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Low mode - docking position


Sam Bennett

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Hi all, 

What's the best practise for docking the sled in low mode?

Essentially, which part of the post assembly should be resting on the docking bracket?

Would love to know in a general sense with different rigs but also what would work best for my rig (Zephyr)

 

Cheers,

Sam.

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Sam,

On the big rig I have a docking collar on both the top and bottom of the sled. For the Zephyr if I’m doing low mode I tend to extend the center post just enough to get the docking bracket into the collar right above the bottom electronics. Don’t make the same mistake I have of thinking the post clamp assembly is thick enough for docking! Hope this helps!

Best,

Francisco 

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Hi Sam - I used to run a lower docking collar for low mode, but don’t anymore. In the old days, we flipped the whole camera and remounted it for low mode. It made sense to hang the rig from the bottom end so the camera was right side up for reloading, etc. Now, most people go low mode by simply flipping the rig and the image as well. For me, it makes more sense to hang the rig right side up (again, for ease of reloading, etc) and then spin it when I put it up to fly. It adds a half second or so, but I find the time...

Hope this helps. 

- dk

 

 

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6 hours ago, Deke Keener said:

Hi Sam - I used to run a lower docking collar for low mode, but don’t anymore. In the old days, we flipped the whole camera and remounted it for low mode. It made sense to hang the rig from the bottom end so the camera was right side up for reloading, etc. Now, most people go low mode by simply flipping the rig and the image as well. For me, it makes more sense to hang the rig right side up (again, for ease of reloading, etc) and then spin it when I put it up to fly. It adds a half second or so, but I find the time...

Hope this helps. 

- dk

 

 

Deke,

While it is true that it’s now easier to reload the camera when right side up, I can’t remember a job that I’ve done where people don’t want to look at a frame before I put on the rig. Whether for lighting, or set dressing, or HMU and Wardrobe, someone always wants to look at a frame, and generally they want an approximation go what the frame actually will be (I.E. it doesn’t help the DP much in setting lights if the camera is about to be 3 feet lower than it is on the stand!). So I dock in low mode. It also helps me to have as little time flying the rig as possible. When I pick up the rig, it’s  in the right orientation, pointed at the set, and I dock in a direction (lens to the right, contrary to what is taught at most workshops) that means that the rig is ready to fly the moment it comes off the dock. No flipping the rig, no spinning it around my body, no delays. With heavier cameras I’ll enforce this even more (such as when I did a music video on Primo Anamorphic lenses recently... 17 pounds for the 50mm) - we roll and slate on the stand, and I pick it up once everyone is ready to go, not before Vanities run in for a moment of touch up or before the artist puts away their phone.

Hopefully that clears up why I still dock in low mode, and still think that it’s a useful thing to do. 

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the pro cinelive has a built-in collar on which you can dock. however when im using that sled i have added a collar anyways.

on my xcs post i have a lower docking collar and i bring the stand up high. just easier to mount up the rig, however you obviously have to adjust the height of the stand between balancing etc...ahem 2AC...

 

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i have two docking collars, one above and one below. 

if im doing lots of low mode i build the camera in proper low mode.

otherwise if camera is upside down i  dock in low mode all the time, but when it comes to reloading etc i spin the rig and dock upright so ac's can do their thing

 

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Hi Sam,

 

Hopefully you figured this out but, if not, Tiffen advises to still dock the Zephyr as you would if you were operating in high mode.

 

There is no proper docking collar on the base of the Zephyr sled and if it is too heavy, you can cause damage to the sled.

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