Disabling the buttons on the FS700 hand grip?

G

Gene Sung

Veteran
I don't think it's possible since I couldn't find it in the manual, but I thought I would ask.

I made a very minimal rig that I really like recently that uses the FS700 hand grip on the Westside AV Rosette handle extension. It works great EXCEPT the all the buttons like the "Auto Iris" or the "4x/8x focus assist" get accidentally pushed way too much. I love the RECORD button, but all the other ones just get in the way.

Can I disable those specific buttons on the hand grip and keep the Record button working?
 
Only by taking the handgrip apart and disabling (unwiring) those buttons, which I doubt you would want to do. Alternatively, you might find someone who sells just a LANC record button, or some kind of rig you could modify.
 
I'm wondering if your hand just becomes trained to not hit those buttons. Has that been anyone else's experience?

I know when I first got the FS700, the first week I kept on hitting the Auto Iris button on the left side near the lens. Drove me crazy, but now I hardly ever hit it. Wonder if muscle memory would do the same thing for the hand grip buttons. But they are just right there so must be harder to avoid.
 
I use the same Westside rosette with the hand grip and I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally pushed the 'expanded focus' (2x/4x) button and muscle memory has nothing to do with it - I'm just untrainable and the button is in the wrong spot - when you grip the grip your index finger just goes naturally to that spot.

Truth is, I've never intentionally pushed it or the 'Photo' button. In fact, while writing this post I discovered the 'auto iris' button on the front which I have also never pushed or for that matter, even seen before.

I now have a double layer of black gaffer tape covering both rear buttons and that seems to work but I'm hesitant to take the handgrip apart - I hate extra parts when I put something back together again.

As a former child prodigy clarinet player (ok, maybe I was just 2nd clarinet behind Art Furtado in the High School Band), I'm disappointed that I can not master the hand grip but you should have heard me play the 'Clarinet Polka' and Bert Kaempfert's 'Wonderland by Night' on the licorice stick.

Regards,
Scott
 
You need to hit the hold button. It's near the middle bottom of the camera on the menu side. It can be programmed
in the Menu>Others>Hold SW Mode>Except Rec.
 
rejdmast said:
You need to hit the hold button. It's near the middle bottom of the camera on the menu side. It can be programmed
in the Menu>Others>Hold SW Mode>Except Rec.
Click to expand...
This also locks everything, right? Shutter speed, white balance, etc. Not that you need to fiddle with those after you're set up. Just clarifying.
 
Manual - page 103:

You can set what functions will be locked
when the HOLD switch is set to ON.
FULL
Locks all functions.
EXCEPT REC
Locks all functions except the START/
STOP button and PHOTO button.
EXCEPT REC+CAMERA
Locks all functions except the START/
STOP button, PHOTO button and camera
function*.
* AUTO/MANUAL, FOCUS AUTO/MAN,
FOCUS HOLD/PUSH AUTO, IRIS, Iris ring,
IRIS PUSH AUTO, SHUTTER SPEED, GAIN/
ISO, Gain/ISO H/M/L, WHT BAL, WHT BAL
PRESET/A/B, WHT (one push), SEL/
PUSH EXEC dial
 
If the HOLD function doesn't do what you want, maybe you can make some kind of plastic guard for key buttons. Cut a plastic bottle apart, etc. Tape it in place. I'm not so concerned about expanded focus, but hitting auto-iris could be deadly.
 
Our walnut Cinegrips do EXP focus, Record, Display, Iris and other cool things including Camera Assign 1-3. Our ClockArm extenders do amazing things for the ergonomics of handholding. like whole new world of comfort.

It's small batch hand made in USA so it costs more - but lasts for what? 5, 8, 13 camera cycles? your'e whole career? factor that in and quality is a bargain- especiailly once you feel the difference. I only have rough videos up right now but they do show the actual parts. Vimeo is linked from our homepage below. We are tiny and have some shipping delays on brain grips but the product is for real and DP's love it. Current batch of 10 has one available. (I'm keeping mine this time!) Next batch is due out before holidays and is 15.

I do say in advance we are not a cheap fix. But if you want a simple, thought out solution....
 
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