Noga Arms on P+S recorder unit body.

[Bob Hart]

As owners and operators would well know, the CTF840-SH USB touchscreen monitor is attached to the camera body handle by a Noga arm.

The Noga arm is a great innovation but setting up and striking the camera is a bit of a chore because the arm is attached to its base and the appliance it supports by threaded connections.

The cables detach quickly enough but the monitor has to come off a threaded pillar by twisting it round and round until hopefully when it runs off the end of the thread, you are not ambushed and drop it.

What may be less well known is that there are small dovetail/wedgeplate quick-release fittings available for Noga arms from an outfit in the US named "16x9". They are not cheap at about US$86 each but for the convenience factor and time saved are likely worth it.

BHPhoto who I believe is a site sponsor, has a selection of Noga arms, some as a kit with the "16x9" as a base fitting. They do not list the fitting separately that I could find but might sell it as a separate part by request. "16x9" will sell the fittings direct via internet order.

I swapped the longer standard arm as supplied by P+S Technik for a shorter arm and "16x9" base. For short distance moves it is more convenient than the longer arm when left assembled.

You also don't have to fret so much about the monitor dropping with the shorter arm and there is less compulsion to overtighten the arm and damage it over time.

With a robust quick-release baseplate and the quick-release monitor support, the whole thing is much more convenient to use.

[Mark Deeble]

Thanks Bob
- that's really good to know as I don't like spinning the monitor either and it all takes more time than it should.

Have you found a good hood for the 8" P&S monitor, and do you operate off the touchscreen? - I tend to find it too slow in a doc type environment and have been experimenting with a USB trackpad mounted on the pan bar and also a 'finger-mouse' - both work fine with the evf, but as the usb connection is quite fragile I am not sure whether I have found the answer yet.

[Bob Hart]

Have you found a good hood for the 8" P&S monitor, ----

-----Steve Rice found that P+S make their own, a black fabric covered arrangement of metal panels which velchros to the side of the monitor but folds up flat for storage. - a bit expensive. I stuck with my cereal packet/black gaffa-tape concoction.

and do you operate off the touchscreen? -----

-----------Yes.

I tend to find it too slow in a doc type environment and have been experimenting with a USB trackpad mounted on the pan bar and also a 'finger-mouse' - both work fine with the evf, -----

------------- I have used a keyboard form in-field notekeeping onto the d: drive but confess I am a bit lazy and keep paper notes. Also it ties up the camera.


but as the usb connection is quite fragile I am not sure whether I have found the answer yet. --------

-------The audio breakout cable in its D-sub right above the USB sockets is a bit of agrief because of its weight. I run a snake to a MixPre and leave this permanently connected to the XLRs and unplug at the D-Sub socket. I tie the XLRs folded back over onto the cable near the D-Sub and this supports the cables away from the USBs.

I have also swapped a lightweight blue VGA cable in place of the heavy P+S supplied VGA cable to protect the monitor and back of the camera from mechanical stress. I harness tied all the monitor cables and use a velchro tomoato tie on the OLED cable so that the cable into the back of the OLED viewfinder does not pull up and bend tight at its socket on the rrear of the viewfinder body.

[Bob Hart]

Here is a link to some vision of the product. It is described about 48-seconds into the clip :-

YouTube - Interview With James Lee From 16 X 9