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The great tripod & head thread!

anyone

Well-known member
The core leveler looks interesting indeed! The 75 might be a bit overkill and more or less direct competition to my 3D Micro, but the Core leveler 60 might be good. Does anyone have experience with it?
 

Mexecutioner

Well-known member
No experience with either as I use the Cube GP, however I read here that many users replaced their 60's with a 75 mostly for the additional 5 degrees of tilt and better balance on a larger tripod. The price and weight differential is not much, I would personally favor the 75 over the 60 in order to not buy something underspec'd that I would need to replace later. I may actually get a 75 for when I want to travel light while preserving some of the Cube capabilities.
 

anyone

Well-known member
Good point with the 5mm of tilt in each direction, that may be the deciding factor. The Linhof 3D Micro weights 1000g, the Arca Core Leveler 75 is stated with 630g. Depending on the accuracy of the Arca spec sheet in terms of (real-life) weight, that could be a suitable alternative.
 

FloatingLens

Well-known member
No experience with either as I use the Cube GP, however I read here that many users replaced their 60's with a 75 mostly for the additional 5 degrees of tilt and better balance on a larger tripod. The price and weight differential is not much, I would personally favor the 75 over the 60 in order to not buy something underspec'd that I would need to replace later. I may actually get a 75 for when I want to travel light while preserving some of the Cube capabilities.
Exactly my reasoning when I bought it. The Core Leveler 75 mates quite well with the Gitzo Series 3 Systematic in terms of size and weight by the way. Maybe combine it with an Arca Quick Coupling Base Plate for increased flexibility.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
The Baby Cube L60 is better as a geared travel head and I find it to be a perfect match on the Novoflex triolbalance, with a built-in leveler which adds an additional 5mm of movement. But it is indeed small! The Mini-Cube L75 is a great compact geared head and fits perfectly on my RRS TVC-24 legs.
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
I love the L60. I should love the L75, but for some reason it seems too close in size and weight to the D4. In fact, its weight is closer to the L60's than to the D4's, so that's just subjective. If I knew I was shooting close to level, I'd take the L60. If I might be shooting macro or something else that required steep angles, it would either be light (BH-30. It punches WAY above its weight) or solid (D4).

I actually just did a highly scientific test of trying a bunch of heads on the same tripod and looking at the magnified LCD. I keep hoping the P0 will solve the "ball head droop" problem, but it just doesn't. The BH-30 was worlds more solid. The L60 did slightly better than the D4, no doubt because it is shorter and has less lever arm with the tripod yoke. Having IS on while moving around is a problem for any of these, as the image drifts hither and yon before it stabilizes. It doesn't seem to affect the image - do cameras handle long tripod mounted IS exposures better than they used to? All the drifting around must stop when I trigger the exposure, because 4 seconds is razor sharp. Now I'm not using the sturdiest tripod in the world. It's the short Gitzo 4 series with the Markins yoke to make it more travel friendly. Tripods that stay at home don't get used. As much as I'd love to have the stability of a Gitzo 5 or RRS 4, they would never get outside.

I didn't try the BH-55 or Cube, as they fall into the wonderful but heavy camp.
 
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anyone

Well-known member
I would use it on a Gitzo Series 2 Tripod more or less as direct replacement / alternative for the Linhof Profi Ballhead 2. Would you recommend the L60 or L75 for that purpose?

While the large format camera needs to only get to level (less movement), my Hasselblad needs regular adjustment of the tripod head. I mostly carry both cameras, so it should fit either of them.

And lastly, can anyone recommend a dealer for Arca products in Germany/ Europe?

Thank you!
 

FloatingLens

Well-known member
I would use it on a Gitzo Series 2 Tripod more or less as direct replacement / alternative for the Linhof Profi Ballhead 2. Would you recommend the L60 or L75 for that purpose?

While the large format camera needs to only get to level (less movement), my Hasselblad needs regular adjustment of the tripod head. I mostly carry both cameras, so it should fit either of them.

And lastly, can anyone recommend a dealer for Arca products in Germany/ Europe?

Thank you!
I mount my 4x5 folder via a Linhof Nivellierneiger 77 and it is perfect for that purpose, but I would not hesitate to use the L75 for it, too. Just make sure to have enough "air space" between camera bottom plate and leveler top plate. Otherwise you may have difficulties to disengage the camera from the leveler, especially when using the low profile MonoballFix system for example.

Arca-shop is a proven dealer for Arca Swiss in Germany. There are other options AFAIK like Photo Greiner, but you have to contact them to get a quote. Be prepared to wait a bit as supplies are sometimes scarce, depending on what you order.
 

darr

Well-known member
I made this for the tripod that goes out in the landscape with my 4x5, but I use it on other tripods as well.
A little like Weldon's above, but made from parts laying around not being used.

(1) OP/TECH USA 7801172 Snoot Boot Wide Body XL (Black)
(2) OP/TECH USA 1301012 Uni Adaptor Loops (Regular) - System Connectors

I took an exacto knife and cut two x's into the back.
Then I pulled one Uni Adapter Loop through each 'x' and then though their middle to form a sliding knot.
Simple, but so effective!

I use it for my light meter when shooting film, film magazines, and to safely stow my digital back when I need to while on a shoot.
When not shooting, it keeps dirt and moisture off the head.

Hope this helps someone because it really is a great "third hand" when you need one.

 

docholliday

Well-known member
I made this for the tripod that goes out in the landscape with my 4x5, but I use it on other tripods as well.
A little like Weldon's above, but made from parts laying around not being used.

(1) OP/TECH USA 7801172 Snoot Boot Wide Body XL (Black)
(2) OP/TECH USA 1301012 Uni Adaptor Loops (Regular) - System Connectors

I took an exacto knife and cut two x's into the back.
Then I pulled one Uni Adapter Loop through each 'x' and then though their middle to form a sliding knot.
Simple, but so effective!

I use it for my light meter when shooting film, film magazines, and to safely stow my digital back when I need to while on a shoot.
When not shooting, it keeps dirt and moisture off the head.

Hope this helps someone because it really is a great "third hand" when you need one.

UniLoops are the best thing ever made. With all of the gimmicky straps out there, I still stick with my Op-Tech Sling and have UniLoops on everything. On the H cameras, you can use the longer ones and when not attached to a strap, can be attached to each other for a short "handle". I also have them around tripod legs, C-Stands, and other hardware to hook the camera to as a safety "wire" when shooting overhead.

I took a piece of thick nylon cloth, cut a triangle, stitched the edges, and X-stitched uniloops into the 3 points. With the loops wrapped around the tripod leg, I can quickly hook the triangle in and make an apron inside the tripod to hold random stuff like my meter or filters. It rolls up nice and can be used as a ground cloth if necessary. Kinda stole the idea from some telescope tripods that had a tray inside the legs to hold oculars and other components that I saw years ago.
 

Smoothjazz

Active member
I've been working on a long term project and my Arca D4 was getting banged up climbing ladders thru decks. Found a good solution to protect tripod head, Think Tank Lens Changer 50. Works pretty darn good.View attachment 175999View attachment 176000
This Think Tank Changer 50 looks like it makes just about the perfect cover. I just ordered one for my tripod head- the cube C1. By my measurements it should just fit snugly over the head. Good recommendation!
 

fjablo

Active member
After my frustrating experience this morning (see image thread) I was looking for tripod heads and stumbled across this very interesting Rollei tripod:
https://www.rollei.com/tripod-urban-traveler-22748-en-eur

It's not really made for MF except for maybe the X1D / GFX50R with one of the lighter lenses. But it has a very interesting head - at least I've never seen an integrated leveling base in a tripod this small & light. Seems perfect for hiking

[...]

I ordered one even though it was not exactly what I was looking for originally 😁
I can happily report that this tiny little tripod has no problems holding the H3Dii + 80mm lens - even 45sec exposures are perfectly sharp. To be fair it also wasn’t very windy: around 15km/h, but steady as I was at the coast.

I can post a behind the scenes once I‘m back at my computer next weekend ;)
 

robmac

Well-known member
Picked up a new to me Novoflex Pro75 4-section kit with Ballhead II and short 2-section ground-level legs for a nice price. Very well made kit. Thing oozes quality and the head is impressive as well.
 

Mexecutioner

Well-known member
This Think Tank Changer 50 looks like it makes just about the perfect cover. I just ordered one for my tripod head- the cube C1. By my measurements it should just fit snugly over the head. Good recommendation!
If the cube doesn't fit in it, I will fit here, I use it for the Cube GP, fits great, padding is good but not bomb proof.

 

rawhead

New member
Sure did. Sorry for the crummy IQ, but wanted to post this quickly.
View attachment 131668
Hi, I know this is an old post, but do you know how Precision Camera Works dealt with the thin, flat plate below the RRS clamp? That plate has four holes that act as a detent together with one ball bearing trapped in a hole on the p0 side. Specifically:

1) Do you know if that is the original plate that came with the p0 or something Precision provided as part of the mod?
2) If the original plate, did the bond it to the rear side of the RRS clamp, or is it just held in place by the bolt?

I have the same p0h and the RRS clamp, and have preliminarily attached the clamp using the original Arca plate just with the bolt. When sufficiently tightened it seems to work fine, but I am a little concerned that if I don't bond the plate, the plate might shift out of place, rendering the detent non-functional. Thanks!
 

Required

New member
I need some advice to get around a problem I've ran into.
I got such a good deal on a GT4542LS that I just had to get it and in the process I sold off my GT3541L with a Markins base for more.

The problem is that the panning lock on my Arca Z1 does not fully clear the systematics flat disk.
I can lock it and unlock it - if I make sure it's within the correct 240° rotation.
And as my plan was to get the Arca Core L60 as well to complement my Z1 for architectual work I notised that the Leveler also have a locking lever close to the foundation.

I found an old Novoflex panorama plate I had, which do solve this but I don't like adding another component to the mix though.
A 3mm solid aluminum plate would be enough, without panning function.

Do anyone have an idea on where to find one or could offer a functional solution for both my Z1 but also a future purchase of a Core L60? :)


_DSC6132_nx-s.JPG_DSC6133_nx-s.JPG
 

docholliday

Well-known member
I need some advice to get around a problem I've ran into.
I got such a good deal on a GT4542LS that I just had to get it and in the process I sold off my GT3541L with a Markins base for more.

The problem is that the panning lock on my Arca Z1 does not fully clear the systematics flat disk.
I can lock it and unlock it - if I make sure it's within the correct 240° rotation.
And as my plan was to get the Arca Core L60 as well to complement my Z1 for architectual work I notised that the Leveler also have a locking lever close to the foundation.

I found an old Novoflex panorama plate I had, which do solve this but I don't like adding another component to the mix though.
A 3mm solid aluminum plate would be enough, without panning function.

Do anyone have an idea on where to find one or could offer a functional solution for both my Z1 but also a future purchase of a Core L60? :)


View attachment 182996View attachment 182997
I have the same head and tripod, with the same issue. Acratech makes a spacer that raises the head off of the platform to give it clearance. https://www.acratech.net/ballhead-riser-raises-your-ballhead-on-tripod-plateform/ Or, you could always have a machine shop mill you a plate of your desired height and diameter tapped 3/8" on the bottom and studded on top.
 
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