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Arca Swiss Cube........ OMG!!

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Statement's that start "Graham owns..." are generally true.:ROTFL:

I was going to ask if the tripod spec summary sheet posted on this site was all from his personal collection....
:ROTFL:

The sad thing is that I probably have had at some time most of the Gitzo tripods on that sheet. Now I'm happy with my Feisol for travel, RRS for stability in a reasonable package and my GT5561SGT which is the tripod equivalent to the Cube. You never knew you wanted or needed one until you own one. IMHO.

My RRS might get replaced as I have the TV23 (I didn't want to wait months for the 24) and it frustrates me sometimes as I need more height on one or more of the legs. Love the tripod though as a complement to the Gitzo giant.

:chug:

As Guy mentioned, making good investments in your tripod(s) & heads is probably one of the smartest things to do. Buy too cheap, too small, too light, too limited, too fragile and guess what? You'll buy replacements and several over time as you search for that combo that you really should have man'd up and bought in the first place. It's actually a lot cheaper long term that way too.

Just don't buy a Cube if what you need is a ballhead! :facesmack:

Buy Gitzo GT5532 LS + the cube and you don't need to go to the gym :)
Too true! Perversely I do use my 5561SGT & Cube & f-stop bag with MF gear as part of my enforced exercise regimen. Not for everyone but it works masochistically for me. :thumbup:
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
I have had a Cube for a few months now and am constantly astounded with the transformation it has created. Everything is just more precise, confident and controlled. A massive pleasure.

Just one problem - the clamp lever quite often sticks shut and won't let me release the camera (I have the latest version of the Cube I think). Maybe I need to make a small adjustment to the tension. But it doesn't seem to be in the actual clamping action itself but the lock/release system to begin the clamping action. Don't know if that's a clear description! What I mean is the little metal button that is used to allow the clamp to be operated seems to stick. Any suggestions?
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
I have had a Cube for a few months now and am constantly astounded with the transformation it has created. Everything is just more precise, confident and controlled. A massive pleasure.

Just one problem - the clamp lever quite often sticks shut and won't let me release the camera (I have the latest version of the Cube I think). Maybe I need to make a small adjustment to the tension. But it doesn't seem to be in the actual clamping action itself but the lock/release system to begin the clamping action. Don't know if that's a clear description! What I mean is the little metal button that is used to allow the clamp to be operated seems to stick. Any suggestions?
This is an oddity of that mechanism when the clamp is slightly away from the main mechanism when you try to release it. Simply push the clamp all the way closed before you go to release it. It adds no appreciable time or effort and ensures it will open every time.
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
Thanks for your reply Doug. When you say "push the clamp" do you mean physically the actual clamp itself, or try to fully close the lever before opening it?
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Shouldn't the title of this thread read "OMC"? Not that it matters. I'm closing my eyes and sitting on my hands when reading these ramblings anyway. There's no way the cube would be perfect for when I use the GX680 to shoot product shots, right? Right??!?
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
That's right Jorgen. The Cube would be dreadful for that application and make your life/results significantly less pleasant. Enjoy not having the Cube because there's nothing to see here ;-)
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Good, that's settled then. I go out for dinner instead, and since I've resisted this piece of Swiss precision that would just look silly under my worthless Japanese cameras anyway, I still have a few cents left for a glass of wine... :ROTFL:
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I guess I'll have to get this Cube. Right after I get my Leica S + four lens kit.
... when my pay grade rises two orders of magnitude, I think. :-|

G
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
I love my cube. Best investment. With many pieces of equipment I from time to time think I could sell it ... but not the cube. It is that good.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
got out the precision levels to check a few things. used my medium precision (.005"/div/ft) fitted into the grip plate. all this shows is that the existing tubular levels are not very sensitive and are off, not to be relied upon. FYI: .005"/division/ft shows that about 1/16" rotation of the cube knob changes the level by 2 divisions, or .010" over 1 ft, so the knobs and gearing and backlash are so sensitive as to make fine adjustment tricky.
(by comparison, a typical carpenter's level (none of mine even have divisions on the vial) is about 20 times less sensitive. when my precision level has moved 5 lines, you can just detect the carpenter's bubble is out of level)

here is the more important finding, for my usage: the pan axis of rotation (top plate) is not square to the clamp platform. this is a primary machining relationship that cannot be altered by level adjustment. I found that the difference in a platform rotation of 180 degrees, if level at 0 degrees, was 6+ division lines on the level. It is also not so easy to fix. the effect is that if you level the camera at say your zero point of rotation and then do a pan of 180 degrees, it will not stay level.

more later
 
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Godfrey

Well-known member
got out the precision levels to check a few things. used my medium precision (.005"/div/ft) fitted into the grip plate. all this shows is that the existing tubular levels are not very sensitive and are off, not to be relied upon. FYI: .005"/division/ft shows that about 1/16" rotation of the cube knob changes the level by 2 divisions, or .010" over 1 ft, so the knobs and gearing and backlash are so sensitive as to make fine adjustment tricky.
(by comparison, a typical carpenter's level (none of mine even have divisions on the vial) is about 20 times less sensitive. when my precision level has moved 5 lines, you can just detect the carpenter's level is out of level)

here is the more important finding, for my usage: the pan axis of rotation (top plate) is not square to the clamp platform. this is a primary machining relationship that cannot be altered by level adjustment. I found that the difference in a platform rotation of 180 degrees, if level at 0 degrees, was 6+ lines. It is also not so easy to fix. the effect is that if you level the camera at say your zero point of rotation and then do a pan of 180 degrees, it will not stay level.

more later
I'm happy I have never had to consider such precision adjustments. I just line things up until they look right. ;-)

G
 

jlm

Workshop Member
set up the cube by bolting it to a sub-plate on my mill table and swinging a dial indicator attached to the pan axis about a 6" radius, 360 degrees, indicating off the table surface, had +/-.001 at the quadrant points, using the cube knobs to dial it in. then milled the minimum off of the pan turntable surface, sneaking up on it until the entire surface was just barely machined. started cutting at say, z=0, had partial cutting on the surface until z=-.003".

put it back together, leveled the cube using it's knobs, both ways; with the precision level, the bubble is within +/- 1 division for the full 360 degrees, plenty good.
what the above achieved is that now when the pan platform is level, it stays level through 360 degrees, that is, the pan axis is now plumb to the platform

fyi, the cube levels now show the bubble off-center, both ways, with the edge of the bubble on the line, instead of centered between the lines. also when i put my Cambo on the leveled cube, both of it's spirit levels are off a bit, not quite as bad as the cube.

next i have to figure out how to tell if the camera back is level both ways (the IQ indicator is not sensitive enough).

then i can re-set all the level vials
 

gazwas

Active member
The image I showed earlier in the thread was shot with a brand new Cube, leveled with the bubbles then rotated into the position I wanted with the top pan. To my eyes and the guides in C1 its looks very accurate for any photographic purpose I can think of.

Not sure if you have an older Cube and production techniques have changed but mine is spot on and the most accurate tripod head I've ever used.
 

tjv

Active member
Just what the world needed, another two page thread on The Cube! :p
I need to rob a bank.
 
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