help needed w/ new rails + Jag35 pull focus system

[Randall_Oelerich]

I put together my T2i DSLR on a cpmfilmtools.com rails system and slid the Jag35 pull focus gizmo on the rails. Going fairly good so in terms of figuring it out albeit with a few snags. But one problems is creating a special snag in the pull focus system--- the large 'gear' mounted around the camera lens does not stay tight up against the Jag35 smaller gear. This is because the camera swivels on the 'quick release' plate screwed into the base of the camera. Is solving this as simple as getting a lock washer from the hardware store (I hope there is room for the added thickness that will case between that plate crewed into the camera base and the 'female' part of the quick release plate that is attached to the tripod or in this case the camera cage?

This is my first time ever putting together a system with rails, focus puller, camera cage. For my T2i DSLR. Before this I only used a Canon XHA1 and little Canon VIXIA HF100 camcorder. So any help solving this greatly appreciated. Thank you.
randall

 

[Michael Carter]

Your camera shouldn't be swiveling. Is there some sort of rubber mat on the camera plate?

I think a lock washer would tear up the plastic base of your Canon. I've shot for decades and never had a tripod head or release plate that couldn't be tightened enough.

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

Your camera shouldn't be swiveling. Is there some sort of rubber mat on the camera plate? I think a lock washer would tear up the plastic base of your Canon. I've shot for decades and never had a tripod head or release plate that couldn't be tightened enough.

Timely, thank you, because I was about to buy a lock washer this afternoon. Don't want to tear up my camera base plastic though. The camera plate does have some ort of light grey rubber, but it is not stopping swivel. Maybe I need to tighten the bolt even more? (will get a thick full sized screwdriver today). The plate I am trying to tighten is one I bought from cpmfilmtools.com specifically for their carbon cage; expensive, one would think it should work as intended, right? I have other camera plates for my tripods that tighten and hold the camera just fine and do not allow swivel, so I would say this seems to be a design flaw in the cpmfilmtools.com rig, disappointing since i have about $1000 into their camera cage rig at this point, and I can not figure out how to use one of my other non-swivel tripod plates with their system. Sigh. I really do not know what I can do, I want to get going and play with the pull focus but I can't have the lens being swiveled away so that then the Jag35 gears do not touch meaning no pull focus-- and that would be especially bullsh*t during filming.

I was also thinking, the swivel is with a telephoto zoom lens, and the laws of physics mean that a longer lens gives the Jag35 gears more leverage to swivel the lens, compared to say a fixed 50mm short lens. Going to try my 50mm fixed lens, but still one should be able to use other lenses.

 

[CPM Camera Rigs]

We are currently working on a new harder rubber, being die cut as we speak. It seems the soft rubber gives too much and does not ‘fix’ the camera to the base adequately, this also causes the screw to bottom out on some cameras before it gets fully tight. As soon as the new pads come in we will be replacing everyones QR plates at no charge. Until then I have another solution I am sending you UPS RED. You will have it Monday.

Steve

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

We are currently working on a new harder rubber, being die cut as we speak. It seems the soft rubber gives too much and does not ‘fix’ the camera to the base adequately, this also causes the screw to bottom out on some cameras before it gets fully tight. As soon as the new pads come in we will be replacing everyones QR plates at no charge. Until then I have another solution I am sending you UPS RED. You will have it Monday. Steve

Thank you Steven. I will report back here on how this goes, keep everybody updated. Hope a solution works, I really want to be able to use the Jag35 pull focus, have the camera held snug on the cpmfilmtools plate base so the camera does not 'give' (swivel).
randall

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

We are currently working on a new harder rubber, being die cut as we speak. It seems the soft rubber gives too much and does not ‘fix’ the camera to the base adequately, this also causes the screw to bottom out on some cameras before it gets fully tight. As soon as the new pads come in we will be replacing everyones QR plates at no charge. Until then I have another solution I am sending you UPS RED. You will have it Monday.
Steve

Got it! Night and Day comparing the original design (that did not hold the camera secure on the plate and that allowed camera swivel) to the newly designed camera plate that UPS just delivered from cpmfilmtools.com / Steve.

The new camera plate design that you sent me seems to be holding the camera very securely; I just got it by UPS a few minutes ago, attached the camera to it, attached it to the carbon cage from you / cpmfilmtools.com and attached the Jag35 focus puller and it seems to be working nicely. I will give it a more thorough testing later today (going for a hike now) and will report back on if it holds as expected.

Kudos and a big thank you to Steve and cpmfilmtools.com on rapidly fixing / solving the issue. His/their carbon fiber camera cages and components really are very cool and techno looking (the look and feel of something out of a cyberwars or Terminator movie, sleek non-glare black-gray polycarbon with lots of holes for lightening weight and mounting things, several choices of colored washes [i went with lime green], very modular design), and I assume the polycarbon fiber materials are strong and lightweight. Assuming it all works great now I am really looking forward to having this carbon cage and now a functioning quick release camera plate.
randall