Trying Out An Arca D4 Tripod Head

[alan_b]

Alan,

Thanks for your post. It never occurred to me that the narrower clamp was meant for rails, versus the optical bench. As it turns out, I have Type I rails, so it wouldn't work for me. (Unless I pre-drilled holes in the bottom of the rail or shaved off the pins.)

Interesting though; the default clamp that I received completely by-passes the optical bench, or bracket. The fact that the Type II rails have extensions makes this possible. There's really no need for the bench/bracket. That also reduces the weight of the camera. Hmm. I may have to consider that avenue. After all, I have the clamp.

I'll wait to see how well my 3rd part clamps works.

It looks like you have "THE CUBE." What are your general thoughts on that thoughtful piece of equipment?

neil

Yes, the ability to leave the bench home/in the car is a neat trick for saving pack weight.

--

The Cube is great - well-designed and executed. The things I like most about it are the gear ratios, virtual tilt points, and construction quality.

The gearing is a good compromise between speed and precision, and holds medium loads well. It’s fast enough that I don’t miss a quick-disengage feature. The self-locking is good, but I’d look elsewhere (Sinar pan-tilt) if 8x10 was my primary use.

I shoot architecture for a living, and do a lot of tightly-composed interior and detail shots. The more centered positioning via the goniometers is a real time saver in many cases.

Construction quality is very high, and design for repairability is evident. (I also own a Manfrotto 410 geared head which, while very serviceable, basically eats itself under heavy use & adjustment.)

The cost is high (for me), so it really needed to deliver time savings on the job, along with durability and reliability - which it does. I do wish the bottom panning base was larger diameter to make a more solid connection with tripod top plates.

[speedfreak]

I too am a new convert to the D4. It’s really pretty great. I’ve had the 410 a few different times, and while it can certainly get the job done, the small amount of slop that develops over time degrades confidence in the head. I still keep a 410 around with a Hejnar adapter for the Arca style release, but it’s been relegated to the closet since the D4 arrived.
I’ve installed a 60mm round plate with dovetail base that allows me to quickly attach the head to the tripod. Great for when I want to switch out to the 410 or the Arca Z1, etc.. but also helps me protect my investment. For as long as I’ve been making pictures my heads and tripods have kind of been beaters. Just mid priced, used equipment that gets set in the truck or by the door and sometimes, inevitably, takes a spill. They take a lickin’ but keep on tickin’. And there’s a good argument to made for a setup that can see some use and abuse but is durable enough to perform, but NOBODY ever likes to see there equipment hit the ground. So now with this hefty investment I remove the head quickly and stash in the bag when I’m finished with the shot. The new reality of owning nice, precision equipment!

[Oslolens]

I remove the head quickly and stash in the bag when I’m finished with the shot. !

I use a padded lens bag that fits nicely on, it help to keep the dust out of my Z1

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

[neil poulsen]

I use a padded lens bag that fits nicely on, it help to keep the dust out of my Z1

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

Thanks; great idea. I'm going to do this.

[neil poulsen]

Yes, the ability to leave the bench home/in the car is a neat trick for saving pack weight.

--

The Cube is great - well-designed and executed. The things I like most about it are the gear ratios, virtual tilt points, and construction quality.

The gearing is a good compromise between speed and precision, and holds medium loads well. It’s fast enough that I don’t miss a quick-disengage feature. The self-locking is good, but I’d look elsewhere (Sinar pan-tilt) if 8x10 was my primary use.

I shoot architecture for a living, and do a lot of tightly-composed interior and detail shots. The more centered positioning via the goniometers is a real time saver in many cases.

Construction quality is very high, and design for repairability is evident. (I also own a Manfrotto 410 geared head which, while very serviceable, basically eats itself under heavy use & adjustment.)

The cost is high (for me), so it really needed to deliver time savings on the job, along with durability and reliability - which it does. I do wish the bottom panning base was larger diameter to make a more solid connection with tripod top plates.

Thanks for your summary of the Cube; I've always been curious about that piece of equipment.

I noticed the same about the panning base; the same is true both at the base and at the top. Even though the head has a 70 lbs weight capacity, I'll limit use to 6x9 and 4x5.

I'm saving one of my 3039's for the 8x10. My Feisol tripod has kind of a quick release mechanism for the center column, which can be quickly and easily replaced with a flat plate with the 3039 attached. So, no center column for 8x10, and none desired nor needed.

[neil poulsen]

I too am a new convert to the D4. It’s really pretty great. I’ve had the 410 a few different times, and while it can certainly get the job done, the small amount of slop that develops over time degrades confidence in the head. I still keep a 410 around with a Hejnar adapter for the Arca style release, but it’s been relegated to the closet since the D4 arrived. . .

I've thought about the 410 on occasion. But, I didn't care for its asymmetrical design. And, I didn't care for the quick release system that was inherent in it's construction. I mentioned the two alternatives I've seen on EBay in the opening post.

But in spite of its ^high price, the anticipated build quality and the styling roped me into a D4.

[speedfreak]

I do like the idea of the protective cover, but the soft sacks I already have are just a bit too small. Any recommendations for a nice padded satchel or something even semi-rigid? A nice molded clamshell design would be pretty cool, maybe even out of fine leather..hmm….?
On another note, here’s a pic of my setup using a Leofoto tripod, leveling bowl base with quick release, Hejnar 60mm dovetail plate and D4 head. Works very well and is solid. The whole platform with the tripod, D4 head and Arca Swiss rail is one of the best modular systems I’ve used and sets up/breaks down extremely fast.

[Oslolens]

For the protective cover I use a lens pouch which was a freebie from Robert White, the strap comes handy to fix it to the tripod so not come off.
Some mattress material is put in for extra protection.
The pouch not neoprene, so I suspect it to last a while.
The closest I have found is the Think Tank Lens Changer 35. It lacks the strap, and it may be too small for the D4, and maybe even for the my Z1.
I have used a golf club wrap- it does protect from impact, but not so much from dust and sand.

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

[neil poulsen]

. . . On another note, here’s a pic of my setup using a Leofoto tripod, leveling bowl base with quick release, Hejnar 60mm dovetail plate and D4 head. . .

That's a nice setup.

Out of curiosity, why the leveler, given that the D4 rotates on the top and the bottom? I'm thinking that the D4 itself levels the rotating adapter at the top?

[speedfreak]

I’ve had a leveling base of some sort for quite a while so at this point it’s part of how I prefer to work. For a head with a top panning feature it might be unnecessary but I do think there are some benefits. By using the leveling base I can level the entire head right from the start so any panning adjustments I make from the base of the head. Making panning adjustments from the base allows all the controls on the head to stay oriented to the preferred planes of adjustment. By this I mean that one adjustment for pitch (front/back) and one for roll (left/right). These controls maintain their predictability when at 90° angles (0,90,180, and 270). If I adjust the pan a few degrees to adjust a composition then my head controls lose their ability to adjust the camera in separate planes (from the camera perspective). The adjustments become a combination of roll and pitch. This loss of predictability is why I only use the top pan in rare situations with the view camera. Now, if I was interested in leveling the head perfectly and then wanting to shoot some multi row panos’ then this feature is mandatory.