
things are different, but I'm not sure that they are designed to go
outdoors in a backpack ;-)



Those who have experienced the Manual Orbix&reg; know what I mean :
extremely smooth when you push at the right place, as rigid as if
there was no possible rotation if you push anywhere else. This is
amazing. So my conclusion is that the risk of damaging the gears in
such a geared "rocking" movement is minimum : the rotation is
naturally blocked except for the gears (or for the hand) that push the standard at the
right place. So there is propably no risk for the gears themselves,
but actually some risk for the precisely adjusted tilting movement.



So I am concerned like Paul by possible shocks to such a precise mechanism.
Actually I carry my Arca Swiss 6x9 in the rucksack with all
locking knobs and levers loose ; I have followed the excellent advice
posted here of securing the standards throught a pair of
compendium-holding clamps with a bar that connects both standards on
top. If everything works as I think, the only mechanical part that
could suffer in a shock is this bar and the compendium clamps, but not
any critical part of the tilting mechanism.

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[Steve McKinney]

The Wisner Pocket Expedition has geared tilts. I think the Wisner Expedition and Technical Field cameras do as well.

Regards,

[Stan. Laurenson-Batten]

I confirm that the superlative Sinar P1 has the geared front and rear tilt - a sheer joy to use. Stan. L-B

[Jeff Moore]

The Wisner Pocket Expedition has geared tilt on both front and back; the Expedition (which is what I have) has geared tilt on rear only.