Smooth tripod collar modification

[shawngibson]

<p>Hi guys and gals.</p>

<p>Do any of you have any experience getting a tripod collar to move very smoothly, as in, like butter?</p>

<p>I'm currently trying to get a camera mounted on a Canon 300/4L to move effortlessly/kink-free but that ain't happening.</p>

<p>I'm thinking if I (carefully) remove the paint from both the collar and the lens with a Dremel and add some grease, it will help.</p>

<p>Ideas?</p>

<p>Merci:)<br>

Shawn</p>

 

[Laura Weishaupt]

<p>Hi Shawn,<br>

I've used the 300mm and the tripod collar was very smooth. All of the tripod collars I have allow for very smooth movement. I loosen the collar, make the adjustment, then tighten back down. They are all Canon collars. I don't know if that makes a difference or not, I doubt it. The inside of the collars are black and smooth, like very dense felt. They are not painted and it's not metal to metal.<br>

I don't think scuffing the inside of the collar or where it seats on the lens will achieve your goal. If anything, that will make things worse. I would not add grease of any kind. You have the foot of the collar mounted on something, correct? (I'm sure you do) Perhaps you need to loosen the collar a bit more to get the lens to rotate in it. </p>

[shawngibson]

<p>Thanks Laura. The collar is loose enough to move freely. The inside of my collar is a felt material, and the lens is crackle paint, I suppose OEM finishes? </p>

<p>This binds and is not fluid for tracking. </p>

<p>When I say I want it to be fluid, I mean kinkless, so to speak, so I can track quickly.</p>

<p>Lens is mounted on a fluid 360 head. The head moves up/down and left/right effortlessly, but I can't turn the camera angle without a bunch of choppiness. It moves, but 'chops' occasionally. Not good for live subjects...</p>

<p>Shawn</p>

[Laura Weishaupt]

<p>Sounds like the OEM finish, yes. Perhaps I don't understand. My collars are all quite fluid, very smooooooth, not a kink, ever. I don't understand why you would want to track something by moving within the collar. Am I missing something? I'm going to the movies, so I'll be out, hence unable to reply till later.</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>The expensive solution is to buy replacement collars from Kirk or another specialty manufacturer. The ones I've gotten from Kirk turn smoothly, and provide much more stability than the ones that came on my (Nikon) lenses.</p>

[Palouse]

<p>Try some paste wax, either wood wax or auto wax. Several coats buffed in well. </p>

[mark_ethridge]

<p>Check the little silver screws that retain your tri-pod collar when it's mounted. I bought a used 70-200 f/2.8L that was as you describe. Turns out one of those three screws had backed out and was loose. Once it was tightened, that solved the problem. All of my other lenses with tri-pod collars have always been smooth.</p>

[erwin_schaefer]

<p>It sounds like you want to create a video while rotating the camera. If the collar has suffered even the slightest bump or shock in one place you are looking at some disassembly. It may be possible to add small teflon buttons in several places around the circumference. That has been a solution for some mechanical devices I have worked on. Have you discussed this with the Canon people? <br /><br /></p>

[User_276104]

<p><br />"If the collar has suffered even the slightest bump or shock in one place you are looking at some disassembly."</p>

<p>That's true. My Nikon 80-200 suffered a short drop onto a carpeted floor quite a few years ago. The lens itself was not damaged, but the collar was "out of round". Despite having it replaced, it's never been the same. </p>

[shawngibson]

<p>Thanks everyone. I've checked to see if the collar is "true" with vernier calipers. It is. I used the inner marker to check. Interestingly, I had to move the calipers a lot more out to check the outer mark (is that normal?).</p>

<p>Hector - I'm not familiar with these. Basically, I'm looking for a ball-bearing -type setup. tight= no movement; loose=buttery smoothe.</p>

<p>Mark - there are no screws that I can see?</p>

<p>Erwin - Not video, but very smooth head movement for stills of living animals...on a budget...while also having a pano head (vertical and horizontal). So basically, I've mounted a pano head and a video head together. The pano and video head work well together, but the camera, on the pano head, is stubborn. I'll attach a pic if needed, if I am clear as mud. Basically, I'm trying to create a single head that works for panoramic stitching and Gimbal movement (I hope that makes sense) when chasing living creatures at the zoo etc.</p>

<p>I took a fine file and removed the orange-peel (i.e. thick blobs of paint) from the lens (didn't cut through the paint, i.e. just the surface) and it helped a bit, but it's still very choppy. </p>

<p>Shawn</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<blockquote>

<p>I don't understand why you would want to track something by moving within the collar. Am I missing something?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>I'm with Laura W here. </p>

<p>AFAIK, collar rotation allows for correction of the camera 'roll' angle to permit vertical or horizontal alignment, AKA Landscape or Portrait. Once set properly, any picture taken not at these 2 positions is going to be in some way diagonal or canted.</p>

<p>All I can think is that the camera head is way, way-off level and as you pan and shoot, the roll angle changes significantly. By unlocking it, you're hoping that as you pan, you can correct the roll angle by allowing controlled slippage within the collar mount....and you need that to be v.smooth...Right?</p>

<p>Level the head correctly and the camera's optical axis should be horizontal as you pan, whether the camera is set to landscape or portrait....(or anywhere else for that matter) You shouldn't need to adjust the collar at all.</p>

[erwin_schaefer]

<p>OK…..I’ll try again. Do you need a medium amount of drag to rotate the rig smoothly by hand and then take a shot without having to clamp? Now Teflon really comes into play. It is available in tape form with adhesive. I have no clue how much space you have but I have some than is .006” thick by .400” wide and could mail you a couple of feet. You will need that much ‘cuz if something goes wrong it’s better to discard than attempt recovery.<br /><br /><br /></p>

[shawngibson]

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>Erwin, yes: medium drag, don't lock down, take the shot.</p>

<p>Mike, picture this:</p>

<p>360 (horizontal) head with camera<br>

underneath that:<br>

Video head, moves vertical, locked into tripod</p>

<p>Moving left-right is no issue.</p>

<p>Moving up down is wonky because the rotator is above the video head. If the horizontal is off by a few or many degrees, then the vertical is at an angle. Only way to get true horizontal or vertical is to rotate the camera.</p>

<p>Shawn</p>