Aligning the Arca Swiss standards?

[Staffan Johansson]

Several persons reading these pages seem to use the superb Arca Swiss F-line camera. I bought a used one recently and see that the standards are not f ully perpendicular to the base when locked in the "Zero detents" click stops. I could live with that if I only KNEW that the planes of the standards were parall ell but I see no easy way to check that (other than checking the sharpness at in finity of course). Well, I have measured the resp. distancies between the standa rds on both sides and can see there is a difference, i.e. they are not exactly p arallell. Since I often take pictures in large rooms with limited light, see my choir picture on my home page, I need to use large apertures => shallow depth of field.

Now to the question: Is there a reasonably simple way to adjust the "Zero detent s" position of the Arca mechanism? I see some hex screws but I am hesitating to "attack" them since they seem to be very thin and I am afraid of breaking someth ing.

Kind Regards Staffan Johansson www.staffan.net

[Doug Paramore]

Staffan: Get a small carpenters' square and use it to check the verticle alignment. Lay it along the monorail and check to see if the standards line up with the square. Use it along the side of the monorail to check any swing misalignment. It isn't difficult to do. I can't tell you how to align the detent. It shouldn't be that difficult if alignment is required.

Hope this helps,