Arca Swiss Cube Review: Precision End Game

This is the review of the Arca Swiss Cube. The most precise tripod head I have ever used.
00:00 Opening Product Video
00:44 Introduction
01:20 4 Things For the Cube
06:40 4 Things Against the Cube
10:36 Final Thoughts
The comparison of ball heads: www.dpreview.com/reviews/mid-...
Sound: www.bensound.com
Instagram: / zpeaktures

[@PentaconSixExpert]

Thank you. This was very informative and helpful.

[@andreasoberg2021]

Nice review!
I can explain why we are interested in the cube. We do Large Format Film Photography with an 8x10" film and 4x5 Film and these cameras are very large and very heavy. One camera is 4kg, another is 8kg and the lenses are 2-3kg each. So I would not dare putting any of those cameras on a normal ballhead. We also use heavy cinema cameras that can be 12kg heavy and I see one benefit that the arca cube could be useful for some video cases too. You may say, why not use a cinema tripod, yes we do but its 18kg heavy so a still tripod from Gitzo together with an arca cube would be able to capture properly static frames. I do not think I would use the cube for most landscape photography because it is just a bit slower to operate with, but I will give it a shot and see. Normally when I do landscape I'm not in a hurry with framing so it may not matter that it is slower.

[@rauldeandrade]

To my knowledge, gear heads are especially useful for architecture photography, where precision and level of the lines is particularly important. Of course you can use any tool for any purpose you think it's fit, but I'm talking about intended design

[@ZPProductions]

Yup that was their intended design. Together with landscape and macro photography. I do find them particularly useful for in studio portrait too since alot of time the frame dont change as much.
But I have some friends who do landscape and architecture but in the end do choose ballhead for the convenience factor. Most other gear heads other then the cube are really quite massive in size and the cube pricing is really quite out of reach to most.

[@andyvan5692]

one other negative, is the price, not only for the prospect of it being stolen, but also, having to take it off, every time to avoid damaging it, so then having some qr system, like sea stars to release the head; this also adds height to the system.

[@ZPProductions]

I totally agree on the avoiding to get damage. It’s quite a fragile head but it does give precision.

[@andyvan5692]

@@ZPProductions yes, and esp. for their F-line monorails, and even some use them on 8x10's, but the cost of it, that's the killer, for a simple geared head, its not a cartoni for cinema gear weighing in at 20Kg, there, yes, the price is worth it, compared to the expense of the gear ON it, but for most of us (not like Ben Horne), we go manfrotto 400 or 410; does the job for lf and mf and these have the quick release on the gearing, for coarse adjustment to.

[@ZPProductions]

@@andyvan5692 oh cause the biggest reason why you want to cube is really for rotation around the axis. It results in minimal shift of the camera compared to manfrotto solution. Additionally it is better built, smoother with lesser play then manfrottos for precise control. I own one of the manfrotto ones for other purpose and the quick release is really great but the play in the worm gear is quite big.