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Pana Preston Bracket


Mike McGowan SOC

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Wondering what you guys use for Preston motor to Panavision camera brackets??? I've seen the Hill bracket on line and it looks pretty cool. Panavision has a bracket that slides into the follow focus slot that works pretty good and then you can always just use the factory matte box rods and use a standard Preston arm or a Hill arm.

 

Is there anything that I'm missing? What's your favorite option? What combo do you use if you need both a focus and an iris motor on say an XL (perticularly since the iris is so frickin close to the camera)? How about a 3 motor set up for Panavision?

 

mm.

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The Hill bracket is great as it has so many mounting options for his square to round rods. Even with the Genesis and the XL, where you have to break the bracket in half giving you only two side rod possibilities, I'm still able to mount all three motors as needed. In a pinch I can mount off rods from the top dovetail (useful if I have to add one on the left side of the body).

 

Once you start working with the Panavision side rods (for studio or handheld), things get tighter and it's hard to work the PAM arms in there so the focus mount is a good one and I have seen others as well. But for Steadicam, Jerry's tried and true is still working great.

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tnx.

 

so with the hill bracket do you ever use the pana, under mount (the one that slides in where the follow focus would normally go)?

 

I use it sometimes, find it very handy to have.

 

Also if you are upgrading or putting a new system together, it is of note that Skipp's Engineering makes an improved version of the PAM Hill Bracket system. Pretty much all of the parts are interchangeable but the new system has better, more solid rosettes for the motors (they do not twist at all) and various lengths of arms, etc.. I think it's all a bit cheaper too. Call Mike over there (818-882-3500), he is a great guy and good resource--makes all sorts or parts and widgets, and his machining is tops.

 

-Matt

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f-ing sweet!

 

i just have a stock preston with stock preston arms..... pretty un sexy imo.

 

ill check out mike's stuff (he's got a great name at least). does he have a website???

 

 

tnx,

 

mm.

 

p.s....... going up any mountains any time soon???

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  • 2 weeks later...

Darien Bogue is a machinist at Panavision Woodland Hills. He makes and sells the Pana/Preston motor bracket on the side. He sells them for $175.00. It is the most common one I have seen around. You can call him directly at 818-620-2330.

 

If you need any other machining, he is a great person to use.

 

I am sorry for not posting this last week.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Dominick

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