Fine control over tilt and swing

[AnselAdamsX]

What do you do to get fine control over tilt and swing? Is that only possible with a studio camera like a Sinar P or Arca M? I've been hauling around a Cambo SC and the zero detents make it very hard to do small movements. Things can also change when locking down the movements.

Thanks
Chris

[Brian Ellis]

Maybe I've just been lucky but I've never had those problems with my Linhof Master Technika or the Technika V that preceded it. I hold the tilt in place with one hand and lock it down with the other.

[Frank Petronio]

I remember the Cambo my boss had as having giant detents that sort of gobbled up the last couple of degrees of tilt. You might try adding some friction to the system (fiber washers?) or a new camera. Some of the non-geared cameras are better than others in this regard.

[Leonard Evens]

I don't have much trouble with my Toho FC-45X although there is some considerable play in the detent positions. If falling into the detents is the problem, you could set up the camera so the rail has a slight tilt and then adjust both standards appropriately; The slight tilt should move you outside the detent region.

[bglick]

Chris, if you have back tilt then use it.... it overcomes the detent problem. If you want 2 degree front tilt, then tilt the rear 5 degrees forward and the front 7 degrees forward.... then re compose so rear is back in same position..... I have to do this with my VX125, as the detents are quit strong. If you don't have rear tilt....

[walter23]

Hey yeah, that's a great idea. Tilt them, give a bit of rise to the appropriate standard, and you're out of the detents.

I don't have much trouble with my Toho FC-45X although there is some considerable play in the detent positions. If falling into the detents is the problem, you could set up the camera so the rail has a slight tilt and then adjust both standards appropriately; The slight tilt should move you outside the detent region.

[John Hennessy]

The detents on a Technikardan are cylinder-in-a-hole sort of things rather than the more typical trapped-ball bearing-in-a-socket. So you're either in or out of the detent, there is no in between in which the spring-loaded ball bearing pulls the board into the detent.

[Alan Davenport]

(I deleted my earlier post in this thread after realizing that I hadn't understood the question.)

I had my Calumet monorail out of its case yesterday, first time in a while. I'm now reacquainted with the detents in question, and yes they do get in the way of small swings. One way to work around this, is to swing both standards a bit, then use shifts to line up the axes again; then you can make tiny swings without having the detent in play. Yeah, it's a PITA but I don't know of any way to defeat those detents otherwise.