So is it possible for you to make some for different camcorders and sell?????.

A lot of people can not afford $800 for a FF which I presume is the price for cheap ones.


With the enormous amount of Indie guys looking for cheap camera accessories, could you make some and sell?

With a price of like $70 or something, I think it would not be bad adding some 5 zeros to 6 zeros in your bank account....what do you think?

Also in regards to the adapter, what have you been able to come up with?

You may be interested to get a closer look at this items:
http://dandiaconu.com/available_products.htm

I am also interested in the cheap design system. Going to look for the mitre joint tomorrow!

Also Dan, is there a reason you used the redish blossom knob for your kit?

ok , lets be creative.
the problem: so many lenses, so many diameters.
forget about gears, too difficult to pruce, almost impossible to get one size fits all.
solution: Gear belt. just cut the length needed to wrap your lens.
need to fix it ? use velcro.
no need for a pulley yet. you just need a second gear belt that goes over the one on the lens. they are theeth over theet on a big length so no risk for slippage. the width of each belt can cover even the biggest displacement of lens.
now the pulley. Again for universal mount we will do it in a way it has an adjustable position so you can make the belt streched (tended ?) properly.

The rest is easy, you can use any right angle (but do we absolutely need right angled ?) device you will find to transmit the rotation to the button.
(i have seen really nice plastic gear for potentiometer).

some cheap plastic motor offers good source for right angle shaft
http://www.hobbyengineering.com/SectionM.html#IX1209

and Dremel has is own
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/dre/dre575.htm

if you relly wants gear, see alltronics
http://www.alltronics.com/images/23Z027.jpg
for 5$ this stuff is more than 3 inches diameter.

[QUOTE=Mandy Leo Also Dan, is there a reason you used the redish blossom knob for your kit?[/QUOTE]
http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/libra...terior.web.jpg
http://www.cars.com/features/2001ove...or_292x178.jpg
http://www.rodmillen.com/images/Conc...s_interior.jpg
http://www.aaton.com/galbums/cameras...prod_front.jpg
http://www.filmcamerakit.com/Picture...20LTR%2032.jpg

http://www.dvinfo.net/sony/images/ci.../cinetech3.jpg
http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/images/cinetech4.jpg
http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/images/cinetech7.jpg
http://www.dvinfo.net/sony/images/ci.../cinetech1.jpg

'nough?
I guess is only a matter of taste. I like wood (blasphemy in a plastic and Al world, I guess...) but plastic and Al knobs are almost finished.

for those of us looking for a really cheap solution, I was at the hardware store today and noticed a $15 hand drill that transfers rotational motion like a bevel gearbox would. I'd imagine there is a way to mount it and attach a gear to go together with some kind of gear band on a lens.

Just an idea.

Anyone know where to get some kind of strap with gear teeth on it? Plastic ties like the ones that you slide through a hole on one end and have to be cut off have some notches in them, so maybe something like that could be strapped to a lens? Someone mentioned such a thing, but I am not sure where to get them. If they are cheap you could just attach one to each lens and leave them on.

Good thinking, when ever it breaks, throw it away and put another on for a few cents. That would make it cheap to do for zoom and iris as well on a SLR lens.

The ring tie straps should be in office stores, and various trades stores that use them, I forget where I got mine from.

The nob on the strap could also be used as a leaver that could hit stops for direct hand control. For instance, mount one main strap and cut to knob, mount another secondary strap next to it with some sort of attachments (even more micro ring tie loops) sticking out over the main strap, that the knob will hit for a stop. You could even use ring tie loops as adjustable stops. But it would depend on the lens configuration allowing it.

Diagram top view (laid out flat, because of no curves in text graphics):

Secondary strap with main stops "()" and adjustable stops "(o)" over lapping main strap

(),,,,,,,(o),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,(o),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,()
(),,,,,,,(o),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,@,,,,,,,(o),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,()

Main strap with "@" knob.

You could make the adjustable stops by tyeing two straps on top of each other on the secondary strap, one tight on lens and the other loss to allow the stop rings to slide, both firmly tied to each other by loops used as the main stops. Like this

(side view of secondary strap)

(),,,,,,,(o),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,(o),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,()
(),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,()

Isn't there a worry about using electronic and battery powered motors (dremels or otherwise), that you are going to strip the gears in the SLR or the gears that are purchased?

Just a thought I had some time ago:
If you put a flexible axes (from a dremel or another drill) on one side through a ring that mounts on the non moving part of the lens, so it is parallel to the lens, and you put a gear on that end of the axes that touches the lens (with a strap on it), so if you turn the other end of the axes, the lens would move with it. Because the thing is flexible you can mount the other end ( with a knob and markers) anywhere you want, like on the tripod or in the hands of a focus puller.
If this is not clear at all, I'll draw it.

i found it back...
http://www1.conrad.de/xl/1000_1999/1..._00_FB.EPS.jpg
about 20$ but goes around 10$ if you order at least 20

more info at the bottom of this PDF
http://www.produktinfo.conrad.com/da...9_66_de-en.pdf

just received the part for my cheap FF.

some pictures here

big plastic potentiomenter button with mark
http://www.giroud2.com/divers/button.jpg
http://www.giroud2.com/divers/scale.jpg

the right angled drive (6mm axis version)
http://www.giroud2.com/divers/angle.jpg

the full stuff with a pvc rod and metal parts
http://www.giroud2.com/divers/full.jpg

will add a pulley and some gear belt, et voila...

good, looks like we have a taker, go man go...if it works on the Letus setup with the micro35 rail system I will buy it..I need one bad..;)
make sure it works on Nikon 35mm lenses

Looking great. I found an old printer on the weekend with the turning knob, I am going to use that and I am looking for the gears as well!
Are you going to do a tutorial for this? PArt lists? Suppliers and all that jazz?

basically , if you are going to the easy way (buy parts and assemble them), you should stick to one technology (the electronic potentiometer in my case), because all parts are sharing the same sizes.

You can find thousand of button for potentiomenter with 6mm standard axis and most of time you do not even need to buy them, just find some electronic surplus.
look at
http://www.conrad.de (where i order my parts)

and on top of screen paste these numbers into the field "Artikelnr.-Suche"

184007
183731
183504
183771
183797
You need to add a white plastic disc (for the marking), a 3 inches of aluminium corner to mount all the parts, the gear and gearbelt, few screws.
The deluxe version would add a little motor (i already found one in my drawer, but the origin is unknown, so cannot purchase more).
i am sure that goldmine-elec should have the little marvel.
for sure you can find equivalent or same parts/supplier anywhere in the world.
Yes ideally, somebody would build one kit to proof feasability and then
order all parts in big quantities (50 or 100 items) to build a kit with instructions.
unfortunately, even if the kit cost only 50$, it makes 50x50=2500$ +overhead to manage orders and send kits. It is for instance out of my capability or my will.

Richard, how exactly did this work? I can't figure out how the strongboy gives you the 90 angle?