I couldn't find the answer on the Arca-Swiss web site (hah) -- does anyone know for sure whether an F-line format frame will work on an M-line function carrier?
It looks like this would work from what I can tell, but the Arca catalog has different part numbers for the F & M format frames:
062031 Format frame F -classic 8x10“ rear
063040 Format frame M -monolith 8x10“ rear
Thanks for any help.
Did anyone get back to you?
Try asking Rod Klukas, who is now the official US representative for Arca-Swiss.
Hello from Besançon, France and welcome to the Arca Swiss club !
I couldn't find the answer on the Arca-Swiss web site (hah)
Ask Rod, of course.
For your information, the current catalogue can be accessed from this French vendor's web site:
http://www.magasin-arca-swiss.com/
The discontinued 171 system is described in detail in this well-know PDF catalogue in English (at least, well-known to arcaphiles)
http://www.magasin-arca-swiss.com/contents/fr/arca.pdf
Currently available new parts for the discontinued 171 system (discontinued since 2004) are listed here; to date (Jan. 2012), almost everything is still available,
http://www.magasin-arca-swiss.com/co...e-171x171.html
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Arca-Swiss: F-line format frame on M-line?
The attaching dovetail between all F-line or M-line function carriers and the relevant format frame is in principle the same for all F-line and M-line cameras.
In the eighties and nineties of the last century, there have been some early M-line models which are not the current M-line Monolith models. I do not know those models very well, so i assume here that we are speaking about the current M-line Monolith cameras where tilts and shifts are all provided by the function carrier itself under the form of micrometric, geared, self-locking controls.
So the simple rule is that you can slide and attach any F-line format frame on a M-line function carrier, since the dovetail profile is the same. I'm pretty sure that the shape of those dovetails did not change since the Oschwald Brothers, pre-1984 Arca Swiss cameras.
By attaching a F-classic or F-metric format frame to a M-line function carrier, you'll get fine geared self-locking movements (tilt and shift) provided by M-line function carriers, plus additional (superfluous ? ) shift capabilities with the manual or geared ("F-metric") F-classic slides.
Conversely, you can even attach a M-line format frame to F-line function carriers, doing so you'll only loose vertical shift capabilities. But you'll still have tilt capabilities built inside all F-line function carriers, plus the lateral shift capability.
Since the bellows attachment system is common to all F-line, M-line and R-line cameras (since 1984 for oldest F-line cameras, F-line bellows connections to frames are not compatible however with Oschwald, pre-1984 cameras), you do what you wish for bellows, providing of course that you have the right-sized F-line bellows, 110, 141 or 171. To the best of my knowledge, Arca Swiss does not have on the catalogue a "flat" reducing frame enabling to directly connect a big bellows to a smaller frame. You can only connect a 110 frame to a 141 or 171 frame with a tapered bellows, 110-to-141 or 110-to-171. and all bigger bellows for 5x7" or 8x10" cameras (tapered bellows for 5x7" and 8x10", connecting only to 141 or 171, not 110)
May be there are exceptions, but we can state the rule that this is valid for all F-line, M-line and R-line cameras.
Yes the frames are interchangeable. The difference is that the F line frames have a rise feature, where the M-line frames don't, as the rise/fall feature is in the function carrier.Originally Posted by James Morris
Rod Klukas
US Representative
Arca-Swiss
Thanks for the info, folks.
It's a great system.
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