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Arca D4 Users, looking for your feedback

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Graham,

If you were to keep just one from all of those, which one would it be?
The D4 is the most versatile and trade off between size & weight on a RRS 3 series tripod.

I can move the heads between tripods but the Cube is on my Gitzo 5 series, L60 with level head on a RRS series 2.
 
Dante Alighieri
Re: Arca D4 Users, looking for your feedback

Quote Originally Posted by Eric Mansour View Post
.... but as I run out of gear to buy, ....
Blasphemy!

Step up your game!

Dante
I thought that might get the Devil's attention. Don't worry, somehow I always find a way to get rid of zeroes on my bank account...


I was using a RRS BH-55 until I saw a video of Charlie Cramer using a D4 Geared head. I was immediately a goner. When I received it I loved all of it.... EXCEPT the incredibly weird Arca-Swiss clamp. I’m sure there are advantages I never explored, but the two-tiered jaws were fiddly, and I just couldn’t get used to it.

So, after seeing a fellow on YouTube who had sent his D4 to Precision Camera in Illinois, for a clamp swap out with a RRS lever clamp, I promptly sent my brand new head to them for the conversion. (CAVEAT: There’s lots of speculation on when Arca started-stopped using the industrial strength thread locker on their clamps. Not wanting to risk damaging the head, and too chicken to take a heat gun to my brand new head, I decided to let the pros do it. YMMV).

I also didn’t care for how “low” on the base the rotation lock lever sat on my RRS tripod platform (it would not rotate below horizontal making locking/unlocking fiddly), so I added a Wimberly 1” riser that is exactly the same diameter as the D4’s base.







This head is a game changer for me. As much as I appreciated the build quality and beauty of the BH-55, and even with the “drag” set perfectly, maneuvering the the camera for composition and not having “post lock-down droop” proved both difficult and not at all precise. The D4 solves that. It is a joy to use and handles my medium format gear with ease. Spendy, but now that I’ve had it for a year, the price seems insignificant compared to my pleasure in using it.

Rand
Thanks so much for posting the thoughts with pictures, gives me such a clear view just how big it is. I've been lucky to get used to the Arca classic clamp over the years, but really interesting to know Bob is doing mods over there at precision! Though I suppose having movable parts that require locking (rm3di foot to body, and foot to clamp) can make for some errors. Especially since the locking wheel on the bottom of the rm3di can be difficult to deal with.

Post lockdown droop is real, and I had forgotten about it while a geared head for so long. The 410 issue I had actually was play in one or more of the axes - so on occasion if I hadn't tightened the hardware in a while, and was cocking the shutter or shouldering the tripod, there'd be movement. Could ruin a comp.



And to everyone else who has been posting, thank you so much for your thoughts. It sounds like when I have $1400 that I need to get rid of, this is going to be how.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Note that the D4 Geared can be ordered with the classic ("tricky") clamp or with a more-industry-standard knob-clamp.

As one of the largest Arca Swiss dealers in the world we are glad to assist with any such purchases or purchase explorations.

We've been meaning to get Arca tripod heads up on our online eStore for "convenient" purchase for some years now. But many of these heads can be ordered with different clamps and with different detents (or no detents at all), and even if we add those options to an eStore item many people will not know they actually want them or may order something like a Cube rather than a Cube GP because they don't know the latter exists (an expensive mistake that is easy to prevent with a single question when on the phone), so it's been easier for us to handle them by phone/email where we can ask about what the person wants and make sure the head is delivered accordingly. But maybe I'll take another crack at trying to make these options clear enough on an eStore listing; I know some people really hate to talk to a real (knowledgable) person and just want a click-and-buy scenario.
 

Rand47

Active member
Thanks so much for posting the thoughts with pictures, gives me such a clear view just how big it is.
You’re welcome. Remember, what you’re seeing in my photos “at the bottom” (with my name tape on it) is the Wimberly riser and not part of the D4 itself. So, in reality, the Dr is 1” shorter/lower on the tripod legs. The riser is machined aluminum and VERY rigid, has 3/8 -16 threads top and bottom, so there’s no loss of mass coupling using it. The enhanced ease of using the lower pan lock lever made it an ideal modification for my use.

Rand
 

mikeleland

New member
Note that the D4 Geared can be ordered with the classic ("tricky") clamp or with a more-industry-standard knob-clamp.
OP's probably already using his new head but just in case, I thought I'd clarify that the "tricky" clamp isn't the classic. It's the FlipLock. And the knob clamp is called the Classic :)

That said, I have the D4 GP, Cube GP, L60 & some ball heads. My hangup with the D4 is that it's floppy. I think after spending so many years with the Cube, I expect that type of movement. I can never get used to that floppy head... shame...
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
Confusion for me over the term floppy?

I have used a D4 geared now for 4 years and don’t find it loose or floppy. It’s very precise in the geared movement. Never had any issues with slipping or need to tightening problems. It easily handle the weight of a XF and 40-80 or RM3DI and Rodenstock 32.

Easily gave up using my BH-55 as I love geared movement.

Paul C
 

Boinger

Active member
Confusion for me over the term floppy?

I have used a D4 geared now for 4 years and don’t find it loose or floppy. It’s very precise in the geared movement. Never had any issues with slipping or need to tightening problems. It easily handle the weight of a XF and 40-80 or RM3DI and Rodenstock 32.

Easily gave up using my BH-55 as I love geared movement.

Paul C
I think what he means is it flops to the side vs a orbital movement like the cube.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
Thanks. I see where floppy came from.

I always have an L bracket on my camera so I have never noticed.

Paul C
 

mikeleland

New member
So, the user's technique is "floppy" and not the head itself. Got it! :toocool:
Sorry, couldn't resist. "L-Plates Forever!"

Rand

My technique isn't floppy. Boinger was correct. I was referring to the design of the D4 which moves the head along the outside of an arc, altering the camera position relative to the central axis. This, as opposed to a goniometer head which moves within an arc, keeping the camera centered.

Having an L-Plate on your camera makes no difference whatsoever when it comes to this design difference. But FWIW, I do not keep an L-Plate on any of my cameras. I keep my L-Plate in my main camera case and use it with whichever camera I'm using, be it the XF, GFX or 1DxII...but obviously not with the view camera.

The D4 is a remarkably well made head. And if you don't mind having the camera move off axis so much, it could be the perfect head for you. I do mind, that's why the D4 sits on the shelf looking pretty while the Cube & L60 get most of the action...;)
 

mikeleland

New member
Well, I replied to this last night and got a message saying that my comment needed to be approved by an admin. Perhaps because I'm a N00B... :shocked: It still isn't posted, so I'll try again :D

So, the user's technique is "floppy" and not the head itself. Got it! :toocool:
Sorry, couldn't resist. "L-Plates Forever!"

Rand
Well, I sure do hope my technique isn't floppy... I feel pretty confident in my techniques and abilities. Perhaps that confidence is misguided. Who knows...

Regardless, the D4 is floppy.

I think what he means is it flops to the side vs a orbital movement like the cube.
And Boinger is correct. I was referring to the design of the D4, not the build quality (which is excellent). It's pretty simple. The D4 design places the point of rotation below the platform which causes the camera (more importantly, entrance pupil) to deviate from the center point when adjusting for angle along the X or Y axis. This affects perspective. In optics, we like to call this a "big no-no".

By contrast, a goniometric stage places the point of rotation above the platform. Stacked goniometric stages can be matched with varying radial distances to ensure a common rotational point for each axis. By ensuring that the radial distance from a goniometer stack is adequate to place the point of rotation at the center of the entrance pupil, a camera can be adjusted for angle on the X or Y axis with no deviation from the center point. In optics, we like to call this a "great success!"

So there you have it...

One more thing. L-Plates. An L-Plate will actually exacerbate the problem of the camera position deviation from the center point because it increases the radial distance. That's not to say I don't love L-Plates. I do love them. I love them long time. I can't say that I always have an L-Plate on my camera, though. I keep mine in the camera case since I use it with multiple cameras. :thumbs:

Happy Monday!

Mike
 

Rand47

Active member
Well, I sure do hope my technique isn't floppy... I feel pretty confident in my techniques and abilities. Perhaps that confidence is misguided. Who knows...
Mike,

Wow, you’re certainly NOT floppy! :cool: But “way” sophisticated!

Rand
 

Abstraction

Well-known member
It is my understanding that the D4's lateral movements aren't geared. Is that correct? If it is, it would be a major negative, if not a deal breaker for me.

Do you find that you're missing the lateral gears or is that not important enough to you?
 

Geoff

Well-known member
It is my understanding that the D4's lateral movements aren't geared. Is that correct? If it is, it would be a major negative, if not a deal breaker for me.

Do you find that you're missing the lateral gears or is that not important enough to you?
Its geared in two axis - say front to back, side to side. What is not geared is rotation along the vertical axis, which would (say) follow the horizon. Don't miss that at all, and in fact, am glad its not geared on that - it would be ponderous if it were.
 

erlingmm

Active member
Ordered the D4 based on the above discussion/comments, to be used on Phase One XF and Leica S.
Arrives next week, looking forward to try it out.
Was tempted by the cube, but prefer a lighter solution.
 

Abstraction

Well-known member
Its geared in two axis - say front to back, side to side. What is not geared is rotation along the vertical axis, which would (say) follow the horizon. Don't miss that at all, and in fact, am glad its not geared on that - it would be ponderous if it were.
Why would it be bad if it were geared on the horizontal rotation axis?
 
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