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Standard lens center height from the baseplate?


Riku Naskali

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Hi,

 

I'm designing an universal 3D mirror rig for myself. The idea is that it would work with many cameras, so I'm wondering is there such thing as a standard for lens center height from the camera base?

 

Somehow I seem to think there is a standard for "pro" (film/video production) cameras, after all matteboxes have to line up to many cameras, etc.

 

But is there such a thing for consumer cameras...? If such thing doesn't exist, do you have any ideas for the range? Primarily I'm using my rig with two consumer grade avchd-cameras with lens center height from base around 3.5cm (about 1,38"). I guess I'll have to make another adjusting stage if I want it to be super versatile rig...

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There's not a standard. Matteboxes are adjustable both up and down and side-to-side in relation to the bracket for the rods.

 

Consumer cameras without a bridgeplate will be very low, often little more than the radius of the lens above the baseplate. For professional cameras, around 3 or 4 inches seems to be usual, though as I said, not standard.

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Not exactly true. There are absolutely standards for rod alignment, but most little cameras need risers or baseplates of different sizes to match those proper heights. LWS rods are 86mm from lens center to rod center in height.

Mitch,

 

On the subject, do you know what the vertical and horizontal to lens center offsets are from the centerline of the 3/8" tripod hole of an Arri 2? Another way of putting it, what's the necessary riser height for either maxi or minirods on an Arri 2 relative to the camera base plane and the sidewise lens offset from the centerline of the rods to the centerline of a line from the 3/8" tripod hole to the 1/4" alignment peg hole on the front underside of the camera (or other known up and sidewise dimensions like from the base of a CE Arri 2 motor)? Those are extremely difficult measurements to accurately make directly off the camera by yourself (unless you happen to be a tool and die maker!), I'm hoping Abel has those dimensions lying around somewhere.

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If such thing doesn't exist, do you have any ideas for the range? Primarily I'm using my rig with two consumer grade avchd-cameras with lens center height from base around 3.5cm (about 1,38").

 

Errrr 1,38"??? Even 1.38 is finicky. With inches, you should give fractional parts in vulgar fractions unless you're an engineer :P So it'd be about 1-3/8".

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Mitch,

 

On the subject, do you know what the vertical and horizontal to lens center offsets are from the centerline of the 3/8" tripod hole of an Arri 2? Another way of putting it, what's the necessary riser height for either maxi or minirods on an Arri 2 relative to the camera base plane and the sidewise lens offset from the centerline of the rods to the centerline of a line from the 3/8" tripod hole to the 1/4" alignment peg hole on the front underside of the camera (or other known up and sidewise dimensions like from the base of a CE Arri 2 motor)? Those are extremely difficult measurements to accurately make directly off the camera by yourself (unless you happen to be a tool and die maker!), I'm hoping Abel has those dimensions lying around somewhere.

We don't have that sort of stat in a file anywhere, especially when you're talking about a 3rd party item that 20 years old on a fifty year old camera. But if you'd like to bring it in we could certainly meawsure it up for you and work out machining some rod supports if that's what you're after. We certainly have the tools to accurately measure this.

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