DV Info Net - Camera too light for head? Here's how.

Below is my post #17 from this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xf...-tripod-2.html

Quote:

Er, depends, basically.

On just how much too light the camera is and how low the COG, which is one of those "how long is a piece of string" questions.

Given that it is almost impossible to quantify unless you have a rig to both lift the camera height AND add weight untill it will CB, in which case you don't have a problem, as you have a rig to lift.................

You may now see why designing a "one size fits all" solution isn't quite the walkover you might think at first sight.

Then, of course, there are the trade off's to consider.

Assuming the riser weight remained zero (if you can) you could go on raising a particularly light camera 2 feet off the head untill it CB'd, though keeping such a rig stable under any conditions would be a challenge.

OR

You could leave the camera on the head slide plate and somehow bolt 6 pounds of lead to it, which would have exactly the same effect, but in some respects is even more dangerous than the first option.

So, a combination of the two approaches seems like the way to go - a bit of height gain, a bit of weight gain - it isn't too high and it isn't too heavy.

I set myself the challenge of getting my Canon HV 20 dinky HD cam to CB with my VB, which really was a challenge, as it weighs 1lb 51/2 oz (610gms approx) and has a COG somewhere around the height of a gnats kneecap.

Buying a Manfrotto 577 adapter, which gives a camera lift of 1" (25mm) and a weight increase of 10oz (275gms) told me straight away it wasn't going to be quite that simple.

Scrounging an offcut of 2" X 2" (50mm X 50mm) rhs (square section) steel tubing from a local engineering shop, I drilled the top flat face for 4 X 3/16" screws to hold the 577 and the bottom for 3 X 1/4" X 20 screws.

I now had a 3" (75mm) rise and a weight increase of 1lb 6oz (620gms).

Result? Nada, nope, nowhere close.

What to do - build even higher? Add more weight?

I plumped for more weight, it was easier.

Capped off one end of the tube, filled it with lead shot then capped off the other.

Adapter now weighs 3lbs 13oz (1.75kg) and Bingo, we're in business.

Is anyone but me ever going to want to CB a HV20 or anything similar on a VB?

Don't know, but I know it can be done.

Attached are the adapter without the end caps.

CS

I thought this may be worthy of a wider audience, as this is going to become more and more common as the camera's keep getting smaller and lighter and the head manufacturers are struggling to keep up.

I realise this has been discussed at various times in various threads, time we had one soley for this problem.

BTW, as I had already attached some of the pics to the other mentioned thread, you'll have to view them there, as it won't allow a second upload.

All comments and questions welcome.

CS