Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: Mr. Rib on November 05, 2012, 08:40:53 pm

Title: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 05, 2012, 08:40:53 pm
A humble request to moderators- let's assume for a second that Arca Cube is a 'medium format equipment' as vague as it sounds and please don't move my thread as this is the most relevant place to ask my questions & get true anwsers.
I stumbled upon a used Cube for a good price. I think I'd be willing to buy it, but when I started moving the gears, I noticed that I can't reach the 30 deg- both movements, when moved to both xtremes, block at just 1-2 deg shy of 30 deg position. Is that normal or should the movement span hit EXACTLY 30 deg marks on the scale (of course in both axis movements and in both directions)?
Your help is much appreciated, as always.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: NROCH on November 06, 2012, 05:54:53 am
A humble request to moderators- let's assume for a second that Arca Cube is a 'medium format equipment' as vague as it sounds and please don't move my thread as this is the most relevant place to ask my questions & get true anwsers.
I stumbled upon a used Cube for a good price. I think I'd be willing to buy it, but when I started moving the gears, I noticed that I can't reach the 30 deg- both movements, when moved to both xtremes, block at just 1-2 deg shy of 30 deg position. Is that normal or should the movement span hit EXACTLY 30 deg marks on the scale (of course in both axis movements and in both directions)?
Your help is much appreciated, as always.

That is as it should be. If you wanted to extend to a 90º angle you can see that it goes slightly over the 60º mark, thus forming the correct angle.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 06, 2012, 09:23:37 am
Oh, missed that. Thanks.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Don Libby on November 06, 2012, 03:14:38 pm
Saw this message late last night I had gotten around to it until just now.  

I'm looking at my Cube as I write this and like you see that the movement stops just short of the 30 deg mark (about the width of the mark itself).  I've had my Cube for several years and it's always been this way.

Take a look at the manual here (http://rodklukas.com/resources/Arca-Swiss_C1-Cube.pdf) with many thanks to Rod Klukas.

Don
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 06, 2012, 03:55:10 pm
Wow, an actual manual of something made by Arca..I'm amazed :) Thank you for sharing!

As for the Cube, now I can waste an awful lot of money on a small brick of metal with peace of mind :)
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: David Watson on November 06, 2012, 05:38:04 pm
Wow, an actual manual of something made by Arca..I'm amazed :) Thank you for sharing!

As for the Cube, now I can waste an awful lot of money on a small brick of metal with peace of mind :)

Please be assured that this will be one of the best photographic investments you have ever made.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Don Libby on November 06, 2012, 05:57:45 pm
I bought mine several years ago when the leather bag was included.  At the time I thought WTF am I doing spending close to 2K for a head.  I like the head just as much today as I did the day I got it.  Great investment.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 06, 2012, 06:35:09 pm
Well I had the pleasure to work with Cube earlier, not mine though, used it only for levelling so I wasn't sure about the deg spans (thanks for your help guys). And now, when I saw it again at my dealer's I just couldn't take my hands off the damn brick.. :) I will be happy to own one for sure, but damn it's expensive for what it is.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: buckshot on November 07, 2012, 06:08:00 pm
Odd one - the manual does indeed say +/- 28 degrees on the illustration (but 30 degrees in the text), but when I checked mine it does go all the way to 30 degrees (i.e. everything lines up perfectly). I know there's an earlier version (different knobs), so maybe it goes to 28, and the later ones to 30.

All a bit 'Spinal Tap(ish)' if you ask me.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 07, 2012, 06:23:32 pm
Hmm, can you post a photo of your Cube please for reference?
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Don Libby on November 08, 2012, 12:18:59 pm
These are very fast down and dirty images of my Cube from this morning.  Let me know if you'd like anything else and I'll see if I have the time.

Don

Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: greygrad on November 08, 2012, 12:44:36 pm
Can get to 30 as well.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: gerald.d on November 08, 2012, 02:18:12 pm
30 here too, on both axes.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 08, 2012, 07:03:04 pm
Many thanks guys for taking your time and posting the photos.
Hmm so I guess Don's Cube goes to 28 while Gerald's and greygrad's go to 30.. A question to you guys which have full 30 deg span- as I understand, when you lift the two upper axes to go full 90 deg, it indicates exactly 60 deg? I'll check but as far as I remember the Cube I can buy indeed goes over 60 deg to compensate for 28 deg axis above.
-edit- the knobs don't indicate anything- the Cube I'm considering has all black knobs, just like greygrad's.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: gerald.d on November 09, 2012, 12:38:00 am
Mine goes over 60 degrees.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: Mr. Rib on November 09, 2012, 09:47:36 am
Gerald, doesn't it mean that it your Cube goes over 90 deg when you set it to vertical position?
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: gerald.d on November 10, 2012, 02:56:10 am
Gerald, doesn't it mean that it your Cube goes over 90 deg when you set it to vertical position?

Yes - if I max out both movements, it goes to over 90 degrees.
Title: Re: Arca Cube question
Post by: errolhiggins on November 20, 2012, 12:34:12 am
Love mine and it goes all the way to exactly 30 degrees.