Jump to content

Adding weight to Master Series


Timothy Dolan

Recommended Posts

I recently just bought a Master series; however, I can not practice with it because the only camera i have is a 2lb camcorder. I was wondering how I could add weight to it, or if anyone knew of a Machinist out in the Santa Clarita area. If someone could post a picture of what theirs looks like it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read this!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

Buy a weight plate (or 2 of them).Forum member Janice Arthur sells them. They are really good!

 

 

I recently just bought a Master series; however, I can not practice with it because the only camera i have is a 2lb camcorder. I was wondering how I could add weight to it, or if anyone knew of a Machinist out in the Santa Clarita area. If someone could post a picture of what theirs looks like it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read this!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buy a weight plate (or 2 of them).Forum member Janice Arthur sells them. They are really good!

 

 

I recently just bought a Master series; however, I can not practice with it because the only camera i have is a 2lb camcorder. I was wondering how I could add weight to it, or if anyone knew of a Machinist out in the Santa Clarita area. If someone could post a picture of what theirs looks like it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read this!

 

 

Is there anyway I can make one myself for cheap that would last a couple of weeks until I can get some money for those? Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

You can just get any block of steel and have some 3/8th holes tapped in it. But I would just get the right thing from Janice...there is no comparison between it and a homemade weight unless you spend the same money anyway! And hers can be used in multiple configurations to help with lighter cameras on the job as well.

 

RB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

If your REALLY desperate, you can get a couple of free-weights (5-10lbs. make sure they're the weights with the small holes), 1 large washer with a 1/4-20 hole, and a long 1/4-20 screw with a button head. The length of the screw is determined by the thickness between the dove-tail and the camera. you lay your weights on top of your dove-tail, the washer on top of the weights and your camera on the washer. Your probably lookin at $30 all in. This my friend, is ghe-tto. It'll tide you over till you save up the cash to get Janice's kick-ass cage. Please, don't use this as a permanent substitute for her weight platform. Janice's are more functional and look nicer :-)

Good luck!

Santi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

Thank you for your time in answering my question. Im going to try the free weight idea until i can pull together enough cash for the cage. If i bought two weight plates could i screw them ontop of each other? or would the cage just be a better all around option?

 

 

Please, Please buy the weight cage when you can. treat the weight cage like you would if you bought any other piece of accessory for your rig. It may cost you a little bit, but worth it. In the grand scheme of things, probably one of the cheaper accessories you buy. It'll be more than just a practice cage. Like Ron said, it'll come in handy for your DSLR shoots and all the other prosumer cameras that'll be coming down the pike. Can you imagine if you showed up to set with a couple of weights to counter balance your rig? Silk hat on a pig...

Good Luck!

Santi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you get client who has a small camera and you have a cage you will have the proper piece of equipment for the job. Showing up with weight plates will look a bit on the amateur side. If just for practice, the weights are fine. Maybe you can put a spacer between the weights to make the load more "realistic".

 

Edit: Santiago, you beat me to it.

Edited by Chris Callarman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

If you do end up making your own, make sure you know what the largest camera you'll be flying is. I built mine and then a month later, someone wanted me to shoot with their Ex3. 2 inches too short and 1.5 inches too narrow. I ended up mounting the two plates together with a couple of bolts and using it as a plate not a cage. Does anyone have a JA cage they could send me the dimensions on?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Members

The JA plates can be screwed together, it doesn't have to be a cage. The beauty of it is it has tapped and countersunk holes all over it as well as threaded holes on the corners for rods. Go down to a machine shop and ask them to cut and drill the poop out of a piece of steel...it will cost more than you think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I definitely do not want to look like an amateur the first time I get on a set, so I will save up for the cage. I also found a problem that the bottom dial kinda falls out is there a way that I can fix that on my own, or is it just safer to bring it to Tiffen? If I bring it to Tiffen, is there anyone in specific I should ask for. Thank you all who are responding I am just starting out and just am itching to get this started!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • Premium Members

I definitely do not want to look like an amateur the first time I get on a set, so I will save up for the cage. I also found a problem that the bottom dial kinda falls out is there a way that I can fix that on my own, or is it just safer to bring it to Tiffen? If I bring it to Tiffen, is there anyone in specific I should ask for. Thank you all who are responding I am just starting out and just am itching to get this started!!

 

Call or email Derek Hester. He's the head of Customer Service at the Steadicam facility. He is at dhester@tiffen.com or at (818) 567-7917.

 

Best,

 

Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...