The great tripod & head thread!

[Christopher]

Quick question for the ones recently getting the Alpa GON, has Alpa updated the ALPA GON so that the Arca Swiss plate is in the middle of the ALPA GON Modul? I tried it once when it came out, but was shocked that it wasn't in the middle and so for me unusable... I would love to use it for just tilt in one direction.

 

[jotloob]

That's what I thought at first, but it's happening each time I use a slow shutter speed on my tripod. I also tried during the same shoot to go from 1s to /250th of a second and that makes a huge difference.

I am at the moment struggling to shoot slower than 1/50th of a second on tripod.

Erik

Let me try to explain my thoughts regarding your described issue .
Might be that you have already checked all of them .

Your setup has actually three parts . Tripod with head , Lens , Camera .
Each of them could be a culprit .

Your tripod . Have you checked all joints and legs and tightened them properly ?
I never extend the legs fully , I always leave about 5cm in the thinner leg . That increases the stability a lot .
Are the rubber "shoes" and/or spikes tight ?
Have you checked all moveable parts of your head ?
Could you replace the tripod and/or head by an other setup ?

Have you tried to shoot with an other GFX lens ? Does the issue show as well ?

I dont know the GFX , never had one in my hands .
But the camera could also be a culprit . Shutter ? ? ?
Can you eventually replace the camera ? ? ?
You surely have other cameras . Have you tried any other camera combination ?

 

[ejpeiker]

Erik

Let me try to explain my thoughts regarding your described issue .
Might be that you have already checked all of them .

Your setup has actually three parts . Tripod with head , Lens , Camera .
Each of them could be a culprit .

Your tripod . Have you checked all joints and legs and tightened them properly ?
I never extend the legs fully , I always leave about 5cm in the thinner leg . That increases the stability a lot .
Are the rubber "shoes" and/or spikes tight ?
Have you checked all moveable parts of your head ?
Could you replace the tripod and/or head by an other setup ?

Have you tried to shoot with an other GFX lens ? Does the issue show as well ?

I dont know the GFX , never had one in my hands .
But the camera could also be a culprit . Shutter ? ? ?
Can you eventually replace the camera ? ? ?
You surely have other cameras . Have you tried any other camera combination ?

Likely shooting with Electronic First Curtain will solve the issue or if the scene allows, full electronic shutter.

 

[Rand47]

Do you really think I'd just leave it alone?? Everything needs a bit of customization!

It now has the RRS quick release clamp from my BH-40. But in my defense, E.J. did something similar before I did, so I'm not that crazy.

However, I do have a bone to pick with E.J., who highlighted how easy the task was: Where do you buy your tools? Mine are not quite tough enough for the job:

Note: the image above shows just how bad a photographer I am with an autofocus camera in my hands...:loco:

Dave

Bob at Precision Camera Works in Skokie, IL can do the clamp swap out for you. Authorized Arca-Swiss repair shop. Cost is nominal. They did the swap out for a RRS Lever clamp on my Arca D4 geared head.

Rand

 

[stephengilbert]

Dave,

At least you were turning the wrench in the right direction.

Steve

 

[ejpeiker]

However, I do have a bone to pick with E.J., who highlighted how easy the task was: Where do you buy your tools? Mine are not quite tough enough for the job:

Are you sure you used a metric hex key? This is what I would expect from an ANSI one that isn't quite the perfect fit. With a properly sized metric one, this should not happen.

 

[dchew]

Are you sure you used a metric hex key? This is what I would expect from an ANSI one that isn't quite the perfect fit. With a properly sized metric one, this should not happen.

Yeah. Key didn’t strip, it just twisted.

Dave

 

[Tim Ernst]

Yeah. Key didn’t strip, it just twisted.

Dave

The tip of my hex key broke off, and I never got the screw out of my first head. When I ordered a second head I sent it to Precision to replace.

 

[ejpeiker]

There was a period where reportedly they used a permanent type of locktite but more recently they stopped doing that, at least as reported (maybe even in earlier pages of this long thread). My head was brand new when I did this a few months ago. It took a bit of force but nothing I would consider outrageous and couldn't even imagine stripping the hex key at the forces that were required for me.

 

[rriley]

Bob at Precision Camera Works in Skokie, IL can do the clamp swap out for you.

Rand

Or you could just put some heat on it with a heat gun.

 

[med]

What are the chances for beefier p0 Hybrid = p1 Hybrid?

Unfortunately with the passing of Martin Vogt earlier this year, I think the chances of new Arca Swiss products are pretty low, at least for a while. As far as I know, he was the chief (and perhaps only?) designer at Arca. Very sad and unfortunate.

 

[LonnaTucker]

Unfortunately with the passing of Martin Vogt earlier this year, I think the chances of new Arca Swiss products are pretty low, at least for a while. As far as I know, he was the chief (and perhaps only?) designer at Arca. Very sad and unfortunate.

This is not true. Julian Couval is a designer at Arca-Swiss who has been there 10 years or more, working with Mr P. Vogt and with Martin. Another brother, Sam Vogt, still collaborates in design and manufactures products. Some reorganizing of responsibilities after the loss of Martin is expected, but new things are in the works.

 

[med]

This is not true. Julian Couval is a designer at Arca-Swiss who has been there 10 years or more, working with Mr P. Vogt and with Martin. Another brother, Sam Vogt, still collaborates in design and manufactures products. Some reorganizing of responsibilities after the loss of Martin is expected, but new things are in the works.

Thanks, that’s great news. My dealer painted an entirely different picture! If he was to believed Martin “was” Arca.

 

[jotloob]

Now finally I made it , an image of my GONIOMETER GANG . The absolute king is in the background . The king is dead ? Long live the king .
Nothing , but nothing can beat the CUBE .

 

[kdphotography]

Beautiful Cube porn, Jurgen. (Photographers outside of Dante's realm would simply deem you bat-**** crazy)

And I do take notice of that tasteful and exclusive Blue ring edition goniometer :ROTFL:

:thumbup: Ken

 

[jotloob]

Blue rings just look awesome . :thumbs:

 

[jotloob]

Jurgen, you win!! Congratulations. :salute: Your trophy is in the mail.

Any reason for using different clamps?

Joe

No special reason . All clamps , no matter which type , are modified to take the ARCA and RRS type .
I prefer the conventional screw type as of arthrosis in my fingers .

 

[stephengilbert]

Blue rings just look awesome . :thumbs:

Where did you get the blue ring?

 

[jotloob]

Where did you get the blue ring?

Two friendly nice guys from CALIFORNIA helped with blue rings and populated the "blue ring desert" here in Germany .:ROTFL:

 

[Smoothjazz]

Jurgen,

You really have all those cubes? Wow. Any one in particular you like over others? I am hoping you are favoring the Arca Cube, as that is the one I have.