FS7: FS7 Lens Decisions as a potential new FS7 user...

allenfacemire said:
and my biggest challenge, a suitable lens support bracket, which I'm still searching for.
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Out of the three that I have, my favorite is the Vocas 15mm support. It's pricey, but it's super low-profile and gets out of the way with my 17-120, which is an issue with the others I've tried, because the Canon is so big, the mount point is VERY close to the rails/iris rods.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1089958-REG/vocas_0360_0525_15mm_universal_lens_support.html

Best "bang for the buck" is the Tilta 15mm LWS system. It's only $99(B&H) and comes with 3/8-16, 1/4-20 and "Y" support and can be flipped when a lower profile mount is needed. But it's bulky and "open" on one side. I had to flip it so it would be low-profile enough to work with my Canon and I didn't feel it provided enough support since one side is open and therefore doesn't grab the rail enough when upside-down.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1148596-REG/ikan_ls_t05_lens_support_for_19mm.html

And the third is a 16x9. My sales rep at Abel sent me this one to try, because the Vocas was on back-order at the time. It is very low profile, but one side is completely closed and will not slide over any "painted" rails/rods(over half of mine are black Zacuto rods) and the support literally only threads in TWO threads, which does not keep the lens from moving in the mount on my C300 if you apply upward pressure with your hand in the grip. If it's a "studio" type set-up(you're not grabbing the lens) and the lens only needs support underneath for the weight, it can work. Otherwise I DO NOT recommend it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/808244-REG/16x9_Inc_169_CLM_LS15_Cine_Lens_Bracket.html
 
Run&Gun said:
Out of the three that I have, my favorite is the Vocas 15mm support. It's pricey, but it's super low-profile and gets out of the way with my 17-120, which is an issue with the others I've tried, because the Canon is so big, the mount point is VERY close to the rails/iris rods.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1089958-REG/vocas_0360_0525_15mm_universal_lens_support.html

Best "bang for the buck" is the Tilta 15mm LWS system. It's only $99(B&H) and comes with 3/8-16, 1/4-20 and "Y" support and can be flipped when a lower profile mount is needed. But it's bulky and "open" on one side. I had to flip it so it would be low-profile enough to work with my Canon and I didn't feel it provided enough support since one side is open and therefore doesn't grab the rail enough when upside-down.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1148596-REG/ikan_ls_t05_lens_support_for_19mm.html

And the third is a 16x9. My sales rep at Abel sent me this one to try, because the Vocas was on back-order at the time. It is very low profile, but one side is completely closed and will not slide over any "painted" rails/rods(over half of mine are black Zacuto rods) and the support literally only threads in TWO threads, which does not keep the lens from moving in the mount on my C300 if you apply upward pressure with your hand in the grip. If it's a "studio" type set-up(you're not grabbing the lens) and the lens only needs support underneath for the weight, it can work. Otherwise I DO NOT recommend it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/808244-REG/16x9_Inc_169_CLM_LS15_Cine_Lens_Bracket.html
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Second the Vocas.. also used with CN7.. small ,light, easy .does the job ..
 
karma17 said:
Might I ask: At what weight would a lens need to be for an extra support?
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Not always about weight, sometimes if you add a focus wheel you'll be applying torque to the lens making it move ever so slightly in relation to the the image plane. Which means if you can fixate it, you can diminish this movement.
 
I bought this lens support from Small rig, http://www.smallrig.com/smallrig-qr-lens-support-15mm-lw-1505.html and paired it with the extra ten dollar "Y" piece, making it pretty universally usable. I usually install the lens, attach the 1/4,20 support, and then mount the small rig piece from the bottom of the rails. I felt this way to be "upside down" since all photos of the lens support are the other way, but it really feels to work just as well and installation is a breeze.

Fs7 with 18-55 fujinon MK and small rig lens support on 9inch CF red rock rods by WestonHelmsley, on Flickr
 
karma17 said:
Might I ask: At what weight would a lens need to be for an extra support?
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B4 Lens support:adaptor.jpg

It's not so much weight as it is torque. If you are going to use the B4 lens as intended, then the weight of the camera is being supported by the mount. When walking, running or just doing what we do in hand held mode, the torque can be a bit more than the fs7 front mount plate was designed for. The lens must be solid and with NO movement at all. None.
Every lens mounting bracket I've seen only supports from the bottom but when you are holding the lens by the servo hand grip, your torque is now pushing up and can quite literally lift the lens from the bottom support bracket.
The B4 HD zoom mounting gets further complicated by where the placement of the servo and the doubler is. This makes it tough to find a support spot. I had to cut down the "Y" of my lens support in order to fit the girth of the lens. Between the doubler lever, the remote Hiroshi port for a remote zoom control, and the iris, the real estate for a lens support mount becomes limited.
I could and may use a big cable tie, but for obvious reasons, that's not a sustainable option. I need a mount that will allow being attached to the bottom of the lens via the screw port on the lens itself so I have a rigid support for both up and down.
Probably going to have to fabricate one.
 
Is there no screw hole on the bottom of your b4 lens? In my post above the Fujinon "stud" is screwed into the lens, then the lens support slides on and locks on, securing it from vertical movment in both directions.
 
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