Balancing Magiqcam with heavy battery

Charles King · November 30th, 2004, 11:18 AM

Sorry about that. I had forgotten about the sipirit level pic. I'll get onto it.

You'll have to have an outside link to link your pics.

Wesley Wong · November 30th, 2004, 12:08 PM

no need to be sorry. You've been most helpful to steady rig newbies like me.

home.pacific.net.sg/~jeng_hsiung/PICT0155.JPG

here's my pic

Charles King · November 30th, 2004, 12:36 PM

Here's the link I put together of the various places to put a bubble level: http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/bubblelevel.html

Charles Papert · November 30th, 2004, 12:46 PM

Holy cow--umm--jeez.

Wesley, the monitor and battery are supposed to be at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock relative to the camera, not 3 and 9.

As far as the level; stick one bubble under the camera mounting platform so that it reads side to side level. Put another on the face of the monitor. Periodically check that they match each other (adjust the monitor one to match the other one). This will give you a hint of when your horizon is level. Having levels in the fore-aft plane is less important because you are likely to be constantly tilting the rig, but rarely wanting to shoot off-level side to side.

Charles King · November 30th, 2004, 12:46 PM

First of all Wong. I see your problem already. I don't know if you meant it to be that way but the sled base is positioned wrongly. You have the top stage and the base opposite each other.

thet are supposed to be align with the post in one direction.

Apparently Charles P. post made it before mine. Good to see you CP

Ed Liew · November 30th, 2004, 09:24 PM

charles k,
very nice looking bubble level. did you make them?

ed

Charles King · November 30th, 2004, 09:43 PM

Hej Ed. Just to be sure. Are you referring to the one in the first pic or the third?

Ed Liew · November 30th, 2004, 10:03 PM

hi charles k,
the third pic.

ed

Charles King · November 30th, 2004, 10:19 PM

It was purchase the way it is.

Ed Liew · December 1st, 2004, 12:26 AM

did a search with the link on your homebuilt site and found some very interesting and useful items. you must have spend quick alot of time compiling all the info on your site. great work charles.

ed

Charles King · December 1st, 2004, 01:55 AM

Glad you apprecite it Ed. It took som time but the results does reap... :)

Wesley Wong · December 1st, 2004, 09:55 AM

:(

Ok I get more balance, now that they are in 12 and 6 o'clock position. Thanks ! What a klutz I am !

But now it seems like my battery mount is in my knees way when I walk and the monitor is no where useful , being obstructed visually by the sled ...

Should I find a way to mount the monitor a little off 12'oclock position and walk funny like a penguin to overcome this ??

Charles King · December 1st, 2004, 10:20 AM

Wong. The monitor is suppose to be in front not on the back. In other words, place the monitor at 12 'o clock instead of 6.

Take a look at my pic of my old sled:homebuiltstabilizers.com/mysled.jpg

The monitor is up in front while the anton bauer battery is at the back. In my case, lower at the bottom.

...or this: :homebuiltstabilizers.com/charlesrig25.jpg

Wesley Wong · December 1st, 2004, 11:21 AM

duh. yes, I get that. my bad for wrongfilly misleading everyone to think I mounted it at 6 o'clock for the monitor ...

monitor IS however still visually obstructed by sled and battery is getting in my knees' way.

the magiqcam isn't fanciful and it does not have laterally space saving tilt arms (unlike your seld/rig Charles K.- nice) that lets you save couple of inches from my kness while I fly them. Instead its a dead horizontal piece for the monitor and a downwards diagonal piece with velcro-ed NP-1 battery for my frezzi light, jutting out from the bottom of the sled...

check out my pic again to see why...

Thus the intuitive way for my , straight out-of-the-box was to wrongfully put the monitor mount and the battery/counter weight mount perpendicular to the fore and aft of the camera sled, to easily see the monitor and also not let a big chunk of battery get in my knees' way

Charles King · December 1st, 2004, 11:46 AM

Thanks for the clarification. I can see how your battery is getting in the way of your knees, seeing that it is way out in the back. You could try to draw it closer or try to adapt the connector so it hangs downward instead, similiar to mine. Just a suggestion of course.

This could be a mild case of just trying to get use to it by practicing to avoid it when operating the rig.

November 30th, 2004, 11:18 AM	#16
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Sorry about that. I had forgotten about the sipirit level pic. I'll get onto it. You'll have to have an outside link to link your pics. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

November 30th, 2004, 12:08 PM	#17
Wesley Wong Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 143	no need to be sorry. You've been most helpful to steady rig newbies like me. home.pacific.net.sg/~jeng_hsiung/PICT0155.JPG here's my pic __________________ Do more, learn more

November 30th, 2004, 12:36 PM	#18
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Here's the link I put together of the various places to put a bubble level: http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/bubblelevel.html __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

November 30th, 2004, 12:46 PM	#19
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Holy cow--umm--jeez. Wesley, the monitor and battery are supposed to be at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock relative to the camera, not 3 and 9. As far as the level; stick one bubble under the camera mounting platform so that it reads side to side level. Put another on the face of the monitor. Periodically check that they match each other (adjust the monitor one to match the other one). This will give you a hint of when your horizon is level. Having levels in the fore-aft plane is less important because you are likely to be constantly tilting the rig, but rarely wanting to shoot off-level side to side. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

November 30th, 2004, 12:46 PM	#20
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	First of all Wong. I see your problem already. I don't know if you meant it to be that way but the sled base is positioned wrongly. You have the top stage and the base opposite each other. thet are supposed to be align with the post in one direction. Apparently Charles P. post made it before mine. Good to see you CP __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

November 30th, 2004, 09:24 PM	#21
Ed Liew Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Malaysia Posts: 226	charles k, very nice looking bubble level. did you make them? ed

November 30th, 2004, 09:43 PM	#22
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Hej Ed. Just to be sure. Are you referring to the one in the first pic or the third? __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

November 30th, 2004, 10:03 PM	#23
Ed Liew Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Malaysia Posts: 226	hi charles k, the third pic. ed

November 30th, 2004, 10:19 PM	#24
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	It was purchase the way it is. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

December 1st, 2004, 12:26 AM	#25
Ed Liew Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Malaysia Posts: 226	did a search with the link on your homebuilt site and found some very interesting and useful items. you must have spend quick alot of time compiling all the info on your site. great work charles. ed

December 1st, 2004, 01:55 AM	#26
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Glad you apprecite it Ed. It took som time but the results does reap... :) __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

December 1st, 2004, 09:55 AM	#27
Wesley Wong Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 143	:( Ok I get more balance, now that they are in 12 and 6 o'clock position. Thanks ! What a klutz I am ! But now it seems like my battery mount is in my knees way when I walk and the monitor is no where useful , being obstructed visually by the sled ... Should I find a way to mount the monitor a little off 12'oclock position and walk funny like a penguin to overcome this ?? __________________ Do more, learn more

December 1st, 2004, 10:20 AM	#28
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Wong. The monitor is suppose to be in front not on the back. In other words, place the monitor at 12 'o clock instead of 6. Take a look at my pic of my old sled:homebuiltstabilizers.com/mysled.jpg The monitor is up in front while the anton bauer battery is at the back. In my case, lower at the bottom. ...or this: :homebuiltstabilizers.com/charlesrig25.jpg __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

December 1st, 2004, 11:21 AM	#29
Wesley Wong Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 143	duh. yes, I get that. my bad for wrongfilly misleading everyone to think I mounted it at 6 o'clock for the monitor ... monitor IS however still visually obstructed by sled and battery is getting in my knees' way. the magiqcam isn't fanciful and it does not have laterally space saving tilt arms (unlike your seld/rig Charles K.- nice) that lets you save couple of inches from my kness while I fly them. Instead its a dead horizontal piece for the monitor and a downwards diagonal piece with velcro-ed NP-1 battery for my frezzi light, jutting out from the bottom of the sled... check out my pic again to see why... Thus the intuitive way for my , straight out-of-the-box was to wrongfully put the monitor mount and the battery/counter weight mount perpendicular to the fore and aft of the camera sled, to easily see the monitor and also not let a big chunk of battery get in my knees' way __________________ Do more, learn more

December 1st, 2004, 11:46 AM	#30
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	Thanks for the clarification. I can see how your battery is getting in the way of your knees, seeing that it is way out in the back. You could try to draw it closer or try to adapt the connector so it hangs downward instead, similiar to mine. Just a suggestion of course. This could be a mild case of just trying to get use to it by practicing to avoid it when operating the rig. __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'