Arca lensboard question

[mike rosenlof]

Hi,

Maybe someone here can help. I have an F-line Arca with the 171mm square boards. Will the lensboards that I see called "arca swiss basic" mount on this camera?

I'm looking at KEH, so I could always return it, but thought I'd ask here.

If anybody wants to sell a 171mm board for a no.3 shutter, I'm interested!

thanks!
-mike

[Discoman]

probably?
you might just want to find an arca dealer and email them.

[John Schneider]

I assume that the "Basic" boards are from the A/B/C models, which will physically fit your F but will leak light. The A/B/C use a foam surround in the standard to block light, as the board has no such apparatus, just being a flat piece of metal. The F has a recess in the standard, into which a raised light trap on an F board will fit. So if you use an A/B/C board on your F, there is absolutely no light trap apparatus.

However, if KEH means that this is a board from an F-Basic (just like a current F but with the old-style screws to clamp the standard to the function carrier), then it's just like a current board and will work just fine. So not knowing just what KEH means by "Basic," you may need to order it to find out.

[mike rosenlof]

Thanks Jason and Discoman!

The phictures at KEH are a bit hard to decypher, but I'm going to bet it's the A/B/C models. The boards in the photos look flat but it's really hard to see what the edge treatment is like. The boards have a logo in the upper right corner that's not present on any that I currently have.

They do have a no.3 F-line, but it's a bunch more $$ than the 'basic'.

Looks like the 171mm boards are special order from Badger Graphics. I'll give them a call and see what's up.

[Frank Petronio]

The old ABC Arca boards were sometimes green, sometimes black, with a old circular logo. The new ones are all perfectly CNC-machined, everything looks like it came out of the Porsche or Audi showroom.

Their old cameras were fine, I've used them and like them, but they were definitely Yugo-Opel quality compared to the modern F-line.

[John Schneider]

There are also flat, modern-style boards with the logo and the raised light trap on the back. I don't know if these are the latest construction (which, at least for the recessed boards, don't have a logo) but they work perfectly with the current F-line cameras.

[mike rosenlof]

thanks John.

I also posted a WTB in the appropriate section and think I have a buy ready to go there. I still may see if KEH is willing to go look at their stock and tell me exactly what it is.

I've never seen the older Arca stuff, but the newer (mine dates from '99) is certainly well made.

[Kirk Fry]

Frank, I think you never owned a Yugo! The old SwissArca stuff is wayyyyyyyyyy better. KFry

[Frank Petronio]

I think the transition from the old ABC to F-line came in the early 80s, when more modern machining became available to A-S.

True, never owned or even rode in a Yugo. Perhaps an Opel or Fiat then?