The M-1 Preston Gear Adapter

[Erwin Landau]

The M-1 Preston Gear adapter

 

 

What is it:

 

It's a Lens Motor Gear adapter Kit that makes the use of the snap on M-1 style gears possible. It comes in a sexy plastic container. Included are the Gear adapter that mounts via the familiar 3 screws onto the Drive gear of the Preston DM-1 or DM-2, Six gears (extra wide 0.8m/32P, regular 0.8m/32P, 0.6m, 48P, 0.5m, 0.4m/64P) and an additional container with screws and a Screwdriver. (Cost: $400.-)

 

I picked up the new puppy from Don Wetzel at this weeks NAB and used it for the first time today on set. As said the adapter quickly mounts onto the Drive gear via the provided screws. Take the gear of choice and snap it on.

 

As I'm using the 535B with unfortunately the Otto Nemenz modified Lowmode bracket, the mounting of motors from the preferred top was not an option. The larger diameter gears makes the placement more convenient and clears nicely between the Mirror housing and the LMB-5.

 

For better results use a Preston Motor with the regular output gear instead using the extra wide with later the extra wide on the M-1 adapter makes for a insane wide Focus motor... with resulting placing issues...

 

 

Problems with the Kit:

 

Due to the over size of the Gears and the construction of the Preston Motor, it limits the use of the Hill PAM bracket. In some configurations the Gear will rub against the Rosetta adapter.

 

I used the adapter with the extra wide 0.8 Pitch on the DM-2. In one instance the Preston motor failed to turn over a 65mm Zeiss Super Speed. I had to quickly change to the DM-1... not sure if the additional torque of the bigger gear was responsible as I did not have the time to duplicate it with the motor sans Gear adapter. I have been using the same set of Lenses for the last Month and that was the first time it happened... Will have to investigate...

 

 

Later,

 

 

Erwin

 

 

PS: Below picture one, what comes in the kit, also the comparison of the DM-2 with and without the M-1 gears. Picture 3 mounted on a 535B.

[Erwin Landau]

Here a close up of the DM-2 Motor with Gear, note the close proximity of the PAM rosetta to the Gear:

[Erwin Landau]

Preston DM-2 on the 535B:

[Erwin Landau]

And from the other side:

[RonBaldwin]

back in the day when I had a seitz/hedens (was it on Hawaii Five-O?) I had a really big gear to help reach into tight spots/clear matteboxes (looked like a wagon wheel, must have been 3 or 4 inches in diameter). The poor motors would barely work because of the extra required torque.

 

Those zeiss lenses blow -- a couple of filters + a cinetape on the mb and the lens stiffens up so much it's hard to turn by hand.

 

rb