Inverter

January 13, 2009 ·

Michael Reichmann

Arcbody Inverter Mount

How to Hang

One of the drawbacks of theArcBody’sdesign is that the rear standardonlyfalls. This is, of course, equivalent to a rising front standard which is useful for shooting tall buildings, trees etc. But, the camera can not be used as-is for perspective control where a front fall (or rear rise) is needed, such as when looking downward.

The clever engineers atHasselbladdid come up with a solution, though it’s a bit of a kluge and expensive to boot.

What you’re seeing in the photograph above is an ArcBody hanging upside-down from anArcBody Camera Inverter Mount(47033). TheRMfxreflex viewfinder has been turned upside-down so that framing and focusing is straightforward, but since all of the lens’ controls are now upside-down as well operation is awkward at best.

There’s another issue too. The ArcBody’s mounting base features a Hasselblad quick release plate. Since it also features standard tripod mounting screws I had no problem attaching anArca-Swissmounting plate so that in normal use it would attach to myB1ball head.

But, with the inverter mount comes a problem. It’s designed toonlyaccept a Hasselblad quick release plate. Since removing the Arca-Swiss plate every time I wanted to use the Inverter wasn’t an attractive option I was forced to also buy a Hasselblad quick-release mounting shoe (45144), another expensive accessory.

In the final analysis the whole thing is a not inexpensive, ungainly and an only marginally satisfactory solution. I wish that Hasselblad had allowed a greater range of movements in the body’s original design, but I suppose that such is the price for small size and low weight. I can live with the trade-off, though not happily.

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Michael Reichmann is the founder of the Luminous Landscape. Michael passed away in May 2016. Since its inception in 1999 LuLa has become the world's largest site devoted to the art, craft, and technology of photography. Each month more than one million people from every country on the globe visit LuLa.

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