Comments on: Arca Swiss B1 – Useless http://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/2009/08/30/arca-swiss-b1-nightmare/ Travel & Landscape photography Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:20:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bruce Percy http://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/2009/08/30/arca-swiss-b1-nightmare/comment-page-1/#comment-499 Bruce Percy Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:00:58 +0000 http://www.brucepercy.com/blog/?p=725#comment-499 Hi Niall, As much as I like RRS kit, they don't always get it right. The tripod ball head I've used for the past 8 years is a Kirk BH-3, which annoys me because the 'tension' dial, used to make sure the ball doens't flop, always manages to get snagged on something and the setting lost. I felt that the BH-45, as much as the weight of it and load balance was much more 'sensible' than the 55, had a similar problem for me. It's just a personal preference. Now, having said all that, I tried out the BH-55 in Patagonia last year - George, a member of the workshop had it - and I fell in love with it. Yes, it's big and it's heavy, but the gearing on it is so smooth that I've been wanting one ever since. The 55 is really for my big tripod... I have two Gitzo's. One is the smaller lighter 1228, but the bigger one is more suited to a bigger ball head. It's for those car-boot occasions, when I can afford to have something that is much sturdier because I won't be hiking so far...... Hi Niall,

As much as I like RRS kit, they don’t always get it right. The tripod ball head I’ve used for the past 8 years is a Kirk BH-3, which annoys me because the ‘tension’ dial, used to make sure the ball doens’t flop, always manages to get snagged on something and the setting lost. I felt that the BH-45, as much as the weight of it and load balance was much more ’sensible’ than the 55, had a similar problem for me. It’s just a personal preference.

Now, having said all that, I tried out the BH-55 in Patagonia last year – George, a member of the workshop had it – and I fell in love with it. Yes, it’s big and it’s heavy, but the gearing on it is so smooth that I’ve been wanting one ever since. The 55 is really for my big tripod… I have two Gitzo’s. One is the smaller lighter 1228, but the bigger one is more suited to a bigger ball head. It’s for those car-boot occasions, when I can afford to have something that is much sturdier because I won’t be hiking so far……

]]> By: Niall Connaughton http://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/2009/08/30/arca-swiss-b1-nightmare/comment-page-1/#comment-498 Niall Connaughton Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:56:43 +0000 http://www.brucepercy.com/blog/?p=725#comment-498 I've got the RRS BH-45 and have been perfectly happy with it. Their stuff isn't cheap but it's solid. I looked at the BH-55 but the 45 is already rated to carry a lot more load than I ever put on the head, and I think their ratings are a bit conservative already. So the cheaper price and lighter weight of the 45 made the choice easy for me. They shipped the goods to a hotel in the USA to meet me when I arrived for my trip and made things pretty easy to deal with. I'm hoping it's the last tripod gear I buy, at least for a long while. I’ve got the RRS BH-45 and have been perfectly happy with it. Their stuff isn’t cheap but it’s solid. I looked at the BH-55 but the 45 is already rated to carry a lot more load than I ever put on the head, and I think their ratings are a bit conservative already. So the cheaper price and lighter weight of the 45 made the choice easy for me.

They shipped the goods to a hotel in the USA to meet me when I arrived for my trip and made things pretty easy to deal with. I’m hoping it’s the last tripod gear I buy, at least for a long while.

]]> By: Bruce Percy http://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/2009/08/30/arca-swiss-b1-nightmare/comment-page-1/#comment-497 Bruce Percy Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:05:22 +0000 http://www.brucepercy.com/blog/?p=725#comment-497 Hi Glenn, I took a towel to the dial and gave it a good yank to tighten it up - and it worked. Still not happy with it though. I've ordered a Really Right Stuff Bh-55 to replace it. Hi Glenn,

I took a towel to the dial and gave it a good yank to tighten it up – and it worked.

Still not happy with it though. I’ve ordered a Really Right Stuff Bh-55 to replace it.

]]> By: glenng http://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/2009/08/30/arca-swiss-b1-nightmare/comment-page-1/#comment-496 glenng Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:12:02 +0000 http://www.brucepercy.com/blog/?p=725#comment-496 I had the same problem and eventually got rid of it. But in a pinch, there is a fix. Someone told me about it in the field when I was totally locked and on a costly trip. When the knob locks, to the exact opposite of what you would normally do, and tighten it down as hard as possible. This actually loosens the jammed head. I was told that Arca put out a special tech bulletin once suggesting this. It works for me. I had the same problem and eventually got rid of it. But in a pinch, there is a fix. Someone told me about it in the field when I was totally locked and on a costly trip. When the knob locks, to the exact opposite of what you would normally do, and tighten it down as hard as possible. This actually loosens the jammed head. I was told that Arca put out a special tech bulletin once suggesting this. It works for me.

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