Differentiating the different F series Arca Swiss models

[otzi]

Having tried to search out and determine the differences between the various Arca Swiss models I am still at a loss to really determine all the different features to determine the best (for me) model.

F - classic
F - Field
F - Metric

What does compact truly signify.
Can rails be added or removed (vis. Sonar) as needed.
Are bellows joinable. (to make them longer) or only changeable to a longer one.

These are very popular cameras so there has to be something truly spectacular about them. I see them as being a simpler, more portable Sinar, sort of. Tell me if I'm wrong.

I wonder if the F series Arca Swiss may be a reasonable balance between portable for field whilst being capable of fully movement needed situations.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Hi, Ötzi !!
Did you know that I've been twice to your home, the Similaun glacier in Ôtztal, Tirol, Austria.
But too bad I missed you, instead of having a chat with you in your award-winning ice cave (and have an iced tea, perharps) we hurried to relax after our ski tour to enjoy an excellent & refreshing Bier von Faß at the nearby Similaunhütte ;-)

--

Arca Swiss F-line is the generic line of cameras derived and improved from the original Oschwald brothers Arca Swiss Cameras after 1984 when the company was sold to the present owners, the Vogt family.

The other line of monorails is the M-line. An evolution of the original M-line is the present Monolilth(TM) range of cameras.

Terminology : an Arca Swiss camera is made of a rail, a pair of function carriers, a pair of format frames conected by a bellows, a lens board (& lens of course) a ground glass and graflok International back.

The first function provided by the function carrriers is a geared translation of the standards by a rack and pinion system. Other functions are tilts.

F-classic refers to a F-line where the function carriers operate lateral shifts and rise by directly sliding the frames & standards manually after unlocking a clamping system.

F-metric refers to an improvement over the F-classic where rise and shifts are controlled by a geared (rack and pinion) self-locking system built in the function carriers and inside the format frames. Otherwise, F-classic and F-metric are identical.

F-classic and F-metric share the same rails same bellows and the same ground glass. The function carriers and the frames are different but mutually compatible i.e. you can attach a F-classic frame to a F-metric function carrier and vice versa.

"compact" refers to either model where the rail is foldable in two halves by a special hinge. Hence the standard 30cm rail of the 6x9 and 4x5" models becomes a double rail of 15cm length. Foldable rails exist in 40cm and 50cm.
"compact rail" opposes to "telescopic rail" another version where the rail is split into two separate parts sliding on a so-called "bracket", another supporting rail underneath.

The M-monolith is different from the classic and metric, the monolith function carriers control all the functions including tilts by a geared system.

All cameras share the same rails either compact/foldable or telescopic and all cameras share the same range of bellows.

The F-field 4x5" is a F-line, either classic or metric (or even ca be a monolith) where the front standards are the 110mm model (used by the smaller 6x9 camera) and the back is the 4x5" back. Both standards are connected by tapered bellows.

In addition we should add the misura(TM) which defines as a kind of special F-field camera with simplfied function carriers (not tilts at rear), a built-in orbix additional precision tilting stage in front, a 32 cm foldable rail and a leather case for the 4x5" model. An yes, a 8x10" misura exists.

The former arca swiss F-line and M-line catalog is downloadable from here. It is a good introduction to the system and it explains how different parts can be combined together.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/ARCA.pdf

New things with respect to this (now obsolete) catalog are : standards and bellows for the 4x5" formats are now 141mm square. 171mm accessories are discontinued.

A new line of cameras, the R-line has been introduced. The R-line are cameras dedicated to short focal lengths, focusing is done by an helical mount (no rail is required), the cameras can be used hand-held but are still compatible with the rest of the system including the rails and bellows, i.e. you can transform the R-line into a monrail camera if you need a very long focal length or a long bellows draw for macro.

[Charles Hohenstein]

Can all the Arca monorail cameras, both 4x5 and 8x10, take a metering back? And can they all employ the Arca shutter?

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Hello, Charles

Can all the Arca monorail cameras, both 4x5 and 8x10, take a metering back? ...

I know that Arca Swiss developed a metering back for the 4x5" model. It was based on silicon light-sensitive chips embedded in the ground glass. This device is listed in the old catalog referenced above but I do not know it it is still manufactured. I doubt. I do not know if such a back was ever made for the 8x10".
I know that Sinar developed a metering back. This was mostly a ground glass with a CdS Gossen meter attached. You would move/slide the sensitive element along the ground glass and make some selective measurements. Of course this back will not directly fit an Arca Swiss camera ;-)
Having discussed of those devices with some French professional photographers in the business of LF photography for decades, none of them were ever enthusiastic about those 4x5" metering backs. All prefer external measuring methods. Some only swear by the spotmeter, some others say that they have never used a spotmeter in the studio, but in the good old days, polaroid test films were used by hundreds of packs ;-)


And can they all employ the Arca shutter?
Hmm. I confess taht I do not know this device : is-it a focal plane shutter ?
I know that Arca Swiss developed an electrical-driven leaf shutter to mount on lenses like any mechanical leaf shutter. I have seen the device in operation but again I doubt if it is still on catalog.

Ad far as a focal plane shutter is concerned, I do not know.. may be an old accessory developed by the Oschwald brothers ??? Do you have a photo or a reference to it ? (the Oschwald brothers developed in the sixties a number of accessories for the first A/S line of cameras, some of those accessories do fit the 171mm modern F-line cameras)

[otzi]

Emmanuel,- Given that the metric offers some geared movements, which model or lens board size, offers the greatest rise. Also which model allows one to add sections of rail as needed. Does the same compendium fit all models?

[Charles Hohenstein]

I think that I was confusing Arca and Sinar features. I've never had the chance to play with either one.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Given that the metric offers some geared movements, which model or lens board size, offers the greatest rise
In 4x5", the F-classic or metric feature the same amout of rise & shift.
The field model with its 110mm board has to be lifted up by a few centimetres in order to properly center the optical axis with respect to the centre of the film format. Same situation occurs for bigger formats where the front standard is either 171 (old style) or 141 (new style).
In 171 mm, rise capabilty is 100mm either front or rear. Lateral shift is plus or minus 50mm.
In 141 mm, rise & shift capabilities are the same.

In order to increase the available front rise in 5x7" and 8x10", A/S has on catalog an extender which simply slides between the function carrier and the format frame.
Hence the "square" 4x5" models 171-171 (old style, discontinued but easy to find as a used item) or 141-141 (present models) offer the maximum amount of rise & shift both in front and rear. The former 171 mm F-lines offered same rise & shift than the current 141.
But in fact you'll be limited by the available image circle of your lenses before being limited by the rise/shift capabilities of the standards. Except of course if you imagine to use all possible shifts with a long focal length e.g. a 600 mm apo-ronar ;-)

Does the same compendium fit all models?
Yes with the new compendium which is the same for 110mm boards (6x9, field 4x5) or the 141 (all other formats & models)
previously, you had two different compendiums, the 6x9 model was smaller than the 4x5 designed to fit 171mm boards.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

To Charles
OK you a referring to the Sinar behind-the-lens shutter.
This is a typical Sinar accessory. I doubt that you can mount it on an A/S camera ; however on the 171mm A/S models, boards were large enough to accommodate various 3-rd party boards including the 140mm square Sinar board.

I do not think that there has ever been a behind-the-lens shutter in the A/S product line.

[otzi]

Emmanuel
You have explained boards and rise on 5x7 and 8X10 but I don't think I've go it yet with 4x5. Am I to assume that the F line has 110 boards. These offer how much rise? Is there a fitting to add, that increases the rise? Do larger boards offer greater rise? Or have I got that wrong too.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

The F-line "field" 4x5" has 110 mm front standards.
All models above 4x5 have the 141mm front standard i.e. the 5x7" and 8x10" including the 8x10" misura.
Only the 6x9 and the 4x5" "field" plus the 4x5" misura have 110mm front standards.
I have the current metric-field 4x5" configuration with 141 mm rear standards (plus the optional manual orbix® tilting stage in front.)
In this configuration with zero tilts everywhere I have to pre-rise the front standard by about 15mm on a total allowed rise travel of 60mm in order to properly center the optical axis with respect to the film format.
Front lateral shifts with a 110mm standard are plus or minus 30 mm.

But with a F-line classic or metric with the regular function carriers, you do not have to worry about front rise since you can use indirect rise : both function carriers allow plus or minus 45° of base tilt ; so using indirect rise you'll only be limited by the tortures you'll have to apply to your bellows !!
Only the misuras with no rear tilts cannot use indirect rise but the rear misura function carrier is flatter and saves about 2-3 cm or font rise !