Sticky Arca-Swiss B1 Ballhead

[bsimison]

My Arca-Swiss B1 ballhead is really sticky. It will start good and loose, I'll lock it down to shoot, then try to re-loosen and it moves like it's filled with glue. The only way to loosen it back up is to give it a gentle-to-medium smack with the ball of my hand on the top of the camera platform.

Should I send it in for service, or is there something I can do to correct this problem?

Thanks!
-Brett

[vinny]

Mine does the same but mostly only in cold weather. Remedy is the same as yours. I've sent in in 3 times.

[Toyon]

Arca-Swiss created an incompetent design years ago and still sell it with a special note telling users how to "unfreeze" the ball (a technique that never worked for me). There are far better products on the market, and far more competent manufacturers/designers.

[resummerfield]

Send it in to Precision Camera. He can make a permanent fix.

[Peter De Smidt]

I've had an Arca B1 for over a decade. I've never had to have it serviced, and it's performed flawlessly. It's one of the best pieces of photo equipment that I own. I've also used an Arca f-line for awhile, a truly wonderful all-purpose camera. If I could afford to buy one, I'd do so.

[Keith Pitman]

I just sold my A-S B1, but I never had a problem with it. Here is a reference that might be useful:

http://www.precisioncameraworks.com/...ball_core.html

[anchored]

I'd definitely have it serviced... I don't believe there's any out there that's better. I also have been using a B1 for over a decade, its never been serviced, nor has it given me a lick of trouble... and it's been used hard and in very adverse conditions. As for design... it's one of the few ballheads I've used that one can compose with it slightly loose, then tighten it hard without it shifting camera position.

Haven't really looked recently, but I don't believe they're made anymore... replaced by the Z1?

[Eric James]

There were a number of defective B1 ballheads distributed about ten years ago which were built using faulty calottes - they were never recalled, just swept under the rug.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...38&postcount=4

[Andre Noble]

I bought mine from Robert White about 7 or 8 years ago. Mine is sticky in normal weather (arid S. California), but works fine in winter weather back East.

[Brian Ellis]

I owned a B1 from about 1995 to 2005. It was never "sticky," it was always very smooth when it worked, which it did almost all the time. But it did freeze up three or four times (not a major problem after I learned the fix) and another time a small part fell off and was lost somewhere in the middle of a ten day photo shoot, rendering the head (and hence my tripod) unusable. When I sent it in for repair to Precision Camera they also did some update that they said the newer heads had and that cured some other potential problem that I hadn't yet experienced.

Arca Swiss used to be the only game in town when it came to well-made ball heads. Today there are better products on the market IMHO (or at least better than my B1, I haven't seen the newer versions). I use a Really Right Stuff ball head for my digital camera and it's a great head, never had the first problem with it and the clamping system is much easier to use than the Arca style clamps. A friend has an AcraTech (sp?) ball head and he likes it a lot too.