Arca Swiss Universalis vs M-line Two

[wding109]

By searching the posts in this forum, I could not find any clear answer to this question. The Universalis is quite new, but besides the lighter weight and cheaper price, does it have any other advantages over the M-line Two?  Are there any cases where people should choose M-line Two instead of Universalis?

Thanks a lot!

[Doug Peterson]

By searching the posts in this forum, I could not find any clear answer to this question. The Universalis is quite new, but besides the lighter weight and cheaper price, does it have any other advantages over the M-line Two?  Are there any cases where people should choose M-line Two instead of Universalis?

What would your use case be? The M-line Two is definitely a beefier system, but the Universalis is quite precise and strong (in absolute terms, let alone absolute terms). The range and distribution of movements are also different.

In general one could say that if I were doing all in-studio tabletop work I'd go with the big boy while if I were doing anything portable I'd take the Universalis in a heart beat. YRMV

We have both and would be glad to arrange your evaluation in our LA office (you're in San Diego right?) or via rental-counting-toward-purchase.

[Chris Barrett]

I own and have used both on several commercial shoots.  The Universalis is smaller and lighter.  The Mf2 is more robust and more precise.  Also, it has a geared swing, which the Universalis lacks.  Lastly, the Universalis has rise on both standards, which the Mf2 doesn't.  That's about it.  I like the Mf2 for interiors, where I'm taking my time and the Universalis for exteriors where it's lighter weight makes it easier to move quickly through shots.

That's about it.  Both are awesome.

CB

[wding109]

Doug and Chris, Thanks for your reply!

I mainly use my Arca System for landscape and architecture. Recently I started to consider if the Universalis or ML2 can be added to my arsenal as a complement to my factum when I want to take long-focal-length lenses (I really hate the extension box) and be more flexible on camera movements .  The 2.2 lb difference between these two cameras really means nothing to me (if you consider the entire camera system together). The geared swing is a plus on ML2 IMO. So I am wondering if there is any other disadvantage of using the ML2 on location?

Thanks!

What would your use case be? The M-line Two is definitely a beefier system, but the Universalis is quite precise and strong (in absolute terms, let alone absolute terms). The range and distribution of movements are also different.

In general one could say that if I were doing all in-studio tabletop work I'd go with the big boy while if I were doing anything portable I'd take the Universalis in a heart beat. YRMV

We have both and would be glad to arrange your evaluation in our LA office (you're in San Diego right?) or via rental-counting-toward-purchase.