##################UPDATE LATE 09/15/14#######################
09/15/14 Final details from Rod Klukas–U.S. Arca Representative
I heard from Rod a while ago, he is out at Photokina. Here are the missing details.
ORIGINAL POST BEGINS HERE:
I opened my email this morning, and I found this link!! Well all I can say is that it’s about time. Arca Swiss has been working a new modular shutter for their R series cameras for over a year now. I first heard rumors about this shutter back in January of 2014, and was told that users should expect shipments of the Focal Plane version in the May 2014 time frame. May rolled around, and nothing happened, and then June, July, etc. Finally now in early September, Arca as taken the bull by the horns and announced what may be one of the most significant single additions to their R camera line since the original R cameras were first announced about 8 years ago.
What is this, well, it’s a Focal Plane shutter, that will fit as a module in a R camera, examples, rm3di, factum, rm3dl. I also should work in the large scale Acra cameras for 4 x 5 setups. This could not come at a better time, (well I sure would have liked to see Arca not wait till September) as the Copol manual leaf shutters are no longer being made. You can read more about that in this article I wrote over a year ago. If you use a tech camera, with Schneider or Rodenstock lenses with a Medium format back, then the stoppage of the Copols is a big deal. There are some still left in inventory, but within 2 years, I expect those to dry up. Which means that all the lenses need some form of a new shutter.
Arca answered this actually two ways:
- The announcement of the Focal Plane module that fits into the existing cameras ( I would love to see just how the shutter fits in the camera)
- The announcement of a new leaf shutter that is electronic and fits around the lens. This is much larger situation and could have some fit problems as all these style shutters do.
Here is a picture of the new Leaf shutter that will fit on the actual lens.
If you have any existing Copol shutter mounted lens, then you will have to send it back to Arca an maybe even Rodenstock or Schneider to have the shutter replaced. As this will need recolimation and I am not sure if Acra can do that but it’s very critical.
Both of the shutters will be controlled by an controller that is a separate purchase. I am assuming that it will connect to the back somehow maybe via the PC port or via USB.
If it’s only USB, this can possibly cause a big issue for users like myself who are using Surface Pro computers in the field to tether to. You only get the one USB connection on the back, and if it’s taken up by the tethering connection, then you would not be able to use the shutter. Not good.
You can see the controller unit here:
From looking at these pictures the dEx controller has a mini USB port on the right side, which implies to me that it’s going to attached to the back via the USB port, which will eliminate the use of the port for tethered operation. THIS IS A HUGE SHOW STOPPER FOR ME IF IT ONLY ATTACHES VIA USB, AS IT MEAN, NO MORE TETHERED OPERATION IN THE FIELD. Being able to shoot tethered in the field with a Surface Pro 2 is major advantage for me.
Looking at this, I am imagining the following. The control unit is attached to the FP shutter via USB. But what does the shutter to connect to the back with? When you look at the shutter, there are several ports with different labels. Maybe it connects via the flash sync port or the one directly below??
From talking to various Arca reps, I know that this shutter has been in the works now for almost a year or longer. I am glad to see Arca announce it, and hopefully they will be able to ship it in volume soon. More pictures are needed maybe even a video!!, MAYBE EVEN A WEBSITE WITH LINKS!!!!!! I know that’s too much to ask.
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