help with smooth fluid head action / 5dM2

[Andy Batt]

I'm wondering what you all are doing to get the best pans and tilts from your fluid heads with the 5dM2? Aside from having 20lbs of Anton Bauer batteries attached to it, or using a $4,000 geared head.

I've been using it mounted to a Zacuto plate/rails on a Manfroto 503HDV -

I can do nice basic pans & tilts, but what eludes me is a smooth 'diagonal' move

It seems like the camera doesn't have enough weight to smooth out the actions - so I've been thinking about a steel cheeseplate - 5 or 10lbs mounted between the Zacuto plate and the tripod QR.

Any thoughts?

-andy

[Eddie Coates]

I tighten the setting to snug, then I use a very thick rubber band to pan.

As the rubber ban creates tension, it will start to pan very smooth like a motor, a human hand or arm can not simulate perfect motor motion.

But a thick rubber band will do the trick! Also.... what a rubber band does that a human touch alone can NOT do is to perfect stop and start motor motion.

Try a rubber band.. Set your head up to a nice snug setting but just lose enough for motion, pull on the rubber band in the direction you wish to pan, and see how effective it real is.

[Chris Soucy]

Don't you guys ever visit the Camera Support forum?

Have you never bothered to read stuff like this:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/wedding-...us-503hdv.html

or this:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/tripod-s...my-503hdv.html

or this:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/tripod-s...70mm-lens.html

Look, bottom line, you have the equivalent of a Panaflex 70mm camera stuck on top of a $300 piece of ^&*# and you expect it to give you Hollywood quality movement.

Forget it, it ain't gonna happen.

And you can stick those rubber bands where the sun don't shine, 'cos if you're using them shooting HD, you shouldn't be shooting HD, IMVeryHO.

You wanna shoot HD?

Don't use a Manfrotto, simple as that.

(For the time being, at least).


CS

[Andy Batt]

Oh, for crying our bloody loud.............
Don't you guys ever visit the Camera Support forum?

Thanks for the links Chris.

----------
Eddie, I appreciate the rubber band trick - that's the kind of 'keep it in your back pocket' trick that comes in handy.

I realize the 503HDV isn't the best in the world, but it's on loan for my project, and currently what I have to work with. When I can drop the cash myself, it will be on a Miller, Sachtler or O'Connor setup.

cheers

-a

[Geoff Gartside]

You can get the best out of the head, however light it is, by getting everything right:

1. Balance the camera with lenses and extras as carefully as you can. If you take all the drag off, the camera should just sit there. When it looses balance you'll find out how good the internal counterbalance is!

2. If the outfit does go out of balance badly when you tilt (see above) add some bungees, from the plate to the legs or something fixed, to take the extra strain.

3. Make sure that you work the pan & tilt mechanisms around well, so that the silicon is covering the discs fully

3. Adjust the drag carefully on each axis, so that you get them to interact with your movements as seamlessly as possible.

4. Try camera movements with different drag settings - find the drag levels that suit you best. Try following curves etc., circles are great for this.

5. Increased drag settings do help to reduce jerky moves, but they also "wind up" light tripods making it diicuilt to come to rest quietly. Try following a circle and stop at various points to see the hysterisis in the legs.

Good luck