Arca-Swiss F-line with RRS Lever Release Clamp

[Glenn Kroeger]

Kerry:

As with your experience, the Vogts, both Martin and Phillipe have been incredibly helpful and hospitable to me over the last decade, including driving me to and from the train station to their offices in Besancon and once before in Horgen. I wish them great success, in part because they are good people, and in part because I love their equipment... but it is SO frustrating to live with such a dearth of information.

So, I guess the real question from this thread is whether the dimensions of the rail clamp have changed with the latest cameras.

[Nicholas Fiduccia]

Glen,

As much as I like your idea of a longer rail that folds up shipped with the new 4x5 field, I cannot see how this could work. The rail on the Misura folds up and apprently doesn't get in the way when using short focal length lenses. But, if they made the rail any longer, that would increase the likelihood of the rail sticking in your neck as you were focusing using shorter focal length lenses.
However, if they made a trifold rail where the last piece (nearest the rear) folded down instead of up, then that would solve the problem. Of course, the tri-fold rail wouldn't be nearly as rigid as the bifold ones...

[Glenn Kroeger]

Nick:

Yes, and I worried about that on the Misura, but apparently it's not a problem. My solution would be 1-2 cm longer, so it might catch the Adam's Apple! But it isn't clear to me why the rail can't be free to swing up and down. Afterall, it locks in when you tighten the knob so it could simple be free to swing in a 180 degree arc.

Trifold would be nice. I hope to see how the new shorter extension works.

What bothers me is that my $1000 Toyo 45AX can handle lenses from 75mm to 300mm without any accessories. That seems like a reasonable and fairly standard range of lenses for field use, so it seems like Arca-Swiss could, for 3x the cost, develop a solution that does the same.

BTW, I have the opposite problem with my AS 69FC. The rail can handle a 240mm lens, but the bellows can't. If Arca-Swiss makes a rear standard adapter plate to put the 110mm 6x9 backs (groundglass and rollfilm adapter) on the 141mm frames, then the new system would handle all of my needs. They may have made or announced such an adapter, but how would I know?

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Glenn. To the best of my knowledge, nothing has been changed on the rail clamp with the new 140 mm product line. I do not know the details about manufacturing tolerances of non A/S compatible plates & clamps.

The rail clamp fits the usual bracket, be it short 8.5 cm with a folding rail or long with a telescopic rail. The bracket did not change, the base of the bracket fits as usual on the quick-release 'vise-style' A/S clamp, either the traditional or the new Flip-Lock.

The only thing that has changed is that 171mm frames have been shrunk to 140 mm, without changing the well-established International 9x12-4"x5" springback. A real challenge. So new bellows are introduced, the misura's (leather) will fit the new 'field' configuration ; a new longer synthetic bellows has been introduced for the 110->140 configurations as well as new 140->140 "square" bellows.

You simply slide new 140 mm frames in existing dovetails whatever function supports you have ; function supports now come in 4 1/2 flavours instead of 3 1/2 : the classic, the metric, the monolith and the simplified misura without tilts. the 1/2 additional style is the 'basic ' still used on the Discovery where the self-locking 'classic' clamp is simplified (you need to tighten a screw to clamp the dovetail). I'm not sure, however, that A/S wants to sell misura function supports independantly.

New 140 mm frames exist in 3 versions, the classic, the metric and the monolith as usual, or at least as of Dec. 2004 are planned like this, very logically. 140mm classic and metric frames can be fitted as usual with an orbix. Not sure for the monolith which is really something special. So the theoretical number of possible camera configurations is wider than before , even if only a small number of actual combinations really make sense. In between standards you attach new bellows the usual way. The latch style in the 140mm standard is the same as for the 6x9, the small and so convenient semi-circular rotating, self-locking, "one-hand" latch.

On the new 140 mm lens boaards you can use an optional bayonet mount to reduce even more the overall size of your mounted lenses. Those using the 110 'field' or 6x9 boards will probably keep their 110 boards unchanged.

I agree with Glenn that a rail folding upwards and asymetrically would be great with any F-line series camera, but you'll certainly find people who prefer the traditional downward-folding rail...

An to Kerry T... and others. Some day you should cross the Atlantic, experience a ride in the high-speed train from Paris to Besançon and place a visit to the Vogt family. You'll certainly enjoy it. From Paris you can do the trip plus return in one day, 2 1/2 hours each way downtown to downtown.

[Greg Miller]

Here are some pictures of the new Arca-Swiss F-Line Field www.gregmillerphotography.com/arcaswissfield.htm. This has the Misura bellows and the 140mm rear standard.

Sorry about the poor image quality - I had to use a point & shoot digital camera. If anyone wants specific detailed shots or high res shots emailed to them just send me an email at mail @ GregMillerPhotography dot com.

[Greg Miller]

I should point out that in the photos I have a Wimberley 90 degree plate between the A-S rail clamp and the RRS clamp. The Wimberley plate has a screw in clamp which securely holds the A-S rail clamp and also fits securley in the RRS clamp. This is my set-up until the new RRS B29 plate that Rory mentioned arrives.

[Frank Petronio]

Pretty sweet little guy... I'd say that is one step closer to perfection - really darn close! So how $ and who has them in stock?

[Glenn Kroeger]

Emanuel, Kerry, et al:

Anybody know if micrometric orbix can be used on a rear standard? I am thinking of an optimized AS 69 for future use with digital backs and lenses where coverage is limited and tilts very small, given the apparently emerging standard size of 36x48mm for the imager. I don't really want the extra size, mass and cost of the monolith approach.

[Greg Miller]

"So how $ and who has them in stock?"

I bought mine directly from Diane Henry at PhotoPlus Expo in NYC. The list price is $3,199. She was offering a show discount so I took it. I'm not sure how she would feel about me announcing her discount on the internet but email me directly and I may be persuaded to divulge that little secret. The show was in late October an my camera arrived yesterday so it took about 6 weeks to arrive. I think it came via Canada for some reason and I believe customs accounted for about 2 weeks of the wait time.

[Glenn Kroeger]

Greg:

Since you were at PhotoPlus Expo, can you add anything about other Arca-Swiss items shown there? For example, were you able to look at the Misura or were any new "digital" accessories shown? How about the Arca-Swiss quick release compared to the RRS?