Motorized Pan/Tilt

overlandfilms said:
Is tilt really limited to only 15°? That's really shallow and I'd imagine little if any good for jib work.

There's a huge price and functionality gap between even the Varizoom XY head and this item - though surely there must be a use for a low-cost "repeatable" pan / tilt mechanism?

e
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Yeah. 15% But my jib'll be tiltable on its own.

Jib'll be tiltable. That's fun to say. :)

I contemplating making a doohickey and some software to control it to make really really repeatable motion. Just gotta fire myself up into circuit-designing mode again.
 
OK.

I can't draw, so don't expect much. :(

The material used was "Protex-light Hartschaumplatten". Googling indicates it might be PVC of some sort. "Hard foam".

Anyway, here's the dimensions I used, and a crummy drawing:
sunshade.jpg


Just cut halfway through the dashed line, so it can be bent.

I used model glue and epoxy to put it together.

These dimensions...it's very very close to the vertical 16:9 framing. If the shade slips even a little, it'll show in the image. You might want to make it a little "taller"...but that'll take some experimentation. Or just watch carefully when using it.

Maybe make it out of cardboard first, then use that as a pattern. (That's what I did, originally.)

Also, I put some felt around the inside of the part that goes around the Panny sunshade. Makes for a tight fit. Although it's pretty tight as it is.
 
Hey that looks cool. Perhaps the max/min tilt angle could be "pimped" somehow?! :-)

But at least it would be possible to start at the slowest speed and then ramp it up some more? But the slowest speed is relatively fast so start with. So a real smooth start/stop isn't possible? Perhaps it would be possible to change this somehow? :)
 
I am also in the market for a motorized pan/tilt head.. mostly for time-lapse shots so I want one with the slowest speed possible..

Is it possible to measure the degree one increment at a time with the Bescor? Can you hit the pan button on the remote to pan say 3 degrees at a time?

Also has anybody ever had any experience with the VidPro EBRA-121R motorized pan/tilt head?
http://videosystems.com/mag/video_vidpro_ebrar/
 
Biz said:
I am also in the market for a motorized pan/tilt head.. mostly for time-lapse shots so I want one with the slowest speed possible..

Is it possible to measure the degree one increment at a time with the Bescor? Can you hit the pan button on the remote to pan say 3 degrees at a time?
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Nope.

And it would probably be easier bulding one from scratch, than trying to make this one do it.

Check out places that sell high-end telescope equipment.

Maybe even Edmund Scientific.
 
check this out. wireless remote. fixed 6 degrees/second pan (that's gonna strobe like hell in 24p right!?) and fixed 4 degrees/second tilt, but it looks like it can tap into the DVX100 remote control functions. and it has these funky "red" indicator lights on it that help you align yourself (or the actor) right in front of the camera. this thing is super cheap. would like to know if anyone has it.

http://www.21best.com/21_best/electronic/security/video/pan_tilt/for_sale_8.html
 
Yeah thats exactly the same as the VidPro Pan/Tilt head I was talking about.. Same model #/ different brand.. Weird? I think i'm gonna try some timelapse pans with that.. anybody else have any experience with this model??
 
Hmmm...makes taking mine apart sound more like something I'd want to do...a 360 mod? Sure. :) How difficult could it be? Probably just a mechanical stop in there...
 
Not to bring back an old post (but I figured this would be better than starting my own), what was the verdict on the usefulness of the Bescor Motorized Head MP-101? Or the VidPro EBRA-121R motorized pan/tilt head? Any one else have some commentary or footage they would like to share? I am seriously leaning on getting the Kessler Crane (who also offer the Bescor MP-101 for sale) but I'd like to weigh my options.

Thanks!
Rick
 
My opinion...good enough for a remote way of making adjustments to the camera when it's way the hell up there on a crane. (And you're just using the crane to get a higher viewpoint, not doing a "real" crane shot. I doubt it would be easy to coordinate the crane motion with the pan...unless you like practicing a lot.)

I don't think most people would be satisfied with its panning as a replacement for "real" panning, either.

But, since I'm absolutely terrible at getting smooth pans by hand, I'll probably use it for that when I have to pan. I'm not a big fan of pans, so it won't be that often. :)

(Somewhere back in this thread should be a link to some sample footage I shot.)

Dan
 
For slowing/speeding up the pan speed could you hook up a much more powerful batt. to the device and use a light switch fader to give it more power slowly as you pan. I sure you would have to make sure you do not turn it up too far because you could blow the motor. Would this work at all? I don't have much electrical knowledge. No one will understand this anyway. Ha.
 
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