Founded in Zurich in the 1920s, Arca-Swiss has been based in Besançon, France since 1999. From the start as a pioneer in photography, the precision and ergonomics of its cameras rapidly established Arca-Swiss’s reputation and won worldwide recognition.

Since 1984 the company has been managed by Philippe Vogt who works closely with his sons in developing new products. This has included a complete redesign of the entire Arca-Swiss range and the introduction of a whole host of new features - modular and upgradable systems and interchangeable elements – all allied to impeccable manufacture.

Arca-Swiss is dedicated to finding ever more ingenious and innovative solutions to meet the needs and expectations of photographers. It focuses on the robust and reliable precision cameras for which it is known, while staying at the forefront of photographic technology.

It should be noted that in 1990, this was the first company to develop and market digital backs – a notable advancement at the time…

Today, ARCA-SWISS is maintaining its momentum with a new series of high precision professional cameras.

2009 New Products: Rm3d® for high precision hand-held photography
Arca-Swiss presents the Rm3d®, an innovative precision hand-held range finder camera.

The body, which is specifically designed for professional hand-held film based or digital photography, is equipped with vertical and horizontal shift systems and a tilting lens mount.

In particular, the Rm3d® has an auto-locking horizontal and vertical shift system on the film plane AIP (All In Plane). The Arca-Swiss R-series goes even further by also offering a front tilt system that allows the most efficient use of the available depth of field.

The Rm3d® is equipped with a revolutionary built-in hand-held electronic focusing aid. The distance to the subject and the depth of field are measured and displayed digitally and include an electronic levelling aid, albeit a spirit level can also be used. This versatile camera can be used with a medium format digital or traditional film back of up to 6x9 cm either hand-held or with a tripod.

This new camera range has an ultra precise integrated focusing system, precise to 15 microns and an exclusive Arca-Swiss bayonet lens mount. The wide diameter of the lens mount prevents all vignetting. An extensive selection of high performance lenses are available for this camera. The new extremely bright Vario finder can cover focal lengths of 23 to 210 mm and eliminates all flare.

All controls are easily accessible and ergonomically efficient.

2009, under the Arca-Swiss banner
Its functionalities and precision distinguish the R series from any other camera on the market. Photography enthusiasts will find that the Rm3d® is a solid, compact and light camera. It comes with either a medium format digital or film back and is ideal for location photography or studio work. Once again this year, Arca-Swiss will surprise its audience by releasing a new range of innovative and high quality cameras for both professionals and consumers.

Rm3d® technical specifications
Dimensions with handles: Length 185 mm, Height 200 mm, Depth 40 mm
Weight 1150 g
Format: up to 6X9 cm (analogue or digital)
Horizontal shift: 30 mm (15/15)
Vertical shift: 40 mm (30/10)
Tilt: 10° +- 5°
Helical Focus mount: 12.5 mm
Arca-Swiss Vario Finder 120° with masks
Lens mount: Arca-Swiss R bayonet
Available lenses: 23-210 mm
Available lenses with extension-Kit: 55-400 mm
Adaptors for digital backs: Contax 645, Hasselblad V/H, Mamiya 645, AFI/HY6
Adapter for rollfilm holders: Arca-Swiss, Horseman, Mamiya RB
Built-in tripod mount, viewfinder and optical bench
Rear connection for Backs: Arca-Swiss 110X110 mm

Accessories
E-module with electronic levelling aid and digital distance meter (depth of field to 4 F-stops), RotaSlide® sliding back, binocular viewer or leather viewing bellows with loupe, extension-Kit for shift of up to 90 mm, lens shade.