Kodak Master 8x10 and Arca B1

[David Hempenstall]

Hi peoples!

I asked this on the 'other forum' a while back and got some good responses.

I have some more info now, and simply want to try and reach a few more people and see if there are any other ideas.

I am about to acquire a kodak master 8x10.

I use an Arca B1.

All my cameras (35,67 and 54) have RRS plates on them.

I am worried about twisting of the camera with a plate attached (ie no plate made specifically for the master).

I have had advice from Michael Kadillak who added padding to the bottom of the camera to avoid the twisting (something i have always tried to avoid).

I spoke to Joe @ RRS and they are intending to build a longer version of the 'multipurpose rail' in the near future. This seems like a possible solution (ie to provide a lip aganst the edge of the bed to stop it twisting).

The other option which I was originally looking at was somehow having a second tripod thread put into the bed, thereby allowing me to run a long plate down the middle of the bed. Figured this would allow me a little control over where the weight of the camera sat in relation to the head.

Does any Kodak owner have an idea as to whether it is possible to put in a second thread? Is there enough metal anywhere?

Is the padding option the better bet?

Any other solutions?

Am I worrying about nothing?

cheers, dave.

[John Kasaian]

david,

I had a kodak masterview---great camera---as I recall the existing female thread was a bushing. I think the metal that the camera was built from is too brittle to assume it will hold a tripod thread. Maybe that was just my camera. I would second Michael Kadillak's suggestion. IMHO, what you want isn't padding though, but some kind of non-skid surface. There is a non-skid tape for stair steps thats sold in hardware stores that should work, as would a thin piece of rubber sheet found in plumbing supply stores or cork gasket material from an auto supply, either could be glued on to your camera or the tripod head. See which works best for you. Hope this helps.

[Michael A.Smith]

I don't know what an RRS plate is, but I would suggest not putting one on the KMV. I have used A KMV for 36 years and in all of the thousands of negatives I have made I have not had it slip or slide even once. All it needs is to be tightly screwed onto a tripod head and voila, you are ready to go.

There is no place to put in another tripod screw. One 1/4-20 screw is all that is needed.

[Michael Kadillak]

Any material that slightly compresses would work. Since the bottom of the camera has ridges that run from the front to the rear, all you are wanting to accomplish is to engage the edges of these ridges with a bit of compression and she ain't going anywhere. Rubber, felt, or anything you have available. The Arca face plate that contacts the camera bottom is so smooth that it benefits from the addition. I paid $0.49 for some thin felt at Michaels and used the remainder of the sheet on the top of my Ries A250 double tilt head with some double stick tape after cutting out the center that the bolt extends through. Great camera. Have fun with it.

[Sidney Cammeresi]

I use a B29 (generic view camera) RRS plate with my Sinar F2, and so long as it's cranked down, the camera isn't going anywhere.

[Frank Petronio]

Why not place an intermediate plate between the RRS plate and the camera? A large flat of aluminum with a notch to accept the raised RRS lip would prevent rotation at the RRS junction. And with the large aluminum plate between the camera and the RRS plate you could add a lip at the appropriate spot on the edge of the plate to prevent the camera bed from rotating off the aluminum. Think of it as an oversized RRS plate on steroids, without the dovetails. Any local sheet metal shop should be able to fabricate it for under $100.

[tim atherton]

Michael, it's just the plate attached to the camera so you can slip it onto an Arca Ball head. If you want to use the Arca, you basically need the plate. (and I'm pretty sure you could tighten it down firmly enough on the camera base)

That said, I would think twice about the arca. While it will hold the weight of the Kodak Master securely, my feeling is there is just too much weight flopping around up there when you loosen it off - even slightly.

I much prefer ballheads, but when I tried it with my Deardorff, which is a similar weight and size, it was just too much perched up there. It always seemed in danger of flopping down and whacking me on the head, trapping my fingers (or smashing itself) if the ball wasn't tightened up 100%. Others may have a different experience?I found the big low profile gizo much more friendly.

Now I use a Phillips I find the Arca is fine - but there's a good few pounds difference.

[Michael Kadillak]

Actually Tim, I found that one of the marvels of the Arca ballheads is their ability to tighten quickly with no risk of flopping around. I reach around with the left arm under the front of the camera wrapping and supporting it at the same time while I find the position I want to lock down. A simple bubble level or a simultaneous view under the dark cloth gets it done.

What I like about the Arca head is it is both compact and light weight for hauling around on my backpack. If I had someone or some way to effectively get my Ries A100 and my A 250 double tilt head to where I shoot, I would be all over it.

[David Hempenstall]

thanks!

all the thoughts are great!

much appreciated.

cheers, d.

[Christopher Condit]

A big, metal, 8x10 is a lot of camera to balance on top of a little ball. You might want to take it into the store and try it on a beefy pan/tilt for comparison. For instance, you can adjust it with just one hand, from under the dark cloth.

CXC

[John R]

I totally agree with Christopher that the camera really is too much for the B1, rather at an absolute bare minimum you should use the B1G.

I own a B1 (newest 5th generation) and I also have a Calumet 8x10 and I tried the combination for the hell of it and believe me when I say NO WAY. A large metal 8x10 places too much demand on the modest B1 although it can support the weight in a vertical axis of the ball stem. The cantilevered positioning is where it becomes too much strain on the ball head in my opinion. Why don't you use a head like the Ries A250 on a set of their legs or get a Majestic and really have some support. When I put my Calumet on my Majestic it doesn't budge. I have a set of the Ries legs and an older Ries head and the 8x10 is still far more solid on the Majestic setup.