When to use lens support?

I've got a MFT to PL adapter onto which I'm going to attach a Zeiss Super 16mm 11.5mm to 115mm lens. This lens weighs around 1.2KG. This will be on BMPCC.

At what point is lens support mandatory? Where does that support go? I've seen PL adapters with support feet and I've seen support in the shape of a Y bracket near the end of a long lens.

Thanks

Mohammed

I believe that should have lens support. Even on a camera with a PL mount you want to support that. MFT much weaker so needs a helping hand.

If you use a matte box which fits snugly to the lens that might provide enough support. The Y support works as would a lens with allowance for a screw or a foot to secure to rails.


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Thanks Rick. I'll be using rails with a Y support. I'll see how that goes.

You should also use a rail mount to the PL adapter as well. I have a long Zoom on my Micro camera, and the PL adapter has a rail support mount connected to it, and I use a clamp,on rail mounted matte box to support the other end of the lens. A Y support will give the lens some support, but does not lock it down to the rail setup and insure no movement between lens adapters and camera mount. This is especially necessary with long, tele focal length zooms.
Cheers

Thanks Denny.

The PL adapter doesn't have any kind of support that allows you to lock it down, unfortunately. What I thought I could do is strap the lens down so that it doesn't move on the Y support. The Y support will be on rails but you're right that the lens can move which in turn will cause movement between the lens adapter and camera mount. I can use my matte box on the end as well, if I need to, which clamps onto the rails and should stop that movement.

Would the matte box at the end of the lens be enough or should I put the Y support in there anyway?

A matte box isn’t really for support, even on the rails, but is for controlling the light entering the lens. I’d say use the Y support.

Thanks for the reply. You're right, it's not what a matte box is for but it could stop the lens moving around. I'll give it shot and see how it works.

Some MFT-PL adapters include a foot to be secured to a plate or rails. The Wooden Camera adapter would be an example that effectively clamps the connection in place.


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Thanks Rick. Yes, I've seen those adapters but I don't have one with a foot, unfortunately. The one I have is a Hawk's Factory one which I got from a filmmaker who used it with his BMPCC.

Yes, a long lens needs the support in the middle. I only use the matte box with short zooms, to help stabilize it, but Michael is correct, a matte box is not s good primary lens support, it only helps reduce the leverage effect on longer lens. Keep the Y support as well. Strapping the Y support should help.
Cheers

So, I rigged up the BMPPC with the PL adapter, Y support (plus strap) and the Zeiss Zoom. One thing I noticed, with the BMPCC being so thin, the stress was on the 1/4" mounting hole in the camera than the actual M43 mount.

Essential to have a cage for such a setup to make the camera a little "fatter" and more secure?

Yes, you definitely need a cage, even a minimal one like the Wooden Camera Pocket cage, will give you a wider base, and transfer the stress to the top and bottom screws equally. You want a cage that locks on both, the top screw mount and the bottom one.
Cheers

Thanks Denny. That was the cage I was thinking of. I'll get one and see how it works.

If you get the Wooden Camera Cage, then keep your eye out for a used Wooden Camera PL/MFT BMPCC adapter, as it actually attaches to the Pocket Cage with two screws, and distributes some of the adapter lens stress to the cage and not the camera’s MFT mount. This was the setup I used, worked great with my Zeiss Super Speeds, and the Angenieux 17.5-70 Zoom.
Cheers

That's the exact PL adapter I thought I'd found on eBay but it turned out it had already been sold, even though the listing was still there. I'm going to have to make the best of what I have at the moment.

I noticed that when I zoom, the stiffness of the zoom ring causes the mount to twist a little. Strapping it down certainly helps but no doubt that a locking foot on the adapter would be the best situation.

I've got a Kamerar QV-1 viewfinder for the Pocket which I really like. Unfortunately, the base plate extends too far under the mount, not allowing the adapter to fit. It makes focusing a lot more difficult. I need to cut about 5mm off the end of the base plate. I asked around at some local engineering companies if they could do that for me but they wouldn't. I didn't want to hacksaw it myself.

You can do a search and then save it, and eBay will notify you on any new postings. Good luck finding one, I will keep an eye peeled for you too.
Cheers

Yes, a long lens needs the support in the middle. I only use the matte box with short zooms, to help stabilize it, but Michael is correct, a matte box is not s good primary lens support, it only helps reduce the leverage effect on longer lens. Keep the Y support as well. Strapping the Y support should help.
Cheers

Like this taken at last night’s wedding using the Wooden Camera Y support and the Misfit Atom which is also supported to the rods to also steady any movement—have it covered.



You may notice, the Fujinon 20x7.8B M10 B4 is set at 11mm. I used it a fair amount going from 11-20mm to see how the Tokina Cinema ATX 11-20mm T2.9 will perform. It was quite useful but I often needed to go wider and longer. That was recording to 2K 16:9 in ProRes 444 on the Mini 4.6K camera.

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[quote="Mohammed Tahir"]

<I noticed that when I zoom, the stiffness of the zoom ring causes the mount to twist a little. Strapping it down certainly helps but no doubt that a locking foot on the adapter would be the best situation.>

I understand you are speaking about Zeiss VarioSonnar 10-100 T3 converted to S16 or later T2. This lens defitately need support. I use the same on my bmpcc. Check your mount on bmpcc first. It may be loose a bit. MTF is not a good mount to hold real cine zoom but it should not shift wile you are focusing of zooming. If you will not solve this problem you will have all the time bad footage. Check your adapter with any other MTF mount camera. It possible to open mount and make spring a bit tight. (I need to do this on my bmpcc first.)

Valery, has the same issue with Veydra Mini
Rimes on the Pocket camera. The movement is in the camera’s MFT mount, which has a small amount of rotating play. Locking the PL adapter to the Micro cage solves this issue. Also a lens support that clamps on the lens and supported by studio rails will also stop the movement.

Veydra came up with a locking collar clamp for its MFT mount lenses to fix the camera’s lens mount issues. All MFT mourns suffer from this, some more than others, given enough torque they shift.
Cheers