Close but no cigar, you are STILL making it to difficult.
Why is everyone so damned concerned with finding the CG of the camera then placing it 1/2" behind the center of the center post? in the last 10 years that I have be using my "90 Degree Drop" method of dynamic balance i have NEVER ONCE "found the CG of a camera" before I built the rig much less used a freaking ruler.You are creating work that gains you NOTHING.
Here's what you do:
With nothing mounted to the camera stage, (no follow focus, no camera, no camera plate, no cables) Lay the rig on it's side and balance the batteries and monitor until the lower section is balanced so that it neither rolls to the monitor or the batteries.
Build the camera to the rig with all the accessories that you are going to use find a rough side to side on on the built camera and mount the camera to the Camera Mounting plate
Put said camera on the Upper camera platform (Stage) and mount the accessories that you normally fly off the stage (MDR, Preston interface)
Set a 3 second drop time (which is a proper drop time for most work)
Balance the stack side to side (using the stage adjustments)
Balance the stack to hang level fore and aft with the camera mounting plate in the stage (you did zero the stage to it's center position before you started this, Right?)
Spin the rig and Guess what?
You are in dynamic balance. It took all of 60 seconds to do it. Want to double check your work? Bring the post up to level, pan it 90 degrees so that the batteries and monitor are level to the floor and drop, everything should stay in place, the post should not rotate as the gimbal rolls to level.
oh and guess what again.... You will NEVER have to change your dynamic balance again, you can put any payload on the top, adjust for a 3 Second drop and the rig will STAY in dynamic balance FOREVER
I dynamic balanced my XCS Ultimate when I bought and have never done it again. People who claim that this is rocket science are wrong
I cannot begin to tell you the number of people I have taught this to in the last few years that have looked at me and said "Really? it's that simple" as their rig is sitting there spinning flat all day long.
Maybe besides explaining your method in plain text you can explain your method with a small video also?
Hi Eric,
2 quick questions: What do you mean by "zero the stage to it's center position before you started"?
Will the Mickey work with a Steadicam pilot?
Thank you,
