EX3 Baseplate/Nikon G adapter/gun sight at DVinfo.net

Alastair Traill · April 29th, 2009, 02:55 AM

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...1&d=1240994924

I purchased an EX3 because of its potential for nature photography thanks largely to the ability to change lenses. Like many others I was disappointed with the tripod attachment point and the subsequent need to provide something better. As I had considerable success with a side –mount tripod head on a PD150 I wanted to do the same for the EX3. A big attraction of the side mount for me is the low level capability. Another is that if the camera is mounted so that the tilt axis is aligned with the camera’s centre of gravity the fluid head does not need compensatory springs etc, so the head can be lighter.

The pictures show a base-plate that includes the possibilities of: -
Side mounting from either above or below.
Control of certain lenses from the rear.
Easier handholding including a snap-in shoulder support.
Support for long lenses and the availability of a 1x gun sight to make it easier to find the subject when using long lenses.

As there was no mount available for Nikon G lenses I made a mount with an aperture control.

The stainless steel tube provides a mounting point for the lens mount, the gun sight and the “cotton reel”. When handholding some of the weight of the camera can be supported by the tube using the left hand – the “cotton reel” being positioned in the web between thumb and forefinger thereby leaving fingers available for tweaking focus etc. It is a setup that makes handholding much easier and easier again if the shoulder support is used.
The tripod is attached using a round section of stainless steel. This allows the camera to be moved closer or further from the tripod head, e.g. to accommodate the grip of the standard lens the gap has to be large. The camera can also be inclined forward or backwards relative to the head by rotating the camera on this bar before clamping. Thus a heavy lens can be compensated for by tilting the camera backwards or conversely forwards for a lighter lens. It saves the use of a hefty camera plate. Further adjustment can be achieved by selecting a different hole for the bar in the mounting block.
For my PD150 I used a flexible pan/tilt handle. This time I have done the same but the ability to use longer lenses has lead to further experiments. A piece of flexible tubing that extends past the handle end is showing promise. The more flexible the connection the harder it is to transmit vibrations to the camera. With the tube you can select the flexibility by moving one’s grip towards or away from the camera.

Olof Ekbergh · April 29th, 2009, 04:54 AM

Looks very nice.

Are you thinking about marketing any or all of it?

I especially like the snap-in shoulder plate. I bet all this took a while.

I have been working on my EX3 as well, I actually added a removable wood and aluminum shoulder brace / IDX battery holder and a side plate for wireless mike and custom bracket for Q-vision top monitor Tele-prompter.

I know it takes a lot of time to get things right.

Good job.

Ed Kukla · April 29th, 2009, 05:42 AM

Very well done!

Except, I don't get the focus knob being on the right side. Your right hand is on the pan handle, your left hand should be focusing. Most focus wheels are on the rails up front on the eyepiece side. I would think the band on the focus barrel could be twisted 90d and the knob could be attached to the rail on the eyepiece side

Denis OKeefe · April 29th, 2009, 08:14 AM

I'm curious about the tripod, I haven't seen any modern side mount heads other than the Varizoom zero gravity. If you have a chance to post a few more photos I'd like to see one with it mounted on the tripod.
Very nice job, well thought out, and it appears precisely constructed.

Steve Shovlar · April 29th, 2009, 12:27 PM

Nice job Alistair. The setup looks very smart.

By the way there are Nikon G and DX series to PMW-EX3 adaptors with adjustable aperture control available right now from us.

Alastair Traill · April 29th, 2009, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

Looks very nice.

I especially like the snap-in shoulder plate. I bet all this took a while.
Good job.

Hi Olof,
Re snap-in shoulder support: - Before I abandoned the Sony shoulder pad I made up the following device to do the same job, it can be fitted and removed in seconds. It is very light and easily shaped.

Alastair

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/images/attach/jpg.gif

Alastair Traill · April 30th, 2009, 08:29 PM

[QUOTE=Denis OKeefe;1134928]I'm curious about the tripod, I haven't seen any modern side mount heads other than the Varizoom zero gravity. If you have a chance to post a few more photos I'd like to see one with it mounted on the tripod.

Hi Denis,

I have just posted a thread on a lightweight tripod / fluid head combination under "sticks".
The side mount head shown in this thread is very similar to the one in my current project but is machined from a 1.5" square bar whereas the current version is machined from a 2" square bar. The new head has a novel feature that I will leave to a future post.

April 29th, 2009, 02:55 AM	#1
Alastair Traill Major Player Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 626	EX3 Baseplate/Nikon G adapter/gun sight http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...1&d=1240994924 I purchased an EX3 because of its potential for nature photography thanks largely to the ability to change lenses. Like many others I was disappointed with the tripod attachment point and the subsequent need to provide something better. As I had considerable success with a side –mount tripod head on a PD150 I wanted to do the same for the EX3. A big attraction of the side mount for me is the low level capability. Another is that if the camera is mounted so that the tilt axis is aligned with the camera’s centre of gravity the fluid head does not need compensatory springs etc, so the head can be lighter. The pictures show a base-plate that includes the possibilities of: - Side mounting from either above or below. Control of certain lenses from the rear. Easier handholding including a snap-in shoulder support. Support for long lenses and the availability of a 1x gun sight to make it easier to find the subject when using long lenses. As there was no mount available for Nikon G lenses I made a mount with an aperture control. The stainless steel tube provides a mounting point for the lens mount, the gun sight and the “cotton reel”. When handholding some of the weight of the camera can be supported by the tube using the left hand – the “cotton reel” being positioned in the web between thumb and forefinger thereby leaving fingers available for tweaking focus etc. It is a setup that makes handholding much easier and easier again if the shoulder support is used. The tripod is attached using a round section of stainless steel. This allows the camera to be moved closer or further from the tripod head, e.g. to accommodate the grip of the standard lens the gap has to be large. The camera can also be inclined forward or backwards relative to the head by rotating the camera on this bar before clamping. Thus a heavy lens can be compensated for by tilting the camera backwards or conversely forwards for a lighter lens. It saves the use of a hefty camera plate. Further adjustment can be achieved by selecting a different hole for the bar in the mounting block. For my PD150 I used a flexible pan/tilt handle. This time I have done the same but the ability to use longer lenses has lead to further experiments. A piece of flexible tubing that extends past the handle end is showing promise. The more flexible the connection the harder it is to transmit vibrations to the camera. With the tube you can select the flexibility by moving one’s grip towards or away from the camera. Attached Thumbnails

April 29th, 2009, 08:14 AM	#4
Denis OKeefe Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wayne, PA Posts: 207	That looks pretty slick I'm curious about the tripod, I haven't seen any modern side mount heads other than the Varizoom zero gravity. If you have a chance to post a few more photos I'd like to see one with it mounted on the tripod. Very nice job, well thought out, and it appears precisely constructed.

April 29th, 2009, 04:54 AM	#2
Olof Ekbergh Sponsor: Westside AV Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Mount Washington Valley, NH, USA Posts: 1,365	Looks very nice. Are you thinking about marketing any or all of it? I especially like the snap-in shoulder plate. I bet all this took a while. I have been working on my EX3 as well, I actually added a removable wood and aluminum shoulder brace / IDX battery holder and a side plate for wireless mike and custom bracket for Q-vision top monitor Tele-prompter. I know it takes a lot of time to get things right. Good job.

April 29th, 2009, 05:42 AM	#3
Ed Kukla Major Player Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: All over, USA Posts: 512	Very well done! Except, I don't get the focus knob being on the right side. Your right hand is on the pan handle, your left hand should be focusing. Most focus wheels are on the rails up front on the eyepiece side. I would think the band on the focus barrel could be twisted 90d and the knob could be attached to the rail on the eyepiece side

April 29th, 2009, 12:27 PM	#5
Steve Shovlar Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dorset UK Posts: 697	Nice job Alistair. The setup looks very smart. By the way there are Nikon G and DX series to PMW-EX3 adaptors with adjustable aperture control available right now from us.

April 30th, 2009, 08:29 PM	#7
Alastair Traill Major Player Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 626	[QUOTE=Denis OKeefe;1134928]I'm curious about the tripod, I haven't seen any modern side mount heads other than the Varizoom zero gravity. If you have a chance to post a few more photos I'd like to see one with it mounted on the tripod. Hi Denis, I have just posted a thread on a lightweight tripod / fluid head combination under "sticks". The side mount head shown in this thread is very similar to the one in my current project but is machined from a 1.5" square bar whereas the current version is machined from a 2" square bar. The new head has a novel feature that I will leave to a future post.