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Arca d4 clamp question

P

pesto

Active member
Let me preface this with a hope that I am not missing something patently obvious here and end feeling like a total... well, lets see.
I just received an Arca d4 tripod head and can not mount any of the camera plates that I have used for many years on several different heads. There are two problems: one is that there are two small pins projecting upward from the bottom of the clamp that appear immovable, the second being that the space between the "jaws" of the clamp are quite a bit too narrow to accept the plates that I have. I had thought to replace the clamp with one from another head but, makeing matters even worse, I can not see any means of removing the clamp from the head as it is attached by a screw that has a round hole in the center and does not grip any form of screw driver, hex wrench, or star pattern device.
Am I indeed missing something here?
Thanks.
 
C

Chipcarterdc

New member
Did you try sliding the plate in from both the front and the rear of the clamp?

I have a new D4 head and one of my (also new) Arca-style plates will only fit if slid into the clamp from the front, due to the way that plate is designed. I only recently began using Arca plates and the D4 head, so it took me a few minutes to figure out that that's what the problem was. (My other plates will slide in from either the rear or the front of the clamp.)

Note: I just took a look at my D4 head and do see those two pins sticking up perpendicularly from the bottom of the clamp. I don't know what they're for and don't have the manual in front of me, but presumably they're described in the manual?
 
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Paul2660

Well-known member
The D4 with clamp has an adjustment screw by the clamp. If your plate won't fit back off the screw a bit. The pins you mention should not contact your plates.

NET the D4 with release clamp is a pain in the *** as you will need to adjust the tension to accept various types of plates.

Kirk RRS ARCA cambo all are slightly different and the ARCA clamp is only designed around the ARCA Brand plates. It used to be possible to replace the clamp with th improved RRS clamp which auto adjusts but that is no longer possible as ARCA glues the clamp in.

The screw clamp is much more convient in the long run due to this issue.

Paul Caldwell
 
GrahamWelland

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
For anyone adjusting their Arca head, this is useful:
http://rodklukas.com/resources/Arca-Swiss_Fliplock-Adjustment.pdf

We've said it for years though that they should mark tighten/loosen by the adjuster nut (turn right to tighten btw).

The problem though is that there are Arca Swiss plates which fit perfectly, and then there all the other clones that are slightly different in size/bezel angle and so it can be a pain in the rear if you have a mix of makes. If you only have one make of plates (i.e. RRS) then you can adjust the Arca clamp and it'll fit all of them.
 
MGrayson

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Graham,

I have to stare at the mechanism and think what the thumb wheel is actually doing before I touch it. Then I get it right about 3/4 of the time :)

--Matt
 
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Paul2660

Well-known member
Best reference is the clamp arm.

With the clamp arm at 90 degrees away and behind, rolling the adjustment screw forwards lossens the clamp rolling backwards tightens it.

You can roll it too far forward thus freeing the spring (what a mess) so make small adjustments when rolling forwards to loosen.

Paul Caldwell
 
P

pesto

Active member
GrahamWelland said:
For anyone adjusting their Arca head, this is useful:
http://rodklukas.com/resources/Arca-Swiss_Fliplock-Adjustment.pdf

We've said it for years though that they should mark tighten/loosen by the adjuster nut (turn right to tighten btw).

The problem though is that there are Arca Swiss plates which fit perfectly, and then there all the other clones that are slightly different in size/bezel angle and so it can be a pain in the rear if you have a mix of makes. If you only have one make of plates (i.e. RRS) then you can adjust the Arca clamp and it'll fit all of them.
Click to expand...


Thanks Graham and Paul. The problem is that there does not appear to be any means of adjusting the opening on the head that I have. I have seen Rod Klukas's post and the lever on the head I have is quite different than the one he shows. There is also no mention of adjustments in any of the paperwork that was included...perhaps this is a "new and improved" version and I just don't recognize progress when I see it :banghead:
 
GrahamWelland

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Can you post an image of the new lever clamp? The one shown in the pdf is the original, and I have a later, more rounded clamp but still with the two levels of flip local grooves but with the same adjuster. What does yours look like?
 
MGrayson

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
pesto said:
Let me preface this with a hope that I am not missing something patently obvious here and end feeling like a total... well, lets see.
I just received an Arca d4 tripod head and can not mount any of the camera plates that I have used for many years on several different heads. There are two problems: one is that there are two small pins projecting upward from the bottom of the clamp that appear immovable, the second being that the space between the "jaws" of the clamp are quite a bit too narrow to accept the plates that I have. I had thought to replace the clamp with one from another head but, makeing matters even worse, I can not see any means of removing the clamp from the head as it is attached by a screw that has a round hole in the center and does not grip any form of screw driver, hex wrench, or star pattern device.
Am I indeed missing something here?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
The recent Arca heads I have have two clamp tracks. A narrow one for their new, smaller plates, and a higher larger one for old Arca, RRS, Kirk, etc. plates. The pins don't interfere with the upper track. Does your head have only one track? If so, it may be made only for the new smaller plate. Here's an example of the two track head:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029548-REG/arca_swiss_801215_monoball_p0_with_fliplock.html

In one of the other pictures you can see the thumb wheel.

On the other hand, if this one is yours -

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/966722-REG/arca_swiss_870105_d4_monoball_fix.html

you need the new smaller plates :(

--Matt
 
P

pesto

Active member
GrahamWelland said:
I believe Mr Grayson is correct. Sounds like Pesto has the MonoballFix QR system clamp which isn't going to be adjustable for other system plates than the Arca specific ones. You need the Fliplock for backwards compatibility.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am afraid that I do have that very model...hopefully I will be able to return it and replace it with...???

Thanks to all who have responded,

Douglas.
 
R

rriley

Member
I just received a D4 with fliplock last week. After a day of fiddling around with the clamp I put the D4 back in the box and returned it for a refund. I then ordered a D4 with the screw clamp which I know from using a screw clamp on my Cube, that the screw clamp works fine.

Another alternative is to ship your D4 to Precision Camera in Chicago and have a RRS lever clamp installed. Precision has the ability to safely remove the Arca clamp and install the RRS clamp. There is no charge for this service if you purchase the RRS clamp from Precision.






pesto said:
Yes, I am afraid that I do have that very model...hopefully I will be able to return it and replace it with...???

Thanks to all who have responded,

Douglas.
Click to expand...
 
JohnBrew

JohnBrew

Active member
I got my d4 from Rod Klukas. Was first sent a lever clamp type which wouldn't close sufficiently to clamp my RRS and Kirk plates, but a switch to the screw-type clamp fixed everything. Now that I have an A-S camera I really wonder what that bottom groove with the pins is for as I still must use the upper groove just as with the other brand plates.
 
A

archivue

Active member
Iv'e choose my Arca-Swiss d4 Tripod Head with a Classic Knob Quick Release... more universal, and easier to use with gloves on !

This head is compatible with either classic Arca-Swiss-type or newer Arca-Swiss MonoballFix-type camera plates or even an arca swiss large format camera directly ( the optical bench fits directly... same shape as MonoballFix ).

the two pins are for MonoballFix... smaller than regular arca type...
 

Attachments

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Paul2660

Well-known member
Joe Colson said:
Is the clamp affixed so securely to the D4 that it cannot be removed except by a professional? I performed the replacement on my Cube easily enough. I'm just wondering what prevents one from doing the replacement without sending it to Precision Camera.

For those who've used both, how does the D4 compare to the RRS BH-55 in use, fit and finish, and durability? I understand that the geared D4 is...well...geared.

Joe
Click to expand...
The glue was swtiched about 1.5 years ago, and you run the risk of damage to either the clamp or the D4 body. I am assuming Precision Camera is heating up the screw or has a solvent to allow it to turn. The glue used now is stronger than lock tight red.

As you mention, it used to be a simple fix, I guess Arca choose to add the glue or whatever it is so to prevent the changes in the field? Anyone's guess. But the screw is way too tight to remove without some assistance.

Paul Caldwell
 
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