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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Has anyone come up with a way to increase the tightness of the RED handles?

Stephen Pruitt

Stephen Pruitt

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Hi all. . .

We have the two cool-looking RED handles and are using them with the RED handle bar, but no matter how hard we tighten the RED bolts, they still move during normal camera operations (particularly when putting the camera up on your shoulder).

Has anyone come up with a way to make the handles tighter and more solid?

Thanks much.

Stephen
 
my handle mount & handles are machined ( don't know if the newer ones are cast?) ... the wing nuts didn't come with washers ... adding washers helped allot but they still move - especially when 1st lifting it up to shoulder ...
mine are fairly tight and i've come to terms with the fact i can move them during a shot and i do re-adjust them during a shot ( i kind of like it - and this is for holding with 2 hands only... one holding holding and pulling focus with other doesn't work here with handles moving ) ...

however, the one shot i can't do is looking down more then 45 degrees as i can't control the handle movement ... for now i take one hand off the left handle and grab the 19mm rail under lens ( sometimes i'll put a universal mount to grab ) ...
basically no solution for getting them tight only working with what i have ..
 
Ok, "maybe" the shoulder dovetail wasn't meant for steady tripod operation, but those handles were made for handheld action…no?

I don't want to sound negative here, I know the huge amount of work our Red family has on its shoulders (no pun intended).

Emmanuel
 
3rd party handheld solutions are in the works. I'd check out some of the options at NAB.
 
Well, I'd sure hate to think that I'd flushed over a thousand bucks on handles that I can't get to firmly hold!

:-(

Stephen
 
Stephen,

I hear ya. But in RED's defense, this solution will probably work fine for some people as long as the parts are working as designed. And keep in mind that if you need the Cradle and the top mount, that alone would cost you $1000 if you bought them separately. So, in that sense the Production Pack is still a bit of a bargain when compared to buying individual items.

Having said that, you need something that works. If the handles are not working as you expected them to, then I would speak with RED directly about this because maybe they can swap them out for you.

I haven't been able to test them completely yet because I have a large zoom on my camera which is not what I'll be using for hand held work. I'm waiting to get a set of primes in. Then I can test the RED handheld system appropriately, and also I'll be looking at 3rd party solutions.
 
I'm waiting for the first catastophic failure based on a faulty handle design, prompting an insurance lawsuit. Fun.
 
If I had an issue with my handles I would call my RED rep.
 
Hi there, Mitch. . .

What do you think of the handles??? I am just a bit uncomfortable given that they move just putting the camera up on my shoulder. They are probably fine once there (since there isn't a lot of force on them at that point, unless the angles get really severe), but I'd have thought that they'd lock down tighter than this.

As for casting versus machining, I don't know how to tell the difference. What I do know is that my accessories (including my left and right handles!) have a different finish on them. . . some are a dull gun metal gray and others are shiny and black.

Stephen
 
I dont know if this will help you, but basically, most of the RED handles work like a socket wrench, you can pull on the lever (away from the connection) and it will spin freely, allowing you to wind back the opposite way (without loosening) and then wrench it forwards to further tighten. Rinse. Repeat. Reuse.

Let me know if I can help you further.

Jamie
 
Simple though untidy solution I've been using, is to slip cut off fingertips of latex gloves over the rod ends before putting on the handles. The handles still move a little, they almost feels like they flex, but they don't loose position.



www.belladonnathemovie.com
 
This is the problem (our first broken Red part):

IMG_5031ss.jpg


The little wingnuts have a weak point which means that the amount of torque needed to correctly tighten the handles exceeds the fatigue tolerance of the metal they're made of....

I'm going to resort to a normal, solid core hex nut with the same 3/16th thread as the wingnut and use an Allen key to tighten them onto the rods from now on.

HTH

Paul
 
I've been pleased with the grip of my handles so far. Certainly, those kip levers need the most tightening anywhere on the camera rig. (In contrast, I tighten the kip levers on the iris rods only just enough to prevent slip.)

If you have no plans to use the handles directly on 19mm iris rods, consider using a triangular file to texture the insides of the handle and outsides of the handlebar.

Replacing the kip levers with allen bolts is a good idea since my handles are always in the same position once I've got the system built for the day.
 
Do you really need a handle for RED ?
 
I would ask "Do you really need a handle for handheld?" I grab the camera at any useful point including handles, rods, top handle, etc. that gives me the stability and the frame I am seeking. The more gripping points the better. Handles set wide apart, as offered by the RED setup and others, provide a more stable control over sideways (Dutch) tilt.

Michael
 
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