Considering a new ball head, I'm curious about the qualitative differences betwe en the Arca B1 and the Kirk BH-1. People talk about the Arcas sometimes locking up. Is that the problem the Kirk was created to solve, or is it simply that ma rgins are better and photographers save a few bucks? Anyone done a hands-on comp arison?
I've had my Arca Swiss B1 for about 6 months now. At first it was an absolute joy to use--silky smooth.
But it's no longer smooth and I've had brief "lock ups", which I resolved pretty quickly though it did give me a scare. Also the large tension knob has gotten sloppy. I think it needs service, but I'm so dependent on quick release I may have to buy a second head so I can send this one in for service.
It did get some abuse, but not that much. A few minor knocks perhaps, maybe a little fine dust, etc. For a $500 head I expected more robust performance.
The Arca has an ellipsoidal ball which gives more tension the further you go from vertical. The Kirk has two separate knobs for locking and adjusting the tension. I think this subject has been discussed extensively on photo.net
I've been using an abusing an Arca B1 monoball (I've got some chunks gouged out from the outer casing but the ball is fine) for about six years now. I have a friend (who admittedly is easier on his gear than I am) who has had one for about a year. Neither of us has had a problem. I don't work for Arca and I don't get compensated by them in any way. I'm a little suspicious about whether people's problems with the B1 is caused by bad product , the people using them, or something else.<P. I'm not saying good companies might not make bad products occassionally: I went through two Graf Studio Ball tripod heads inside of a year before I switched to the Arca (which I bought used.) The design ofthe panoramic base which bad (Last week I got an e-mail from Graf's USA distributor where they stated that they have revamped the design of the panoramic base to fix the problem I was having.
I also had an Arca several years ago. It was treated with kid gloves in spite of which it froze once, giving me a real scare while on a photo expedition. I managed to loosen it with difficulty but the experience taught me this was not a dependable tool. Galen Rowell also had the same problem and switched to Kirk. I use a large Linhof head, no problems, ever.
How did the users who had the Arca freezes correct the problem? If the Arca needs service, where can it be serviced in USA? I have not experienced this yet, but want to prepare for it!
The unlocking procedure is well known. First make sure the set screw isn't the reason it isn't loosening. Then turn the big knob like your trying to tighten the head even more and it should unlock. I agree that a head of this cost shouldn't have this type of problem. In two years, this has only happened to me once, and was easily resolved.
Does anyone know if it is the ellipsoidal ball that contributes to the freezing problem or the tensioning thrumbscrew?
It has never happened to me so naturally I think those complaining about it are overreacting or have buyers' remorse at having paid so much for the thing.
If the problem is a trade off for the ellipsoidal ball, which seems useful to me, then perhaps we can say the B1 has redeeming mechanical value, to paraphrase the Supreme Court.
Where is Bob Soloman on this qreat question?
John Hennessy
I use an Arca B2 head, and haven't had a problem with it. However, I seem to recall that a few people had experienced the 'lock up' described earlier, although there is the simple 'fix' for it. I think it was caused by a tensioning screw creeping when the head was exposed to extremes of temperature. Furthermore, I seem to recall that Arca redesigned the head so that this problem would no longer occur.
I've found that one of the 'problems' with Arca gear is that it doesn't sell very well, and may sit on a dealers shelf for years. It's possible to purchase something that is 'new' but which has been superceeded by a modified design.
Anyway, if you are worried, it might be worth contacting Martin at Arca to confirm the above.
The mentioned "lock-up" problem which some users have experienced is not caused due to a design flaw or whatever. The ARCA-SWISS Monoball B- series have a completely different and superior desig n compared to the original ARCA-SWISS Monoball and its copies. Therefore the handling of the Monoball is different as well.
The small friction screw defines the stroke of a disk in the multifunction knob. If you do loosen the multifunction knob onto this "limiter" the disk puts a high pressure onto the friction screw. Therefore you cannot loosen it until you have tightened slightly the multifuncti on knob and released the pressure. Another common mistake is that although the ball is unlocked, the multifunction knob is turned counter-clockwise onto the stop. ( pay attention which direction is clock- respectively counter-clockwise.) If you force the mult ifunction knob onto this stop, you will need the same power to tighten the multifunction knob again (as when you turned counter c lockwise)
If you experience a "lock-up", simply tighten (clockwise ! ) the multifunction k nob approximately 1/2 turn and loosen the small friction screw if possible. That's it. There is no need to always alter the friction screw when changing the camera/len s weight. Use the index ring on the multifunction knob.
ARCA-SWISS Monoball tripod heads are serviced in the USA through our Office in C hicago: E-mail: arcaswiss@aol.com, Phone: (773) 248 2513, Fax: (773) 248 2774
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