Arca Swiss Bino Viewer Problem

[Terry Hull]

I recently began using a new Arca Swiss Discovery with the Arca bino viewer. I find it very difficult to slide the rubber viewer into the slot on the larger mirror housing unit-it really needs to be forced. I worry the rubber will tear away from the other material, and wonder if anyone has any suggestions?

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

I recently began using a new Arca Swiss Discovery with the Arca bino viewer. I find it very difficult to slide the rubber viewer into the slot on the larger mirror housing unit-it really needs to be forced. I worry the rubber will tear away from the other material, and wonder if anyone has any suggestions?

Well, Terry, I know the device pretty well and this should not really happen. The rubber viewer should slide in and out easily but there is a centering "clicking" system, a kind of spring-loaded shaft that clicks into a V-groove when things are properly centered. In normal operation this should be as smooth as any part of an Arca Swiss camera ;-)
You should check that this centering system is not jammed. If not, there might be something wrong with the sliding rails, any shock ?

Is it a new or a second-hand device ?

[Terry Hull]

No its brand new. Based on your comment I will look more closely tonight, but I don't recall seeing a V groove

[Christoforos Giatzakis]

Sorry I can't help but have a question...
do you think the viewer is a worthwhile addition? How heavy is it? Dimensions?
Thanks...

[Terry Hull]

It is very useful, but somewhat cumbersome. Hard to give you dimensions.

[neil poulsen]

Is it true that these viewers can be used only in the horizontal position?

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Some quick answers from a happy owner of both 6x9 and 4"x5" Arca Swiss bino viewers.


No its brand new.

Well, I have non clue, things would be so easy to undesrtand in front of the real object..

do you think the viewer is a worthwhile addition?

For taking pictures not after hiking several miles but within Edward Weston's limit of interesting LF photography, definitely, yes, it is a valuable addition.
It is extremely comfortable with wide-angle lenses since you can tilt the mirror in order to get the best possible illumination in the field of view

How heavy is it? Dimensions?

More later after I've measured both of them.


Is it true that these viewers can be used only in the horizontal position?

The viewers can be attached rotated at plus or minus 90° or upside down. The problem is not the viewer, it is the photographer's neck ;-)
Not kidding : the attachment andthe filed of view for the 4"x5" model is square, about 6x6", you rotate the ground glass and keep the viewer in the same position.
The smaller 6x9 model covers about 10x10 cm and would certainly cover a 10x10 cm 4"x4" ground glass for full view of a 665 Polaroid image.

[neil poulsen]

Thanks for the information. I was told by the Arca Swiss gal in Chicago that the viewer had to rotate with the g.g. So, this would make it difficult to use in the vertical orientation, if not useless to use it in that orientation.

I asked, because it seemed to be such a striking lack of design forsight not to be able to use it in the vertical orientation, given Arca's other outstanding design features.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

I know that there is a problem for Linhof-modified Arca Swiss viewers. A friend of mine bought such an item second-hand without prior testing and was disapointed because it could be used only in one position on his Technika. Do not ask me the details, I did not see the modified viewer nor the problem itself, but in principle you could fit this viewer to a variety of 4"x5" camera. The distance betwen the eyepiece and the ground glass (GG) is not very critical, so I'm pretty sure that a skilled craftsman can design an adaptor for many cameras.

Back to the Arca Swiss system, in 4"x5" I can only speak for the new 141mm camera that I have (actually I have extended my 6x9 with the 141 back and the superb 110->141 misura bellows, so my 4"x5" configuration is simply the 'field' 141 model), but the 4"x5" Arca Swiss bino viewer did not change from the 171 times. The one I have was bought second-hand and manufactured a long time before 141 cameras were introduced. and it definitely fits without trouble. So you can go hunting for a used one if you own a new 141 camera.

About switching portrait/landscape orientation, you have of course to detach the viewer from the GG. When using a rollfilm back on the 4"x5" (e.g. the 6x12 back), the easiest and most convenient to operate would be to get a second graflok frame. So that you can work "one hand" with the proprietary Arca Swiss rotating latches, exactly like with the 6x9.
In contrary to the 6x9 where almost nobody uses the small graflok GG (discontinued ?) and small 2"x3" cut film holders, it is not very easy in 4"x5" to slide the graflok bars when the bino viewer is attached. When working with cut film holders, no problem, you can leave the viewer attached to the GG.
But ifyou have to detach the graflok hooks to attach the rollfilm back with the graflok sliding bars, it is much less practical than in 6x9. So, some day I'll buy a second graflok frame becasue I'm used to work with the Arca latches in 6x9 ; they are so easy to use.

The way the 6x9 viewer is attached is simpler and quicker, but well, both are in fact extremely fast to operate, with the minor reserve I made with graflok hooks for the GG in 4"x5".

I am pretty sure that the way to attachi the 4"x5" bino viewer to the back did not change since the Oschwald, pre-1984 times. There was a monocular reflex viewer in Oschwald times, it attaches similarly ; an efficient device but somewhat heavy, the metal sheet was thicker. The new 4"x5" reflex bino viewer is probably not heavier than the old 4"x5" reflex mono viewer.

But I stop here and when I have time, probably after the Christmas break, I'll post here weights and dimensions.

Merry Christmas to all !
And if by error Sant Claus brings to you a 141 Arca Swiss graflok frame that you do not need, just drop me a note ;-);-)

[Terry Hull]

I checked the exact problem, and it appears the rubber viewer that slides into the larger mirror housing unit is to big for the slot. Yes there is a groove, but it simply doesn't fit. I see no mechanism that is meant to aid the input. I guess I should send it back to Badger Photo or to Arca Swiss.