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KyledeC
21-Apr-2011, 11:59
Hello all,

I need a lens shade for my Arca Swiss F-line classic. And of coarse, the compendium lens shade made by Arca is over $350 used. So I was wondering if anybody has either made a lens shade for an Arca, or has any suggestions on cheaper alternatives.

Thank you greatly for your help!
Kyle

Emmanuel BIGLER
22-Apr-2011, 04:09
Hello from France !

I use an Arca Swiss view camera, and before I found an Arca Swiss compendium at an affordable price as a used item, I have used a semi-rigid bellows hood sold by SRB Griturn in England.

You stretch the bellows to the right size and it stays in position. Simple and efficient, the bellows is self-supporting itslef, being made of a kind of semi-rigid plastic foil.
It is still on the catalogue at SRB Griturn under the name "Bellows Type Lens Shade"
http://www.srb-griturn.com/bellows-type-lens-shade-687-p.asp
but you can have a look at such a compendium elsewhere. The device is held in front of your lens by the lens filter thread through different step-up rings and adapters.
http://www.srb-griturn.com/srb-square-filter-holders-and-adaptor-502-c.asp
The SRB device is somewhat flexible, stretch-able and compressible but not tiltable like the current Arca Swiss model with its scissor-shaped holders.

Before 1984, during the Oschwald era, Arca Swiss sold a non-tiltable compendium that can be found at a very reasonable price. Grey finish instead of black. Some with red fabric. It is held by the same holding rod of 8mm in diameter as used on the current series.
http://www.cijoint.fr/cjlink.php?file=cj201104/cijoYph2tM.jpg
For the F-line, after 1985, Arca Swiss used to have 2 sizes ot tiltable compendiums, one for the 6x9 / 110 mm boards and another for the 4x5" (and above), for 171 mm lens boards.
Now that standard F-line boards are 141 mm, there is only one model that fits either the smaller 110 boards or the 141.
So if you find a used F-line A/S tiltable compendium, or a pre-1984 non-tiltable A/S compendium, be sure that it actually fits your boards, 110, 141 or 171. Older compendiums for 4x5" fit 171 boards but you could modify the device easily yourself to fit 141 boards: this is not micronic precision mechanical engineereing ;)

Good luck !

KyledeC
22-Apr-2011, 07:30
Thank you so much!!

I greatly appreciate your help. I am going to look into that lens shade made by SRB Griturn, that sounds like a neat design.

Thanks agin for your help

Kyle

GPS
22-Apr-2011, 08:49
Thank you so much!!

I greatly appreciate your help. I am going to look into that lens shade made by SRB Griturn, that sounds like a neat design.

Thanks agin for your help

Kyle

It seems that the lens shade in question is made for MF cameras. As such if you want to use it on a LF you would need to shorten its depth which also means to reduce its efficiency. It is the the depth of a lens shade that defines its usefulness - the deeper a shade (and consequently overall bigger) the more efficient it is. There is a good reason why compendium shades are relatively big and deep.

If you don't mind a bit of DIY you can easily make such a lens shade by yourself with their sides ratio corresponding to your true film format. If you don't want to make the bellows you can always make the shade's zig zag sides from 4 paper pieces which you then just put inside of another paper (plastic) box made to hold them. You attach the box to the lens in a way you decide - using a filter ring, the lens outer diameter + a flat ring or the system you see on the SRB lens shade.

GPS
22-Apr-2011, 10:15
By the way, right now you have a Cambo compendium bellows shade on Ebay for BIN price of 59$! You can easily make it attachable to your camera too. Much better than any SBR MF lens shade. ;)

Ed Kelsey
22-Apr-2011, 12:36
Why not use the Lee shade(s) and save some bucks.