Cartoni Focus question

B

Bob Gruen

Well-known member
I recently purchased a Cartoni Focus and it does not return to 'level' when empty. Instead it returns to a slightly above level (about 5 degrees). Is this by design, is it supposed to be this way?

Thanks,

Bob
 
funny you should say, got mine today and had the same feeling even though i counterbalanced it as much as it would go. Changed the screw of the baseplate forward onto the next notch and it seems to work just fine.
 
I have a cartoni focus. It shouldn't really matter whether it returns to "level" or not when it's empty. You just want to balance it properly so that it doesn't float down or up with the camera on.

I had to do what the second poster mentioned, with an HVX on it. Swapped the mounting screw to the other notch, so I could set it further forward.

Adjust the balance and drag, until you find the sweet spot. You will probably have to adjust where you lock the mounting plate a bit, as well.

Once you get it, it should be golden. The more I use this tripod, the more I like it. It's pretty dang glass smooth.

A side note: some people have recommended getting a heavier duty mounting plate for this tripod, as they aren't happy with the build quality of the stock one. I haven't experienced any problems yet, but it's something to keep in mind.

Hope that helps,
Jason
 
Yeah. Mine was the f100. I got the head and sticks togethor though. B&H has two versions that I know of with this head. One with one-stage legs, and one with two-stage sticks.

I have one stage legs.

Later,
Jason
 
It seems alot of people here on DVXuser like the Miller Solo VJ legs, but there's alot of other people who prefer two-stage legs because they seem to provide more stability and support.

Should i go with the Miller solo VJ legs, which are light weight and ideal for the run-and-gun type of shooting that I do, or go with two-stage legs that others claim to be more stable? your thoughts?
 
I got the one stage legs that come in the kit, and I think they are the most stable of the group, but they are heavy. The two stage sticks that are a few hunderd more actially adds a telescopic leg (as opposed to the external multi-legs and clamps). I think I would stay away from that...

I did my first action shoot on Saturday. I covered a series of RC car races; talk about a workout... I covered a pair of oval races from the infield and a few more from the driver's stand as well. I also covered various off road races from the driver's stand. I was very happy with how the head performed, and the sticks seemed stable as well, no matter how much I cranked down on the fluid. My one problem was knocking the verticle axis lock with my left hand, partially closing it and adding unsmooth drag. Went a whole race thinking something was major-wrong only to find the latch partially thrown...

If you are doing a lot of action movements with your left hand near the head, watch out for (or even tape over) the latch.

Bob
 
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