Zoom rocker issue.

N

neomax

Member
I was recently using one of the Sony big cameras (Shoulder Camera) ... obviously this cost way much more than my Sony PMW-EX3.

I immediately noted that the zoom rocker is more smooth then the one on my camera and I can perform a very slow zoom with a smooth result
(something that it's very difficult to do on my ex3, for some strange reason).

I was thinking to buy a zoom control to fix 2 issues. Smoothness and accessibility
(since that the Sony ex3 rocker is not that accessible when the camera is on the tripod).

I came a cross these 3 zoom controls...

http://www.varizoom.com/product.aspx?productID=VZROCKEX
http://www.libecsales.com/products/z_controls/z_controlsl.html
http://www.bebob.de/produkte/?product=8334&lang=en

can someone give me an advice on my problem, and will the zoom controller fix my issue?
 
No, it will not. The zoom electronics is part of the camera/lens. The external zoom controllers are nothing more than a variable resistor. They can't fix the design of the zoom electronics.

That buttery smooth zoom costs money. I have spent a lot of time trying to duplicate that slow creep of a servo zoom for a jib pan/tilt head and have been unsuccessful. As best I can tell, it is the gear-head motor design that is the secret. One vendor I've researched uses $300 motors to get that look.
 
PaulF is correct. The user control device is NOT the problem here. It is the mechanical design of the lens itself with the embedded zoom, focus and iris motors. And, of course, on the EX1, the lens comes part and parcel with the camcorder and is not interchangeable or even separable by the end user.

@PaulF, have you experimented with PWM power to the motors? It gives better low-speed performance under load in many cases.
 
Richard Crowley said:
@PaulF, have you experimented with PWM power to the motors? It gives better low-speed performance under load in many cases.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have. What I have learned is that the PWM will not start turning the motors until they are at about 15-20% pulse width. So the low end of the PWM is lost. Fujinon and Canon have figured it out, but searches on the web have not revealed the secret to a wide range motor control. I'm assuming that servo zoom lenses have much better motors and gear chains that get moving quicker, or they have some other tricks they are playing with the drive voltage.
 
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bottom line I will never manage to get the slow / smooth zoom with an external device, even if the device is expensive?
 
For a slow "network push" I use the 2 stage switch on the handle.
I have set one setting to the slowest zoom speed to get that slow creep I want once in a while.
It is not a perfect solution but...I never misjudge how hard to push the rocker switch on the side of the lens and get the slow speed every time.
 
It just a camera voltage issue. When you press the zoom, there is a voltage draw which makes it stutter.There is not enough to carry a supper slow move. Known issue with EX-1/3
 
It just a camera voltage issue. When you press the zoom, there is a voltage draw which makes it stutter. There is not enough to carry a super slow move. Known issue with EX-1/3
 
I had the Varizoom, and to was virtually impossible to get any type of slow consistent zoom, and since moving over to the Sony EX1R, and using the Manfrotto 521EX Remote Control for Sony EX1 it way better, not perfect as has been outlined in previous posts, but at least I can get a perfectly consistent slow(ish) zoom (can be set), although the start and finish are more abrupt, which can't be set/changed.
It the best I have found so far, and they have just brought out a new updated model:
http://www.manfrotto.com/rc-clamp-ex
 
I too have noticed this poor zoom control via the rocker switch on the EX3 grip. One way to work around is to set up two shots A and B with desired zoom ratios, and then use the auto transition feature of this camera. It seems to work very well and smoothly.

Next day: I want to add that the auto transition is less smooth with the slower zooms, but still quite dependable in my experience. Also, I found out today from Sony tech support that the sticky zoom issue is more severe when the camera is hot than when the camera is cold.
 
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