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Thread: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

  1. #11

    Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    I had the same problem with an additional twist. The pan control is completely frozen. Not a big deal except for $400 one would expect better.

    My Gitzo 1377M has been absolutely bullet proof in all weather, including sea air as I live near the coast.

  2. #12

    Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    The B1 is extremely sensitive to dirt on the ball. try wiping it off carefully with a damp cloth.

  3. #13
    Doug Dolde
    Guest

    Re: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    I used an Arca B1 for years then sold it to acquire the RRS BH-55 due to all the rave reviews. In my opinion the Arca B1 is superior and simpler to use, and the RRS head is overrated.

    To make a long story short, I just Ebayed the BH-55 and have another Arca B1 on order. Lost $30 in the swap.

  4. #14

    Re: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    I'd have to wholeheartedly agree Doug. I've shot with my B1 extensively in the Namib Desert (the dust capital of the world), the north shore of Oahu during big Aleutian storms (air thick with salt and moisture) and other venues near the ocean for over 20 years. I have the first generation B1 and it's still smooth as silk... never a problem. I also found that with the addition of a RRS 9" lens plate and the Wimberly Sidekick, I'm able to convert the B1 into a super smooth gimbal setup when using my Leica 400 APO 2.8 with 1.4 Converter and Leica DMR. The entire setup is very well balanced and can be moved up, down and sideways with one finger. I've tried the competition and nothing comes close to the ARCA/Sidekick/RRS combo for long heavy lenses.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    6

    Re: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    I had the same problem. It was a factory defect that Precision Camera Works fixed. They have a website. Drop them an email.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    375

    Re: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    Speaking of which...Precision is top-notch! My B1 came back and it was like I had purchased a brand-new B1.

  7. #17
    Still Developing
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Leeds, UK
    Posts
    582

    Re: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    Quote Originally Posted by Leigh Perry View Post
    Those RRS ball heads have yet to be proven over the long term, but they look promising, so I'd love to hear from anyone using one of those.:-)
    Hi Leigh,

    I've worked with Joe Cornish a litle and I know he uses the BH55 on a regular basis and has been mountaineering with it in all sorts of conditions over the last year. He has nothing but good things to say about it. I've had mine a lot less time and it gets a little use but is a wondrous thing in many ways.. Joe is using a modified 45SU as do I. Just out of interest, he used to use Manfrottos 3 ways but gave up having them repaired when they lost rigidity or broke completely - This probably says more about the amount of use Joe gives his equipment than the weaknesses of the Manfrotto. He also uses a new acratech for his lightweight setup.

    Tim

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    1

    Re: Arca Swiss B1 ball head stiffness

    I just stumbled on this old thread after recently having problems with my Arca Swiss B1 Monoball...

    I bought mine in Dec 2002. At £266, it was not cheap but I was prepared to pay a premium for something that was reportedly well engineered and should last a lifetime.
    I was pleased with it and it worked fine for about 4 years.

    In 2006, it began to develop a fault: After releasing the friction control knob, the ball remained stiff. It would only loosen by pushing down hard on the quick release plate.
    After reading about manufacturing problems with some of these heads, I sent it to Arca Swiss in France for repair.

    Upon return it worked fine again for another couple of years. Then about a year ago, the problem re-appeared. I have lived with the fault for some time but found it very frustrating and annoying. As I am planning a photographic trip to Iceland next month, I decided I had to get it fixed. I sent Arca Swiss an email a few days ago enquiring about a repair but received no response.

    Today I took the plunge and decided to strip the head down completely myself to try and identify the problem. If I could not fix it, then I would buy a new ballhead from a different manufacturer, such as Markins.

    Removing three countersunk screws removes the baseplate and reveals three further screws that secure the inner ring used for panning. Removing these screws does not release the inner ring: there is a further small hex grub screw hidden under the friction control knob. To remove the friction control knob, there is a hex screw underneath the moon shaped cover plate. Once the grub screw is removed, the panning ring can be pulled out. You are then confronted with a large circlip. This needs a good pair of heavy duty circlip pliers to remove. The friction control mechanism can then easily be removed. After undoing the screw that secures the quick release plate to the top of the ball, the ball itself and the lower black nylon cup can be pushed right out of the housing.

    I discovered that the problem is caused by the diameter of the nylon cup. It is slightly too large, causing too much friction against housing to allow the ball to release properly. My guess is that after some time, the cup expands. Perhaps Arca-Swiss need to allow some extra manufacturing tolerance?
    Anyway, to cure the problem, you need to reduce the diameter of the cup slightly. I did this by placing a flat file vertically on a piece of plywood and rubbing the edge of the cup against it, while turning the cup continuously. This keeps helps keep the file square against the edge. The nylon is very tough, so you need a sharp file.
    Keep trying the cup in the housing until it is a nice sliding fit without excessive friction. I finally smoothed the edge of the cup using strips of wet & dry emery paper and water, finishing with grade 400.

    Re-assembly is straight forward: the hardest part is re-fitting the circlip.
    Refit the cover on the friction control knob using a glue that can easily be removed again if required. I used a hot-melt glue-gun.

    My B1 head now works like new.

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