Any good budget geared head around?

youngindiefilms

youngindiefilms

Well-known member
I'm looking into buying a geared head and was wondering if there are any good ones that don't cost an arm and a leg.
To be more clear, I'm looking for something like this, only at a cheaper price:
http://www.filmtools.com/gearnex-gear-head.html

There are some photography geared heads which are cheaper but they're without wheels, not meant for video and of no use to me... any heads up would be highly appreciated.
 
youngindiefilms said:
I'm looking into buying a geared head and was wondering if there are any good ones that don't cost an arm and a leg.
To be more clear, I'm looking for something like this, only at a cheaper price:
http://www.filmtools.com/gearnex-gear-head.html
Click to expand...

I suspect for that sort of money you could get a precision engineering firm to knock one up out of existing materials.
that's what i would do, or checkout secondhand video / film suppliers / rental houses , or ebay as arniepix wrote.
All come down to your budget, if it's big, just buy it, if it's small, shop about or make do.

Cheers
Tom K
 
Tom 4 said:
I suspect for that sort of money you could get a precision engineering firm to knock one up out of existing materials.
that's what i would do, or checkout secondhand video / film suppliers / rental houses , or ebay as arniepix wrote.
All come down to your budget, if it's big, just buy it, if it's small, shop about or make do.

Cheers
Tom K
Click to expand...


Well you'd suspect wrong. In fact the actual technical challenges faced by gearnex have been considerable and the first model they produced had a number of issues which they claim to have overcome in version II. The gearnex IS THE BUDGET MODEL. Most geared heads cost tens of thousands of dollars and finding a decent vintage model geared head from back in the days for cheap is tough. Ryan Patrick O'Hara was fortunate enough to snag one.
 
That's what I almost thought, that the Gearnex is the budget choice already. I always keep an eye on ebay and other sites but nothing yet. I can only imagine how many man hours go into producing one of those gear heads and all the precision work necessary. Anyway, one can dream :) or rent.
 
Yup, they don't come up on eBay every day, and they're usually in the low 4 figures when they do.
 
$7500.00 for the Gearnex head IS the bargain price for a new geared head. I would keep my eyes open on used equipment sites, but good luck on that. If you can get a used name brand geared head for less than the Gearnex, you have done the used filmmaking equipment shopping equivalent of hitting the lotto!.
 
We are working on a low cost geared head specific for the lower entry DSLR/Video market. $1800.00 target price as it sits. We are currently re-designing our proto type for lower weight, better looks and lower cost. Right now it pretty much looks like a brick. Release date is pretty far off as there are several tools to be built, 4 months off maybe?

The geared head has been a pet project of mine for a while, our proto type was built about two years ago. We did not see as much demand for it over the cage rigs, matte boxes and follow focus unit so it took a back seat. But we brought it bacl forward now that the Sidewinder molds are done.

Steve
 
What is the max. load your prototype can take? I'm not looking to use it with A DSLR but a more heavy setup as heavy as 8kg.
 
CPM Film Tools said:
We are working on a low cost geared head specific for the lower entry DSLR/Video market. $1800.00 target price as it sits. We are currently re-designing our proto type for lower weight, better looks and lower cost. Right now it pretty much looks like a brick. Release date is pretty far off as there are several tools to be built, 4 months off maybe?

The geared head has been a pet project of mine for a while, our proto type was built about two years ago. We did not see as much demand for it over the cage rigs, matte boxes and follow focus unit so it took a back seat. But we brought it bacl forward now that the Sidewinder molds are done.

Steve
Click to expand...

Wow, that is good news. Will it be able to handle cameras bigger than the video DSLRs? I am thinking about something for a camera like the AF-100. What mounting are you shooting for?
 
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David G. Smith said:
Wow, that is good news. Will it be able to handle cameras bigger than the video DSLRs? I am thinking about something for a cameras like the AF-100. What mounting are you shooting for?
Click to expand...

A big +1 on that! An Af-100 with zacuto universal baseplate and RRM mattebox and RRM followfocus...
 
CPM Film Tools said:
We are working on a low cost geared head specific for the lower entry DSLR/Video market. $1800.00 target price as it sits.

Steve
Click to expand...

I forgive you guys for saying "It can't be done" any cheaper, modern engineering is great, I bet if CPM Film Tools received some firm orders, they'd push the supply forward.
One has too only simply look at some products coming out of China , amazing products at amazing prices.

Anyway, Well done CPM......

Cheers
TomK
olinevideo.com.au
 
Tom 4 said:
I forgive you guys for saying "It can't be done" any cheaper, modern engineering is great, I bet if CPM Film Tools received some firm orders, they'd push the supply forward.
One has too only simply look at some products coming out of China , amazing products at amazing prices.

Anyway, Well done CPM......

Cheers
TomK
olinevideo.com.au
Click to expand...

The original proto type was built along side our first camera cage. Both where for a wind tunnel project at Pax River, the local Navy Air Base. They had about 22 pounds of gear on it from what I remember. I expect it could easily take a lot more then that, but our intention with re-designing it and adding it to our product line was the smaller video camera/DSLR market. We are moving forward with it, just at a slower pace then some of our other new products. This one is my pet project as I just love running these things. Kinda like the handles on an old bridgeport mill :) So close to my heart.

Steve
 
youngindiefilms said:
Awesome, take good care of your pet and keep us up to date.
Click to expand...

Been a while but it finally lives! CPMhead, low cost geared head unit. Designed to work with 75mm, 100mm tripod heads. Is built as a flat bottom design so it can really go anywhere. This is the 5th revision of the unit as a proto type and I think we are ready to sign off and start tooling and hardware. Gears are brass and hard anodized aluminum. Shafts are 303 stainless and the things has a total of 20 bearings in and around the shafts and surfaces.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=236849416888&aid=264193

http://www.cpmfilmtools.com/Geared_Head_Unit_p/153_cpmhead%20-%20153.htm

I will keep you posted on when the tooling is expected to be complete and the product is in stock.

Thanks,

Steve
 
Hey Steve, this is great news! Congratulations, well done! Too bad I just recently tucked out a major lump sum for a new camera and other gear.
I'll keep my eye on this though, once my budget allows this is one of my next investments, can't wait to get hands on this!!! :)
 
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